BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — In our story about the Food Trucks at the Fairgrounds event, 23ABC spoke with the owners of Sarap Food and Catering Services. At the event, they said they had one goal: To bring a taste of the Philippines to Bakersfield.
"We wanted to showcase to the Filipinos in Bakersfield and the non-Filipinos that Filipino food is delicious, and we want to put Bakersfield on the map, pretty much," said Sarap Food and Catering Services co-owner John Aliwalas. "There's not a lot of options here in terms of Filipino food, so hopefully this will be the start."
Aliwalas says cooking has been part of the family for many generations, and that they were inspired by their grandmother, Marieta Aliwalas, to start the business.
"My grandma, her name is Eta, we actually named our truck from her name, as you can see. In the back of the truck it says 'Eta in there,'" said Aliwalas. "That's a dedication for her hard work, her cooking skills, and everything that she has taught us."
According to Sarap co-owner Jeneryn San Antonio, during the pandemic, the family shifted from their medical careers to enter the foodservice industry.
"Working in the healthcare industry was very tough during the pandemic, so it was always my parents' dream to introduce the Filipino food to the community," said San Antonio.
That dream is how Sarap Food and Catering Services began. Almost a year ago, the family started off as just a booth at the farmer's market. After 6 months in business, they were able to purchase a truck, and business has been booming ever since.
"We had a long line on our first day of opening, so it was very… we were very blessed, and for the support of not just Filipinos, but also non-Filipinos," said San Antonio.
The family comes from Pampanga, which they say is considered the culinary capital of the Philippines. However, Aliwalas says Sarap doesn't just want to focus on food from Pampanga, but all types of dishes from the Philippines, and they have big plans for the business in the future.
"We have so much plans for this business, but we hope to one day open up a restaurant, a bigger one, so people can sit down with their families and have a good meal together," said Aliwalas.
If you would like to try Sarap Food and Catering Service's authentic Filipino cooking, you can find their truck at a number of places around Bakersfield.
On Sundays, Sarap is at the farmer's market at 8800 Ming Avenue (at the corner of Haggin Oaks Boulevard) from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm.
Wednesdays through Fridays, they're at 8301 Brimhall Road (just west of Coffee) from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm.
Finally, every third Thursday of the month, you can find the Sarap truck at the Kern County Fairgrounds from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm.
