Filipino Community Event!

I would like to share some new things I have discovered about the history of the Filipino community in Berlin. Charlottenburg is a vibrant hub for the Filipino community in Berlin. Every Sunday at 3:30pm, you can attend holy mass in Filipino at the Heilig-Geist-Kirche (Holy Spirit Church) on Bayernallee 28. Just a short distance away, Pinoy—the city’s oldest Filipino restaurant, owned by Rosalinda Nolasco-Jecht at Danckelmannstr. 49—serves traditional home-cooked dishes like Sinigang and Adobo.

To support the Filipino community, I would like to promote an upcoming event. On April 11, Pinoy will host a special event, Kain Tayo Day, featuring Filipino street food from 12:00–4:30pm, followed by a special Kamayan Dinner from 5:30–7:00pm. (You can reserve your spot for the Kamayan Dinner here.)

This is a perfect opportunity if you are a Pinoy craving Filipino food or a foreigner who has never tried it. Meetup members, shall we gather at 2:30pm for merienda? It will be entirely up to you if you want to avail of their dinner menu.

Filipino Vocabulary:

Pinoy refers to a native or inhabitant of the Philippines, or to something related to the country or its people. The term is a diminutive form of Filipino and is used as both a noun and an adjective.

Sinigang is a Filipino sour soup with a tangy broth, typically made with tamarind and simmered with pork, beef, fish, or shrimp, along with vegetables like eggplant and string beans. Some regions use other souring agents, such as guava or calamansi.

Adobo is typically made with pork or chicken cooked in vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.

Kain tayo means "Let's eat" in Filipino and serves as a warm invitation to share a meal, reflecting the Filipino values of hospitality, community, inclusion, and generosity.

Kamayan is the traditional Filipino practice of eating with the hands. The word comes from the Filipino term "kamay," meaning "hand," and this method emphasizes communal dining, often during celebrations and family gatherings.

Merienda in the Philippines is a traditional light meal or snack eaten between main meals, usually in the mid-morning or afternoon. Introduced during Spanish colonial times, it features both sweet and savory dishes such as kakanin, pancit, and lumpia. More than just eating, merienda is a time to socialize and take a break with family or friends.