From dishwasher to restaurant owner: Filipino recalls Seattle hardships, success

SEATTLE, USA — Since 1936, The Turf, a diner in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, had been serving the community with beer and comfort food.

In 1979, 45 years ago, a Filipino orphaned houseboy, Gregorio Rosas, was rescued and brought to the US by a Jewish warehouse owner. To make ends meet, Rosas worked every day for seven days a week, starting at 5 a.m., as a dishwasher at The Turf.

Fast-forward to 2001, through hard work and determination, Rosas was able to acquire The Turf from its original owner. 

In 2008, when The Turf struck difficulty to lure customers since locals were battling with a steep cost of living, Rosas renamed it to “Ludi’s” and “it has always been busy” ever since, he told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants shut down, and among them was a restaurant owned by Rosas’ friend.

“Naapektuhan daw sila ng COVID kaya inoffer sa’kin,” Rosas said of how he took over a former Indian restaurant in 120 Stewart Street. 

One year since Rosas opened Ludi’s in its new location, his restaurant instantly regained its following among Filipinos and other nationalities alike. 

“Si Aling Ludi ‘yung nagpalaki, tumulong sa’kin,” Gregorio, also fondly called as “Tito Roger” or “Uncle Roger” by the community, shared to Philstar.com to whom he named his restaurant after.

“Kaibigan ng nanay ko (Ludi). Malaki ang utang na loob ko kaya inonor ko s’ya.”

Apart from taking care of him, Aling Ludi passed down to Roger what would soon become his restaurant’s time-honored recipes: Kare-Kare and Silog meals.

Ludi’s is open every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and hours after opening during our visit last week, its Oxtail Silog (braised oxtail, eggs and rice, sold for $29 or P1,661 per meal) was already sold-out.

Fortunately, the restaurant has a long list in its menu to choose from, including BangSilog (fried bangus or milkfish, eggs and rice) and Country Fried Steak – both dishes for $19 or P1,088.

A must-try is Crispy Kare-Kare, which lives up to its name with its very crispy Lechon chops, soaked in a thick peanut soup with vegetables. It goes for $22 (P1260), which although a single-serve order, is big enough for three people.