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Abraham Rojas

@bajacancha

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•Beverage Director @thelaurelct
•Cookie Monster
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
“Mi vida ha sido como un bolero.”
Photography insta @bajamote

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And that’s a wrap on our third and final event in our Salu-Salo pop-up series for this summer! 🇵🇭 We’re so thankful for all the support you guys have given us, but honestly, what means the most is seeing Filipino food get the appreciation it’s been getting here in Connecticut these past few months. Watching that room fill up with people who genuinely believe Filipino cuisine deserves the spotlight, it gets me so weepy every time 🥹💛

None of it would’ve been possible without the help of the best team out there @aflagg @jslmarie @bajacancha @mikaaachuuuii__ and everyone at @thelaurelct who was a part of this event :)

From the food to the drinks to every little detail that made this breakfast feel special, this team showed up and gave it their all every single time. Thank you for believing in this, for pouring your talent into every plate and pour, and for making Salu-Salo feel like more than just a pop-up. Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover it 🫶🏻

Special shoutout goes to my 15 yo niece @chezk4y, who hand draws all our Salu-Salo illustrations. Every single one of them comes from her, and I still can’t believe how talented she is. So proud of you!!!!!!

This may be our last one for now, but we’re certainly not done 🎄✨ Make sure to sign up for our email list (in my bio) and join our Salu-Salo broadcast channel for updates 😋

Hanggang sa muli. ‘Til next time :)

The best buko pie 🥹

The dreamiest Filipino bread basket 😋

I got my buko pie!!!!

@chezka.art your talent is UNREAL

The special cocktails @bajacancha whipped up for the event:

Manila Sunrise
vodka, midori, peach-ginger cordial, calamansi, eucalyptus, bubbles

Milo Everyday
rum, meletti amaro, chocolate liqueur, cherry syrup, milo, milk, cold brew-condensed milk foam

Our bread basket lineup: pan de sal, pan de coco, pan de regla 😋

picked these flowers myself at @foxandthebuckfarm the day before haha

@jslmarie let’s give it up for our favorite pastry chef!!!!!

Champorado, anyone? We topped this with salted dried fish!!!

😍

Daing na bangus!!!! (Marinated milkfish)

TAHOOOOOOOOO

A film by @aflagg. Can you believe it was actually in focus?

Ube ensaymada, suman, and buko pie 😩

💛💛💛

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What happens when regulars keep asking us, “What’s next?” You get our most experimental cocktail yet. 🍸

Meet the Cloud Judgment: coconut rum, Batavia arrack, celery liqueur, shallot cordial, Tom Kha broth, sesame oil, and a whole lot of rich, funky umami.

It’s hard to describe. You’ll just have to taste it for yourself.

And while you’re here, don’t forget to nominate The Laurel for Bar & Beverage Team of the Year at the Crazies 2026! Only ONE WEEK left to vote. 🏆 Check out the link in our bio to nominate us.

Have a fun idea for a cocktail? Let us know in the comments. We might just experiment with it next. 👀

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Emergency Water wasn’t originally meant for The Laurel’s summer menu. It started at one of our Salu-Salo Filipino pop-ups, and people loved it enough that we decided it needed to stick around. 🍹

@bajacancha created it specifically to drink alongside the big, bold flavors of Filipino food.

Blanco tequila and cachaça form the base, mango brings the tropical sweetness, calamansi keeps everything bright, and our house-made pandan cordial and tamarind water bring a little more depth. Topped with soda, it’s refreshing, tropical, slightly funky, and very easy to drink.

Basically, it did its job a little too well. Now it has a permanent spot (for the summer, at least 😉) behind our bar.

And since we’re giving Abe and the bar some love, here’s your reminder that The Laurel is up for Bar & Beverage Team of the Year at the @craziesawards! 🏆

If you’ve had an Emergency Water or any drink at our bar that made you order another round - we’d love your nomination. You can vote through the link in our bio. Cheers!

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Will be missing you July! 💛

4th of July wknd on Lake Winnipesaukee 😋

Will be missing you July 💛

Love Providence 😍💛

Food was amazing 😭

Weee collab for Salu-Salo 🥰

Salu-Salo Night Two BTS ☺️

Buggy!

☺️💛

ded

cuties

Hi Abe!

