LOCATED in Lynwood, Washington state, Lasa Sandwiches and Pearls is owned by Chef Jhef Romero who was born on Saipan.
Amid the global pandemic, Romero opened his restaurant on June 30, 2021 with a team of seven. Since then, the team has grown to 12 members.
Offering savory sandwiches that capture flavors of the Philippines and handcrafted specialty pearl desserts and drinks, Lasa stays true to its name which means “taste” or “flavor” in Filipino.
“We really wanted our culture’s flavors to connect with everyone,” he said in an interview with Variety.
“Our family has always been involved in restaurants and bakeries, all the way back to the Philippines during my grandmother’s time. It was inevitable that things would always connect back to food,” he said.
“When we first opened, our main objective was to get our flavors and food back out there for people to taste and enjoy. Our current objectives are to elevate and create so we can reach more people and have them experience our culture through food,” Romero said.
“We offer Filipino cuisine and flavors. What makes us unique is the concept of Filipino food and cuisine presented on a general platform like sandwiches which makes a good connecting point for all people and palates to enjoy,” he added.
On Lasa’s menu are a wide array of savory sandwiches, from “Breakfast Longanisa” — pork sausage patty, soft scrambled chive egg, cheddar cheese, and jalapeno sauce on a brioche bun — to “Lumpia Sub”: beef meatballs, sweet chili sauce, atsara, cilantro garnish, crispy lumpia wrap on a French roll.
Lasa also offers traditional french fries, or, for the daring, “Sisig-Style Fries” which are hand-cut fries topped with sizzled pork, onions, chilis, fried egg, and lime.
Traditional lumpia, or crispy ground beef spring rolls, are also offered.
Lasa balances its savory menu with sweet pearl drinks which include “Halo-Halo”: shaved ice dessert with milk, Lasa pandan rubies and specialty halaya, macapuno, nata de coco, and jackfruit topped with coconut whip, coconut flakes, ube ice cream, leche flan, and Stick-O; and “Purple Paradise”: ube ice cream shake, halaya whip, ube pastillas crumble, and pearls.
Chef Romero said feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.
In February, Lasa was featured in the Seattle Times which states that the restaurant’s adobo fried chicken sandwich is “definitely worth your time.”
To members of the CNMI community who may find themselves in Romero’s shoes, a young person from a remote location, with a big dream, he said: “Stick true to your heart and your dreams. Life will always take left or right turns, but always know deep down what your dreams and desires are, and make sure to never lose sight of them.”
For more on Lasa’s Sandwiches & Pearls, visit www.lasasandwiches.com or follow @LasaSandwichesandPearls on Instagram.
Adobo marinated fried chicken, sili pipino, roasted jalapeno sauce, and lettuce on a brioche bun
