The NIA Global News reporter visited a Filipino restaurant and met a Filipino new immigrant named Pinky. Read her story below.
The first time I met Pinky, she was singing and taking photos with her friends in a Filipino restaurant called Pinky’s La Mesita. I accidentally appeared in their camera when they were taking a selfie, so I made a V sign. Picky saw me and turned to say hello to me. This is how I learned that is when Pinky told me that she is a Filipino new immigrant in Taiwan. And then we started a wonderful conversation.
Pinky is from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. She got married to a Taiwanese and moved to Taiwan. She has already lived in Taichung for over 27 years. Pinky mentions that she loves everything about Taichung. In the past years, she also opened a Filipino restaurant with her friends at the ASEAN Plaza in Taichung.
Pinky mentioned that she came to Taiwan because “life in Taiwan is more convenient, and the salary in Taiwan is much higher compared to the Philippines.” Pinky tells me that When she lived in the Philippines, the salary was low, and her life in the Philippines was not easy.
But now, Pinky is happy with her life. She is now running a restaurant with friends, and when there are no customers, she often sings in the restaurant with her friends.
Pinky also introduces many Filipino dishes while I try them in her restaurant.
Fried pork rind is a favorite snack for the Filipinos Pinky tells me. She says that many Filipinos gather with their friends at the restaurant on weekends. They often will have a can of beer, eat fried pork rinds, and chat about their daily news.
The Ampalaya con Egg is a popular side dish in the Philippines, she says that many Filipinos love salted eggs!
And there is the Caldereto, which is a dish influenced by the Spanish culture. Pinky said that the Philippines was once colonized by Spain, so some of the local Filipino dishes are adapted from Spanish dishes.
Sisig is also a popular dish in the Philippines. The dish is made from pork, pork offal, carrots, and potatoes.
And as for Taiwanese cuisines, Pinky mentioned that she likes stinky tofu and Shabu-shabu (a Japanese hotpot dish). She says that many Filipinos are not afraid to eat stinky tofu. And she thinks Shabu-shabu is a simple and healthy dish.
At the end of the conversation, I shared the pictures I took during my trip to the Philippines with Pinky and her friends. When Pinky and her friends saw my pictures, they said the pictures make them miss their home country. They said they wish to return back to the Philippines and visit friends and family.
Go check out Pinky’s Filipino restaurant Pinky’s La Mesita at the ASEAN Plaza in Taichung (third floor). Or check out the Pinky’s La Mesita Facebook page.
