Sep 9, 2026

Story Behind the Choking Sign: New York Basketball, Filipino Culture, and Hoy! with Kristofferson San Pablo

At Hoy!, a new casual Filipino joint on the Lower East Side, the choking sign features the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson helping Wemby (Victor Wembanyama) cough up a lumpia, or Filipino egg roll. During this summer’s fated game, the Spurs choked on the lead… and so on the poster, Wemby chokes on something from Hoy!’s menu. Los Angeles-based artist and creative director Kristofferson San Pablo came up with it while himself in New York for the finals, when he was also helping his cousin, owner-chef Cyed Adraincem, bring the longtime idea of Hoy! to life. The two grew up in California’s Inland Empire and talked about opening a restaurant for years. When Cyed finally called with the keys to a corner space in the Lower East Side, Kristofferson took on everything creative, from logos and merch to the hand-painted interior and plans for music. The concept draws on Filipino night markets, with Kristofferson bringing his years in fine art, streetwear, and DJing into the mix. Our conversation follows those connections through the restaurant: how their choking sign doubles as a basketball comic, how their Filipino DJ friends will contribute to a planned mixtape series and live sets at Hoy!, and how their restaurant concept reflects and brings awareness to the Filipino-American cultural identity. We also talk about Kristofferson’s recent first museum exhibition at UC Irvine, his journey with his commercial and fine art practices, and his insistence that his cousin Cyed get in front of the camera, so people can see the Filipino team behind Hoy!’s food.