In a cozy corner of Alabama, there’s a carinderia on wheels dishing out Filipino flavors that not only satisfy the Pinoy community’s cravings for a taste of home. It’s also winning over the American palate.
Just like many side hustles born during the pandemic, Flippin’ Filipino, a food truck roaming the neighborhoods in Huntsville, started as Filipina Mary Chappell’s way to beef up her paycheck after her work hours as a medical assistant got slashed due to the health crisis.
“Huntsville really is not a cheap place to live, I decided to start this on the side,” she told Huntsville Business Journal.
It all began two years ago when Mary whipped up some Pinoy dishes for a friend’s birthday, and the word quickly spread about her culinary skills. Soon, folks were asking her to cook more, and that’s when the light bulb went off.
“I had made some things for a friend at work for her birthday, and everyone loved my food. I made more for other things we were doing, and they eventually said to bring it (for them) to order and take home,” she shared.
So, she took a “leap of faith” and ditched her day job to go full-time with her side gig when it started raking in more much-needed cash than her regular grind.
Now, her signature blue food truck is zooming through the city, at the downtown market and subdivisions of Huntsville, serving up the tastiest and freshest turo-turo fare and Pinoy street food.
Her menu is a mouthwatering mix of Pinoy classics and underrated culinary delights, from pork sisig to BBQ with garlic rice on the side, from lumpiang sariwa to lumpiang shanghai, and from hearty pancit to comforting mami chicken noodle soup. There’s also the veggie-packed pinakbet and the ultimate comfort food, tinola!
Her sweet offerings include ube cake, ginataang bilo-bilo, and ensaymada that’ll transport anyone who takes a bite straight to the Philippines.
“I guess the biggest success is actually seeing that what I’m making, people are enjoying and loving,” she said.
