Amid the buzz on an American furniture store’s “bamboo wall art” which Filipinos said appeared like a “bilao,” some food establishments took it as an opportunity to promote their offered meals that come with the well-known winnowing basket.
The Pottery Barn recently trended on local social media for featuring a “round bamboo wall art” on its website under the “mirrors and art” category.
The item sells at 299 in US dollars, which is around 14,300 in Philippine peso. ($1=PHP 47.92)
Its product overview on the website reads:
Round out your accent wall with this impressive woven art piece made from bamboo. Reminiscent of open-air market selling baskets, with a slightly concave shape and shallow rim, it adds warmth, texture and eclectic style wherever it’s hung.
- Handcrafted from bamboo.
- Mounting hardware is included.
- Imported.
The furniture store also featured it on its Facebook page and promoted it among their “favorite summer trends.” Part of its caption on social media reads:
“Now trending: Hawaiian-inspired layers. We love the oversized botanical motifs and artisanal craftsmanship of our handcrafted Hawaiian-inspired textiles.”
This was noticed by some Filipinos who said that they could get a similar item from markets or food establishments especially selling different types of pancit like pancit bihon and pancit Malabon.
ROUND BAMBOO WALL ART IM SCREAMING pic.twitter.com/pm2DqO1Ksq
— ritu (@zourrymilf) May 12, 2021
The “bilao” is also used by vendors as food trays to sell native delicacies like puto (steamed rice cakes), suman (glutinous rice cake wrapped in banana or coconut leaves), kutsinta (steamed rice cake made with brown sugar) and biko (sweet rice cake).
It is similarly used in Filipino households to sift and separate loose rice husks from the mortar in preparation for cooking.
Two food establishments joined in the online buzz and featured their own meals that come with the now-trending item.
The Chicken Basket Restaurant quipped that Filipinos can enjoy looking at the “bamboo wall art” by buying their pancit canton, pancit bihon or pancit malabon that “serves 25 persons” for P1,000.
The restaurant is known for serving Filipino comfort food and Asian cuisine.
Another food establishment, Onie’s Kitchenette, quipped that people can buy their “bilao combos” that come with free “bilao wall decor.”
The restaurant describes itself as the “home of bilao combo” meals.
This was not the first time such an item gained traction among Filipinos.
In 2017, the winnowing basket was reported to be featured on an e-commerce website “for about $38.00 or approximately P2,000.00.”
The product’s description reads: “Round rattan tray boho chic wicker tray woven basket bamboo bohemian wall hanging rustic decor.”