‘Once they try it, they’re converted’: the hidden Filipino cafe tucked away in a Greater Manchester market

It’s a quiet afternoon in Ashton Market Hall. A handful of shoppers stroll along the network of stalls, picking up supplies and stopping to chat with traders.

Briggs Family Butchers is selling the last of the day’s stock, Williams Deli is taking orders for artisan cakes and oven-based muffins and a number of independent food outlets are handing out their last lunch orders.

In the far corner of the inner market it feels as if something resembling a village square has emerged. Flanked by Persian Meals on one side and Nat’s Bombay Kitchen, sits Tarp’s Filipino Fusion Food, a family-run restaurant that has won the Ashton’s Independent Food Award two years in a row.

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Under a canopy of colorful planters, hanging baskets and fairy lights, a simple arrangement of tables and chairs leads to a small kitchen, where Tarp’s owner Carl is busy preparing orders. He has been running the concession with his parents Mel and Ronnie for about five years.

Although the market may be quiet, there is a gentle hum from the kitchens, including Tarp’s, as pots and pans jostle to sit on the small hotplates, ingredients are chopped and boxes packed with piping hot food spill over the counter are handed over.

It’s a familiar sound for Carl and his family, for whom cooking has always played a leading role in their lives.

“When I was young, I woke up to the sound of banging woks, clattering plates and cutlery, people shouting or chatting in the kitchen,” says Carl, who has stepped away from the stall for five minutes, leaving his parents in the grip . the fort.

“Food has always been there, and growing up I knew I wanted to do something in that direction. Before we came to Britain around 2005, my mother worked in catering with my grandmother and we were always surrounded by food, so we knew we wanted to open our own business at some point.”

Carl moved from the Philippines to Greater Manchester when he was about 11, and says about 30 to 40 families from the Philippines have settled in the area. When Carl and his family wanted to open their own business a few years later, it was all about celebrating their roots.

Although Manchester is well served in terms of global cuisines, Filipino food may not be as well known or prolific as other cuisines from Southeast Asia. “I don’t think it’s that popular here yet because we’re somewhat overshadowed by Chinese, Japanese and Indian cuisine, which is really big here. We’re probably at the bottom of the pyramid at the moment,” Carl explains.

“I’ve worked in a Chinese restaurant and met people from all walks of life, but if they said what kind of restaurant they would like to open, it would be Japanese, Thai, Chinese, something like that. We really want to introduce Filipino food more widely to Manchester and Britain.”

In Manchester there are a small number of outlets serving dishes inspired by the Philippines, including Adastra Pacific, a supermarket and café on Wellington Road in Stockport, Yes Lah in West Didsbury and Cora’s in Ashton-under-Lyne. For Carl, it’s about spreading the message, but that doesn’t necessarily mean using social media.

“We are fortunate that we have built up a loyal customer base here. We see a lot of the same people week after week. I think people may have been a little unsure at first, but once they try it and they’re converted, it’s all about word of mouth.

“We don’t really use social media that much, and when I’m busy or have a long day, the last thing I want to do is sit on my phone and post, but I really should be doing that. I notice that people rely on recommendations from family and friends and that is a bit more personal.”

Philippine cuisine consists of cuisines from more than a hundred different ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the archipelago, with the dishes having evolved significantly over the centuries and showing influences from Chinese, Spanish and American food cultures.

Common dishes include salted fish and rice, curries, paellas and stews made for parties and celebrations. For Carl and his family, it’s about giving customers a taste of their family recipes, which in this case were passed down from his grandmother and adapted by his mother.

“I would say the Chicken Adobo is the most popular dish we make. The chicken is marinated overnight so that the flavors come through and is therefore tender. That’s my mom’s recipe, so it’s herbs and spices, but also soy sauce, vinegar and her magic touch.

Described as the ‘superstar’ of Philippine cuisine, succulent chunks of marinated chicken sit on a bed of vibrantly colored rice, which will instantly put a smile on your face. Then there is the Tapsilog, a portmanteau of the delicacy’s three main ingredients: beef, sinangag (garlic fried rice) and fried egg, known as itlog.

“The Tapsilog is my favorite because I am a beef lover. To be honest, I probably eat it every day. Actually we just eat everything on the menu.

Another highlight of the menu is the Lechon Kawali, a crispy fried pork that typically uses pork belly for best results. Again served with a side dish or rice and salad, it takes its name from a type of cooking pot used in many Filipino households.

Meanwhile, the Pork Lumpia, a type of Filipino spring roll and packed with ground pork, as well as chopped onions, carrots and spices, is golden brown and crispy – the perfect afternoon snack. The menu includes chicken stir-fry noodles, a spicy and healthy ‘lava’ chicken salad topped with spicy, homemade Korean kimchi, and the pork sisig, which consists of several cuts of pork and chicken liver before being seasoned with onions. and chili peppers.

But most of all, Tarp’s dishes feel comforting and communal. They are designed to share and accept your time offer.

“It’s a party at home, so there are always groups of six to seven people eating or cooking. We have cafeterias and people grabbed a seat.

“Part of our house was also converted into a cafeteria, so that’s what I always saw and was involved in. It’s quite common for one part of the house to be used for business use and you end up sleeping on the other side. ”