Tita Flora’s is area’s first dine-in Filipino restaurant

by Dan Holland

For Flora Grk, who came to America from the Philippines when she was 25, opening the first authentic dine-in Filipino restaurant in the Greater Cleveland area was a long time in the making.

“When I came to America, I decided I was going to try the service industry,” said Grk, who earned a nursing degree while in the Philippines. “I worked for many years as a hostess and a server, then as a supervisor and a manager. But it’s always been a dream of mine to have my own place.”

The 60-seat, dine-in Tita (“aunt”) Flora’s, located at 6531 Brecksville Rd. in Independence Square, is expected to open in mid-June, said Grk. Filipino cuisine in the area has been limited to carry-out businesses such as Mely’s Kainan in Parma and Nipa Hut Oriental Market in Parma Heights.

“People for a long time have been telling me that I should open up my own restaurant,” said Grk. “And I promised myself and told my children that the first sit-down Filipino restaurant in this area will be mine. It happened, and I’m so grateful for that.”

Grk’s three grown daughters, Angela, Sydelle and Veronica will all be involved in running the business, which will offer traditional Filipino appetizers, entrées and desserts. One popular entrée consists of chicken or pork adobo.

“The way I make it, it consists of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onions and peppers, and you blend all that flavor,” said Grk. “I have a standard with my food: if you wouldn’t serve it to your own family, then you shouldn’t serve it. I serve it with a lot of love as a mother.”

Another popular entrée, pancit, consists of stir-fried noodles with meat and vegetables; similar to lo mein but with a different flavor palate.

A common appetizer is crispy lumpia, filled with pork and vegetables, explained Angela. “It’s a Filipino egg roll or spring roll. A lot of Chinese, Thai, or Vietnamese dishes have a certain roll; lumpia is the version of the Philippines.”

Although meat is a staple of Filipino food, a number of vegetarian options will also be offered.

“My sister [Veronica] and I were vegetarians for a long time, so we wanted to see a lot of dishes that incorporate a lot of fruits and vegetables to be able to cater to people who don’t eat meat,” said Angela.

Halo-halo is a common Filipino dessert consisting of shaved ice with fruit or vegetables and cooked with sugar.  “It’s a shaved ice with a different variety of toppings; you can have sweetened things – jellies, coconut strips, bananas, seasonal fruits – and it’s covered with condensed milk and ice cream,” said Angela.

Turon – deep-fried bananas wrapped in spring roll wrappers – is another popular dessert served with ice cream and caramel.

Future expansion plans include a food truck, catering services and an additional location in the eastern suburbs, but Grk said becoming more involved in the Independence community is an immediate goal.

“Independence is such a great area,” said Veronica. “Of the people here I’ve met so far, they seem to be very community-based. They all seem to want to visit new businesses and support the smaller family-owned businesses, and that’s really exciting.”

“We’re hoping that the community will embrace what we have to offer,” said Grk. “It’s a different ethnicity, and I want people to come in to see all that we have; it’s something unique that I can bring into the community.”

“If you know Filipino people, they are very welcoming, kind and hospitable,” said Veronica. “So, we hope that people will be able to feel that when they come here. It’s exciting to introduce something new that we are so passionate about.” ∞

Photo: Owner Flora Grk sits in her restaurant, decorated with the flag of the Philippines. Photo by Dan Holland.