Filipino barbecue vendors thrive in the Lunar New Year scene in Australia

According to Filipino street food business owners, it's not just profit they're after; they also want to introduce authentic Filipino cuisine to Australia. That's why dishes like inasal, barbecue, sisig, and liempo are becoming sought-after at various market events in Australia.

[L-R] Filipino-Australian Regina and her husband, Chef James Meehan of Melbourne, established their Hoy Pinoy Filipino street food and barbecue business in 2013. Meanwhile, Mae and Richard Rodillas, owners of Wow Filipino Food, admitted that they were inspired by the Meehan couple, so they tried to establish their own business in Sydney in 2017. Now, the two Pinoy business owners are becoming popular in Australia.

Key Points

• Regina Alcantara and her husband Chef James Meehan, Filipino Australians and owners of Hoy Pinoy business, prepare anywhere from 300 to 1,000 kilograms of meat for their popular barbecue and other Filipino street food at each market event. They also anticipate introducing a new dish in the year 2024.
• The Wow Filipino Food stall, owned by the couple Mae and Richard Rodillas, is currently the only Filipino food stall in Chinatown, Burwood, Sydney. Aside from barbecue, they also sell sisig and liempo.
• As of 2023, more than 2.5 million people in Australia, or one in every ten individuals, are engaged in business, according to records.

Regina Alcantara-Meehan, a Filipino-Australian, along with her husband, Chef James, has been in the food business for over a decade. They have almost covered the entire Australia and have even expanded their business to New Zealand.

Ang barbecue ang isa sa maraming pagkain na tatak Pilipino na patok sa Australia. Credit: Hoy Pinoy/Facebook

Apart from providing employment opportunities for Filipinos, they also offer jobs to individuals from other ethnicities.

Credit: Hoy Pinoy/Facebook

The Meehan family is anticipated to unveil a new dish to the public in the year 2024.

Regina Meehan's family working together for their food business. Credit: Regina Meehan

The family of Mae and Richard Rodillas has been in the food business for over five years. They were inspired to venture into entrepreneurship after witnessing the success of Regina Meehan's family, who owns Hoy Pinoy.

Credit: Wow Filipino Food /facebook

Now, the Wow Filipino Food business of the Rodillas family in Sydney is gradually gaining recognition in the industry.

Aside from barbecue, they also serve other Filipino dishes.

Mae Rodillas with her children of Wow Filipino Food in Burwood, Chinatown. Credit: SBS