At first glance, the Oriental Store of Raleigh (also known as Oriental Store & Gifts) seems like your typical international market. But once inside, you’re surrounded by the smells of stewed pork, sweet soy sauce, and vinegar.
Tucked in the back of the store lies a row of tables and an old-school cafeteria-style counter. Behind it are cooks busy handling giant pans and woks filled with fried tilapia, pork belly, and saucy adobo. It may be a simple set-up, but the food is far from simple. Many grocery stores in North Carolina have a deli, but it’s not common to have a fully functioning kitchen and restaurant like that of Filipino Express.
From Tickets To Take-Out
Maria Victoria Ng Chua opened the Oriental Store of Raleigh in 1970; it was the city’s first international grocery store. Over the years, Filipino customers missing a taste of home began asking her to cook for them. She didn’t hesitate—until health inspectors handed her a ticket for cooking in the shop. Rather than quit, Ng Chua saw this as an opportunity to get the restaurant certified. And so, Filipino Express was born.
When her nephew-in-law, Mack Libago, took over the store in 2012, he shifted Filipino Express from take-out only to a full-service restaurant with its own seating area. Word spread through the local Filipino community, and it quickly became a beloved hidden gem.
Filipino Food—A Universal Flavor
“What makes Filipino food so approachable,” Libago says, “is how universal it is.” The Philippines and its cuisine has been influenced by several countries including Spain, China, and the United Kingdom, creating dishes that are new yet familiar. Lumpia is a great example of this. It’s similar to a Chinese spring roll, but thinner and packed with seasoned pork…