History made as first ever authentic Derry Filipino restaurant Bahay Kusina opens in Craft Village
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00:00 It's like a house and a kusina is like a kitchen. So it's like a house kitchen.
00:04 Very good.
00:05 Something like that, you know.
00:07 It's a long time dream of my wife, you know, because it's her passion.
00:11 Yes.
00:12 You know, she like it.
00:13 You know, so it's been a long time dream that we have the stage like this because
00:19 she worked in the health sector as well. She's a care assistant.
00:22 Yes.
00:22 She always have a dream to have restaurant.
00:26 Back home, we have restaurant. We own the restaurant.
00:28 You did back home?
00:29 Back home.
00:30 Yeah.
00:31 And where was home for you?
00:32 Philippines.
00:33 Whereabouts in the Philippines?
00:34 Mindanao.
00:35 In the south?
00:36 In the south.
00:37 So for a long time, you know, that's her dream.
00:40 You know, so I have no choice. I have to support her.
00:42 Yeah.
00:44 She's looking forward to it. She has to resign and say, "No, not yet. See how it goes."
00:49 You know, we started this.
00:50 Yeah.
00:50 And we're still very lucky we get this place.
00:53 Yes.
00:53 You know.
00:53 [Indistinct chatter]
01:08 It's an ideal location?
01:09 Ideal location.
01:10 And then, but you know, we apply this last February.
01:14 Yeah.
01:14 And then we realize that we get it.
01:16 Brilliant.
01:17 So...
01:17 So you're very delighted?
01:19 Very delighted.
01:19 It's a long plan.
01:20 Yeah.
01:21 And it's history, I think. I can't recall any other Filipino restaurants and dairies as the first one?
01:27 No, this is the first one.
01:29 Yeah, yeah.
01:29 This is the first one. Actually, we opened, we opened, we opened a shared partnership in Belfast.
01:37 Yes.
01:38 Last January, you know, last year, this year.
01:42 So my wife and her cousin, we opened, it's a Pinoy Bites, Bantok Bites.
01:47 You know, we opened it.
01:49 It's still operating at the minute, but it's so far for us to travel.
01:53 Too far away.
01:53 Every day.
01:54 Yeah.
01:54 So that's why we're looking forward. This is a sole ownership. This is me and my wife.
01:59 Yeah.
02:00 So we start from there, hopefully. You know, the people of the area will support us.
02:04 Yeah. And tell me a bit about Filipino cuisine. Like, I think Jonah was telling me there'd be, she described it as sweet, but not too sweet.
02:14 Yeah, you know, like a sweet and sour.
02:16 Yes.
02:17 Sweet and sour food, you know, that is famous back home.
02:20 Yeah.
02:21 You know, we have a pork adobo, pork barbecue, you know, and then we have pancit, it's made of noodles.
02:28 Right.
02:28 Noodles, you know. And then we have this, we have our own version of chicken curry.
02:34 Right.
02:34 It's more creamy.
02:35 I see.
02:36 So I think, you know, at the start, everybody, not only my target, you know, my target client is only Filipinos, but eventually, you know, people in the area is more diverse.
02:49 Absolutely.
02:50 They can try. They can try some of the food.
02:52 You're making my mouth water.
02:53 [Laughter]
02:55 I look forward to trying some of this.
02:57 It's more, Filipino cuisine is more like Spain.
03:02 Yeah. Because of the Spanish influence?
03:04 Yeah, Spanish, you know, Spanish, you know.
03:06 Yeah.
03:07 So it's more like that, you know, but hopefully some people I work with, you know, I work with Irish, British, you know, they try our own food and they like it.
03:18 Oh, that's it.
03:18 We have spring roll, we have, we have, yeah, we have chicken curry, we have, what do you call that, pie bunnies.
03:28 [Speaking in Filipino]
03:30 They love it.
03:31 Yeah, yeah.
03:31 [Speaking in Filipino]
03:38 And when are you going to be up and running? I know the official blessing is...
03:41 The blessing on the 18th, on Monday coming the 20th of May, this is the official...
03:45 That's you, you're open for business, have great stuff.
03:48 We open at 9, we open at 9 and we close at 10 because this is all gated area.
03:52 Yes.
03:53 [Speaking in Filipino]
03:55 Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
03:57 So we have to think about Monday, Monday to Friday or we're off the weekend or we can have Saturday and then we have off Sunday, Monday.
04:05 Yeah.
04:06 Two days out.
04:07 Yeah.
04:08 We cannot run the business for seven days a week.
04:10 Of course not, of course not.
04:11 We're looking for maybe off on Sunday and off on Monday and then the rest of the week.
04:16 Yeah.
04:17 And back home, would it be a big tradition, everybody, on Sunday for instance, everybody sits down.
04:24 Yeah, everybody sits down.
04:25 Yeah.
04:26 It's a family day.
04:27 Yes.
04:28 It's a family day.
04:29 But they said they open from 1 o'clock and then after 5 o'clock but see how it goes here.
04:35 It's still, you know, it's hard to say.
04:38 Yeah, that's it.
04:39 See how it goes.
04:41 See how it goes.
04:42 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:43 If it works, it works, you know.
04:45 And you will continue, you work as a nurse?
04:48 Yeah.
04:49 You're going to continue working?
04:50 Yeah, I'm doing some shift because, you know, I'm not full time.
04:54 Maybe I'm doing two nights work and then work in between.
04:57 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:58 So my wife, we employ two full time people to work with us, you know, for the meantime, you know.
05:06 But most likely me and my wife will work together.
05:11 Fantastic.
05:12 Fantastic.
05:13 So you might be asking how long you've been in Derry?
05:16 So I'm in Limubari since I came in 2001.
05:19 2001, yeah.
05:20 2001, so more or less.
05:22 So you're a part of furniture now down there?
05:24 Yeah, my wife.
05:25 And my daughter was born here.
05:27 Yes, that's it.
05:29 Because the Philippine community in the northwest is very established now, you know.
05:33 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:34 This can be like a hub for the community.
05:37 But as you say, I think it would be supported for all citizens.
05:42 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:44 So hopefully it will turn out good, but, you know, it's too early yet to say.
05:48 Yeah, yeah.
05:49 Well, I wish you all the very best with it, you know.
05:51 Thank you.
05:52 I hope it takes off and I hope to be a customer of it.
05:55 Yeah, yeah, that's it.
05:56 Tomorrow you can come, you know, we have our, I don't know if you could try the whole pig, the roast pig.
06:01 It's going to be just on a spit?
06:03 Tomorrow.
06:04 On a spit, yeah, yeah, yeah.
06:05 And then you can chop it up.
06:06 That'll be fantastic, like, you know.
06:07 Go on.
06:08 [Laughter]
06:09 Come on, Joe.
06:10 You know how to get Derry people on the net when they smell a pork leg?
06:14 My previous managers, you know, they will come over as well.
06:18 They live in Derry.
06:19 Yeah.
06:20 Christine Thompson, she's coming over as well.
06:21 Yeah, potentially soon.
06:22 - Congratulations.