Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Pike.
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in a family of cooks in Manila, Philippines, starting with my great-grandmother, who opened her small food shack in 1941. Learning the ropes of running a restaurant as a teenager, I finally stepped up to run the business after finishing culinary school. Since the family had a single-location restaurant, I joined food events around the Metro and a yearly 60-day Christmas bazaar known nationwide for 15 years. My wife Julia, also my business partner, suggested we focus on selling what we do best, which was the food the restaurant became famous for – the all-time favorite Pork BBQ Skewers, Lumpia (like fried spring rolls), and the Pancit Bihon, which is a Filipino stir-fried noodle dish. Those events helped bring more customers back to our restaurant, and we even got featured on national TV. When we moved to Los Angeles, California, and observed the culinary scene, we thought we should let the people taste what authentic comfort Filipino food is all about amid Asian-cuisines-turning-into-fusion-cuisines to cater to the Western palate. It was just 2022 when we moved to North Carolina to be closer to family. Master BBQ Los Angeles became Master BBQ Asheville, where we continue introducing authentic comfort Filipino food to locals through pop-up events around WNC, one location at a time.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Being an immigrant to a foreign country is a challenging transition. We have to be something extraordinary and unique to make heads turn. Introducing Filipino cuisine to a place dominated by Americans is challenging. Especially introducing BBQ skewered meats to a place where BBQ is meant to be a cooking style and not a dish’s name.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Master BBQ is an up-and-rising authentic Filipino kitchen aiming to build its first food truck one day and introduce and make Filipino cuisine known through our food and happy customers. What sets Master BBQ apart from other Filipino kitchens is the authenticity of our dishes and recipes, that date back to the 1940s and have been tested through time. We offer party trays for pick-up or delivery, and we have partnered with different breweries for our weekend pop-ups around WNC.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The pandemic greatly hit the food industry. Until today, we see tables and chairs turned in brick-and-mortar shops and restaurants. As food service providers, we must find a way for our customers, and not the other way around. That’s what made our idea of having catering party trays an option and working on getting the food truck in the future.
Pricing:
- 3pcs Pork BBQ Skewers $10.99
- 3pcs Chicken Inasal Skewers $9.99
- 7pcs Lumpia $5.99
- Pancit Bihon $7.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.masterbbqusa.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/masterbbqavl?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sinongmastermo?mibextid=LQQJ4d
