New takeout venue offers authentic Filipino dishes in Dawson City, Yukon
'It's in our culture to cook more so we can give to this family, give to that family'
A pair of residents in Dawson City, Yukon have taken their love for sharing Filipino food to the next level.
Rommel Verdeflor and his sister-in-law Anafe Evalarosa launched a takeout food spot called Taste of Pinoy in August. They came up with the idea last year, after realizing there was demand.
"You know how big the Filipino community is here in Dawson. We started cooking all of the Filipino dishes almost every weekend and then invite all our friends to our home," said Verdeflor.
"It's in our culture to cook more so we can give to this family, give to that family. And once they share that to a non-Filipino community member they say 'oh where did you get it?'"
Verdeflor said as soon as people started eated his food, they wanted more.
A taste of Pinoy
There were some steps Verdeflor had to take, before his cooking could be sold to the public.
"We have to follow protocols," he said.
That involved building a small food stand outside, where food preparation could take place. Verdeflor contacted a local carpenter to make the structure.
"It turned out very good ... it doesn't look like a food cart. It looks like a tiny house," he said.
Verdeflor then got all of the necessary permits to begin operating the business.
Great community response
The venue had a soft opening in August.
Verdeflor and Evalarosa work full-time jobs so they're only open two days a week.
"It's always two consecutive days, but it varies," said Verdeflor. "For us it's just a hobby-slash-income, you know. We just want to squeeze it into our availability."
Verdeflor said the community has shown him and his sister-in-law a lot of support.
"As long as they tell us how good the food is we'll never get tired of feeding the whole community. That's our motto. Put it out. Share it with the community. Feed the community. Leave it to us. We'll cook and serve it to you."