On a recent trip to Lake Michigan, I stopped to pick up a lunch of pancit rice noodles, sweet chili chicken and tofu coconut curry, followed by a milky taro root bubble tea. This daily changing spread of Filipino cuisine and Asian specialties is hiding in plain sight behind the colorful facade of an Asian grocery store in Berrien Springs, MI.
Chef and co-owner Ramon Cuarto and his wife, Mary Ann, started cooking the foods of their birth country for the community in 2015, when they expanded Mabuhay Oriental Store, open since 2002. “Mabuhay” (pronounced “hi” at the end) means welcome, or long life, explains Cuarto, and is borne out by their warm hospitality.
Cuarto came to the United States as a missionary for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has a strong presence in Berrien Springs at Andrews University. His family is a well-loved part of the community. Behind the counter at Mabuhay is a photo of his daughter in a tiara, as Miss Berrien Springs 2014.
“We want to make a difference in the lives of Berrien Springs residents and those in surrounding communities,” says Cuarto, “to make one step toward a healthy diet. Many people who have problems with their diet have a hard time finding a restaurant.”
Most of the menu at Mabuhay is gluten-free (even the soy sauce), they use no MSG, and there are always vegetarian and vegan offerings. Vegetables take on new allure in dishes like Chinese eggplant with lime and soy sauce or calabaza squash and green beans in coconut milk. They do not serve beef, but chicken curry is a popular option, as is chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines. Salmon and tilapia show up in black bean sauce, breaded and baked, or fried whole. This last preparation is popular with his African customers, says Cuarto, who share a similar tradition.
The grocery stocks Asian and African products, and Cuarto’s cuisine reflects a wide palate of Filipino, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian and African flavors. According to Cuarto, one day’s menu may be inflected by three countries, as he combines the ingredients, spices and techniques typical to each. He has adapted his food—and spice level—to American tastes, but there are still plenty of surprises among dishes such as sweet fried plantain and steamed buns stuffed with chicken, taro or red beans.
The bubble tea at Mabuhay draws aficionados from miles away. They serve an excellent, elaborate version of this sweet novelty drink, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. Around 25 flavors, including fruits like mango, lychee, honeydew and coconut, as well as Nutella, mung bean and taro, can be added singly or in combination with the tea base, with or without milk. Next comes the fun part: Choose large tapioca “pearls,” fruit-flavored “popping balls” or fruit jellies. These pop into your mouth at unexpected intervals from a large-diameter straw and add a pleasant chewiness.
“The best Bubble Tea east of Chicago!!!” exclaims an online reviewer of Mabuhay. Fortunately for us, it’s a lot closer to home.
Mabuhay Oriental Store
111 N. Cass St.
Berrien Springs, MI
269.473.2755
facebook.com/mabuhayoriental
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