Pocatello restaurant brings taste of Filipino culture to the Gate City
October is Filipino-American History Month. Filipinos actually make up the largest Asian-American group in 11 states, including Idaho.
As part of history month, we spoke to a recently-opened Filipino restaurant in Pocatello about the experience of bringing a taste of the Philippines to Bannock County.
Amor Hale is the owner of “Filipino Cuisine.” She opened the restaurant about three months ago.
“The reason I opened this restaurant is because I haven’t seen any Filipino restaurants here so I said it’s a little bit like a gamble because there’s a lot of restaurants here everywhere and I don’t know if it’s going to work or not,” Hale said.
Hale was born in the Philippines, but moved to the U.S. 12 years ago. She said it wasn’t easy moving to the U.S. at first, but she adjusted and she grew to love Pocatello.
Hale said she’s always wanted to open a business and she saw a need in Pocatello. Her mom used to have a restaurant in the Philippines, which Hale said also inspired her to open her own restaurant here. Now, Hale’s mom gets to cook in her daughter’s restaurant. Hale said her mother puts her heart and soul into her cooking, and that’s part of what helps to make it so authentic.
“So far a lot of customers come here and they’re happy when they come out and that’s what we want to see when they come out in this restaurant,” Hale said. “People here, they welcome people, especially us the Filipino people. They love us and we like that.”
Hale said the community has been very supportive of the restaurant and so far, it’s doing well.
“So far it’s overwhelming because I didn’t know how it would work out in here but so far I’m happy with the result,” she said.
Hale said she’s received a lot of great feedback from customers and she’s excited for the future.
“Filipino Cuisine” is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. It’s located at 465 Yellowstone Ave, Suite A.
More information on the restaurant’s daily specials can be found on its Facebook page.
