Susanna's Musings

Besides being Filipina, I like eating the cuisine. Here in Suffolk County, Long Island, where Italian, Chinese, and Dunkin’ Donuts cuisines rule, there aren’t too many options. (Well, you can always make Filipino friends and join their families for dinner ;P.)

Filipino cuisine, has evolved over the centuries, which includes a combination of Spanish, Chinese, Indian, American, and other ethnic cuisines.

So, the other day, my mom and I headed toward Ronkonkoma, looking for this legendary Filipino food truck otherwise known as Kabayan Grill. (Kabayan in Tagalog means “countrymen” or “resident from the same town or providence.”)

Mom heard about this food truck from a fellow Filipino colleague. And after driving down through the town of Ronkonkoma, we found Kabayan Grill situated in a parking lot next to a medical center.

From looking inside the front of the truck, a man was napping with his cap shielding him from the sun’s ray. In the middle (the left side of the driver’s seat), images of the available Filipino cuisine were displayed from pancit, lumpiang, crispy pata, etc. A guy was on the phone by the vendor’s window probably taking orders as he stood right next a gigantic rice cooker.

At the back of the truck, there was the main cook.

Soon the guy, who was napping and most likely the master-mind behind all of this, greeted us by the window. We ended up ordering pork BBQ, ukoy (which is shrimps with sweet potato fries), pancit, and some halo-halo.

The order took about 10-20 minutes and it was served inside containers complete with a plastic bag.

Overall, I think Kabayan Grill is an excellent idea, especially since going inside a restaurant is super risky. Plus, the food is hot and fresh. There are options to call and order in advance. It’s nice knowing you can order Filipino cuisine on the go.