From dishwasher to restaurant owner: Filipino recalls Seattle hardships, success
SEATTLE, USA — Since 1936, The Turf, a diner in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, had been serving the community with beer and comfort food.
In 1979, 45 years ago, a Filipino orphaned houseboy, Gregorio Rosas, was rescued and brought to the US by a Jewish warehouse owner. To make ends meet, Rosas worked every day for seven days a week, starting at 5 a.m., as a dishwasher at The Turf.
Fast-forward to 2001, through hard work and determination, Rosas was able to acquire The Turf from its original owner.
In 2008, when The Turf struck difficulty to lure customers since locals were battling with a steep cost of living, Rosas renamed it to “Ludi’s” and “it has always been busy” ever since, he told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants shut down, and among them was a restaurant owned by Rosas’ friend.
“Naapektuhan daw sila ng COVID kaya inoffer sa’kin,” Rosas said of how he took over a former Indian restaurant in 120 Stewart Street.
One year since Rosas opened Ludi’s in its new location, his restaurant instantly regained its following among Filipinos and other nationalities alike.
“Si Aling Ludi ‘yung nagpalaki, tumulong sa’kin,” Gregorio, also fondly called as “Tito Greg” or “Uncle Greg” by the community, shared to Philstar.com to whom he named his restaurant after.
“Kaibigan ng nanay ko (Ludi). Malaki ang utang na loob ko kaya inonor ko s’ya.”
Apart from taking care of him, Aling Ludi passed down to Greg what would soon become his restaurant’s time-honored recipes: Kare-Kare and Silog meals.
Ludi’s is open every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and hours after opening during our visit last week, its Oxtail Silog (braised oxtail, eggs and rice, sold for $29 or P1,661 per meal) was already sold-out.
Fortunately, the restaurant has a long list in its menu to choose from, including BangSilog (fried bangus or milkfish, eggs and rice) and Country Fried Steak – both dishes for $19 or P1,088.
A must-try is Crispy Kare-Kare, which lives up to its name with its very crispy Lechon chops, soaked in a thick peanut soup with vegetables. It goes for $22 (P1260), which although a single-serve order, is big enough for three people.
Other customers also vouched for other all-day breakfast Filipino favorites like:
- Corned Beef Silog (New Zealand corned beef sautéed with tomatoes and onions, sold for $17 or P974);
- Bistek-Silog (grilled sliced seasoned beef with onions, $19 or P1,088);
- Combo-Silog (one fried pork chop, one Longganisa, one Ilocos Longganisa and one Lumpia, all for $21 or P1,203).
For desserts, among the Pinoy pride favorites are:
- the purple-yam-loaded Ube Pancakes sold for $16 or P916 for a stack, or $11 (P630) for a single order;
- Maja Blanca and Cassava cake, which are available for order for dine-in or to-go per slice;
- and Halo-Halo, which is faithful to its “party in a cup” description for being chock-full in condiments and topped with cherry, scoops of ice cream, and of course, the Philippine flag.
Add to these a long list of drinks, which includes a popular Filipino beer brand.
The menu also dabbles as a 101 on Filipino culture, with a list of “Tagalong Slang”:
- Kain Tayo! (also the restaurant’s monicker)
- Hay Anak!
- Masarap!
- Ano Ba?
- Talaga?
- Hay Naku!
- Susmariosep!
The restaurant’s central aisle has a condiments or “sawsawan” table where customers can sample classic Filipino dips and sauces like Mang Tomas, toyo (soysauce), patis (fish sauce) and suka (vinegar) from many regions in the Philippines.
According to Rosas, he gets the Sinigang, Adobo and Silog ingredients from a fellow Filipino supplier, while all meats and vegetables are sourced directly from Seattle.
All over the restaurant, a Philippine fiesta vibe permeates, complete with Filipino folk and pop culture iconography like magtataho (Taho vendor) and banderitas (small flags). Since Christmas comes early even for Filipinos abroad, parol (Christmas lantern) and Christmas trees also adorn the place.
But the cherry on top are hundreds of Tito Greg’s photos and memorabilia with family and friends posted on the walls and pews – adding a warming sense of family and togetherness, which is very characteristic of Filipinos. Among the photos are Tito Greg’s daughters, who help him run the business. He serves as cook, while the daughters wait the tables and attend to customers.
According to him, he does not experience discrimination in Seattle for being a Filipino.
“Parang ngayon, accepted na,” he said when asked if it is still a struggle to introduce Filipino cuisine to non-Filipinos. “Parang accepted na tayo ng mga bayaga… Amerikano.”
The restaurant, however, does not only serve exclusively Filipino food. Also in the menu are American staples like burgers, fries, luncheon meat, turkey, and Stewart Street specials like French Toast, pancakes and biscuits.
According to Rosas, the Ube Pancakes, Combo-Silog and American breakfast meals are particularly a hit among locals. His personal recommendations are Porkchop Silog and Beef Steak.
Tito Greg’s breakfast, “a staple” from his childhood, is also included in the menu but is available for him only: “a big bowl of hot plain rice with a raw egg, mixed with a touch of salt; eaten with a spoon or hand for a full effect.”
Some local writers once wrote Tito Greg should stop with his jokes, but of course, ingrained with classic Filipino humor, he just could not help it and it is also written in the menu: Ludi's Knuckle Sandwich: Free (Joke!).
Truly, Tito Greg has gone a long way from being a dishwasher and doing hard labor in Seattle since he arrived here. Apart from his family, through perseverance, he has also been able to bring all of his eight siblings to the US!
Still, like when he first came here 45 years ago, he wakes up at 5 a.m. and works every day for seven days a week.
“Okay naman,” he said when asked how business is so far in Seattle, “Dumoble (ang sales at customers)! Miski maiksi lang ang oras natin (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.), parang lumakas lalo.”
When asked how is it doing business in the city, he said, “Basta sundin mo lang ‘yung proper legality, madali. Basta magbayad ka lang ng taxes, get your permits. I think it’s easier dito...”
According to him, he had been urged many times to open new branches, but he chooses to stay with just one for now: “Kailangan, hands-on ka. Maraming ways para mag-expand, pero kaso baka ‘di ko naman maaasikaso.”
Apart from Ludi’s, Tito Greg has also been able to put up a house in Cavite, two houses in Seattle, and recently, had been featured in The Seattle Times and Good Morning America for sponsoring and helping many people, including complete strangers. Most notably, he spent over $10,000 (P573,535) to help a 28-year-old orphaned waiter in Manila find his father in the US and gain a full US citizenship.
Like for many Filipinos, life was hard for Tito Greg in America, “pero ‘wag kang mawalan ng pag-asa. There’s always a brighter side. There’s always a rainbow at the end of the tunnel.”
“You have to love what you do. Dapat maging sincere ka sa kapwa. Always be honest, saka ‘yung persona mo, you have to embrace. You can share or you could inspire them. Miski naging ganu’n ang buhay ko, they could still make a difference, basta mahalin mo lang (ang ginagawa mo),” he advised.
More than just making it in America, what is important is to share your success to others, he said.
“’Yung bait mo, ‘yung willingness mo na maging parte ka ng makakapagbago sa buhay ng kapwa. That’s a big plus.” — Photos, video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo; additional video editing by Anjilica Andaya
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Editor's note: The tour to Seattle was hosted by Philippine Airlines to promote tourism in the area. At no stage does the host organization have a say on the stories generated from the coverage, interviews conducted, publication date and story treatment. Content is produced solely by Philstar.com following editorial guidelines.
