Mama Dukes: Cooking with aloha
For Amber Racoma, Mama Dukes Hawaiian BBQ is more than a restaurant. It’s a way to honor the traditional island flavors passed down by her mother and share favorite childhood recipes with the Bloomington community.
Amber selected Shoyu Chicken for the Globe menu as an approachable, flavorful entry point to Hawaiian food. The sweet and savory mix of teriyaki, veggies, rice, and macaroni salad will feel familiar with a twist. “It’s important to me to introduce students to the Hawaiian BBQ experience,” Amber said. “The Shoyu Chicken is the most personal to me because it’s the first thing my mom taught me to cook. It took a long time to perfect!”
From a food-truck favorite to a campus staple, Mama Dukes brings hearty portions, fresh, homemade flavors, and an aloha spirit to the Bloomington campus, served with the warmth and hospitality that defines Amber's cooking.
Top Notch: A taste of the islands
Jeff Milliken and Maria Milliken have long shared a shared passion for cooking Filipino food. Their love for cooking the dishes from the Philippines grew naturally into sharing meals with friends. Since opening Top Notch Filipino, they have built a loyal local following in the Bloomington community.
The menu blends traditional comfort dishes with Milliken family favorites. “Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines and a great entryway into the food and culture,” Jeff said. Adobo sauce blends onion, garlic, vinegar, green onion, bay leaves, soy sauce, and sugar. While it is usually served over chicken thighs, Top Notch also offers a tofu-based version. The Globe Top Notch menu also includes pancit (stir fried noodles with veggies and protein), and lumpia, thin and crispy spring rolls.
Whether you are trying a Filipino dish for the first time or revisiting a childhood favorite, Jeff and Maria hope their food makes you feel like part of the family. “This is what we eat at home, and we love to share it with the IU community.”
