ROSEVILLE, Calif. — A new Filipino restaurant is set to open in Roseville at the beginning of April.
What started as a catering business by a husband and wife, Ramses and Maylani Monterola, is growing into a restaurant called Adoboink Filipino Food.
It all started when they moved to Sacramento in 2018 from the Bay Area, looking for Filipino food and couldn't quite find what they were looking for. Their friends would often ask Ramses to cook and the pair decided to turn it into a business. Maylani Monterola is the CEO and Ramses is the chef.
"We moved here. We're foodies, so we were looking for food, so it just happened. Yeah, pretty much, and then we loved it so we're like, let's go, let's do it. It's now or never," Maylani said.
They started off renting a commercial kitchen in Yuba City and catering for small gatherings. Then they grew the business and started catering large events and weddings.
Now, they're adding to their catering business and opening a Filipino fusion restaurant in Roseville. It will be a takeout-style, quick-service restaurant with several options including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Their signature dish is Oompa Lumpia, a spin on the traditional lumpia. Ramses said he makes the fillings, which can range from chicken to pork to avocado.
"So we have an Oompa Lumpia, which is an open-concept lumpia. It's still the same wrapper, but we make it — it looks like an hors d'oeuvre," Maylani said.
"Like a cup — like a crispy Lumpia wrapper cup with my own different fillings in it," Ramses said.
Ramses said he even dreams about the dishes he creates. Oompa Lumpia is one of the dishes that he dreamt up.
"You work so hard 24/7 and all that, but it's worth it. It's just worth it. The comments and the reviews. Makes us really happy — makes it really easy. " Ramses and Maylani said.
They also plan to have a daily special and build-your-own rice bowl option customers can easily grab for lunch.
"Our company is a family business, so it's like sharing what we have makes our hearts full because we like whenever we serve our food and then people will be like, 'Oh, this is different. This is awesome. This is good.' And we feel like not just good for ourselves, but for the Filipino people, our family, our friends and our hometown," Maylani said.
The restaurant will be located at 1450 Lead Hill Boulevard, Suite 140. They will be competing in Taco Throwdown for the title of Best Taco 2023 later in April.
Ramses and Maylani Monterola said they're still taking catering orders and people often book months out, so if there's an event someone needs catered, they advise booking sooner rather than later.
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