Say cheeese

Spent a lovely weekend in VT with friends :)

Crossed over the Canadian border *very* briefly lol

This swimming hole 😍

Maple ice cream in Brattleboro

Toddler-free dinner calls for a white shirt lol

Delishhhh

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I couldn’t be prouder to have worked this event all the way through with @krystleyy. What started as a quick conversation about food, became a friendship and a partnership that I will cherish. She is a such a proud advocate for Filipino food and the community at large. In talking with Krystle it became so obvious how hard it is to miss home, the people, the culture and the food. It was an easy choice to agree to an event that could in any way alleviate some of the homesickness. I am happy and honored to be a part of what she is building. I am also in awe of someone with no restaurant experience pulling off an event of this size and so quickly. Unreal and incredibly inspiring.

If anyone understands feeling homesick it’s @bajacancha . The care he put into researching Filipino ingredients to create his cocktails reflects his talent and his love for the community.

So thankful for my staff who worked so hard for this event and my friends who swung through in a pinch to help out (please take a second to check out the tags) And I am beyond thankful for @igorotchef who not only hopped in last minute but also took a huge bite out of the prep list 🙏🏻. And @tim.layug who kept service moving!

There were a lot of lessons learned from night, maybe slightly too much food, Amazon is not a reliable source for cornicks and a few other we will apply to night two. Biggest lesson is that there is a market and need to highlight and celebrate this cuisine and community in Connecticut. I am dedicated to continuing to be an advocate for the community and continuing my education in all things Filipino. Thanks so much to everyone who reached out with your feedback, it’s so helpful and so appreciated.

Thank you to our food sponsors @dartagnanfoods @bellabellagourmet @gulfshrimpcompany

Stay tuned there is so much more to come. No one can slow @krystleyy down!!

Local heroes

@andrewnathon

@linecookeleane

@kristin1323

@breaashe

@deadline_gemini

@jslmarie

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There was way too much food to digest, but not nearly as much as the memories we all got to bring home from Night One of Salu-Salo 🇵🇭💛

We may have gone a little overboard with the food (okay, maybe a lot overboard lol), but if you know anything about Filipino hospitality, you know that’s exactly the point. Nobody leaves hungry. Nobody leaves empty-handed. And absolutely nobody leaves without feeling like they gained a family — even if it was their first time ever coming over to your house.

I still have so much to say and so many people to thank (guaranteed you will be flooded with more posts from me), but for now I just want to say THANK YOU. For showing up. For trying dishes you couldn’t pronounce. For being down to sit and enjoy a meal with strangers. For staying til the end. And for not making a scene when we didn’t bring out the cornicks. They got delivered the day after!!!!! 😭

Night Two is July 20. We hope to see you there ❤️ (Link in bio for tickets)

photos by @retrosunshine_

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This is one of our favorite orders to share right now.
Watermelon Crudo, Pickled Fried Asparagus, Cornbread, Picnic Chicken, Bruleed Strawberry Cornbread and absolutely any drink(s) from the bar!

🎥 @Krystleyy

#connecticut
#westhartford
#farmtotable
#cteats
#ctbites

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We’re pretty proud of our cocktail lineup over here. Stop by soon and try one. Or two. We promise we don’t judge!!!

Cocktail program by Abraham Rojas. Bridget Hurley is also always crushing it!

🎥 @krystleyy

#moversandshakers
#connecticut
#westhartford
#cteats
#ct bites

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Our local community matters a lot to us, and being good community members is something we take seriously here. @aflagg shares what that actually looks like day to day at The Laurel 💛

🎥 @krystleyy

#connecticut
#westhartford
#cteats
#ctbites
#ctfoodie

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Thank you to everyone who spent Mother’s Day with us ❤️ This was by far the biggest holiday we have hosted and we are so thankful to all the guests and especially our staff. A lot went into making all the moms happy and we look forward to serving you all again!

Happy Mother’s Day to @bridget.hurley and @marla_rizzo_pottery who spent their day working, we owe you a day of pampering.

And thank you to our friend @krystleyy who took time out of her Mother’s Day to make this beautiful video. We appreciate it so much.

🎨🖌️ @jaimelajones

#Brunch
#Connecticut
#westhartford
#mothersday
#cteats

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Fernet-o de Mayo

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Our beverage director and resident king of the smolder is dropping his new beverage menu TOMMORROW 4/15/2026. If you know Abraham then you know this is not something you can miss. See you soon. As always bar is open for walk ins.

Beverage Director
@bajacancha

Bartender/glass durability inspector
@bridget.hurley

Photography
@bread_and_beast
@lisalnichols

#imbibegram
#cocktail
#cteats
#westhartford
#ctrestaurants

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