PRINCETON, Texas — Unexpected off a county road in Princeton, people can hear, smell and taste the culture of the Philippines.
"I just love to cook, and I like food," said Josephine Cook. She and her husband, Allen Cook, run Old Rooster Creek Filipino Asian/American BBQ. It fills the corner of the flea market, and customers wait in line every weekend to eat their food.
It's typical for the couple to start cooking around midnight on Thursday and Friday, preparing for long lines. Many people pre-order their most popular dish, lechon. It's pig that's roasted for three to four hours, turning on a bamboo stick over a hot fire.
"How the skin looks and everything will determine how it's going to crisp up," said Allen. He's known as the "Lechon Man," and puts on a show, chopping up the lechon, for those eagerly waiting for the food.
"I have 67 preorders and limit two pounds," Josephine said. But lechon isn't the only dish they are proud of. Josephine hustles by the stove, making other traditional Filipino dishes and drinks.
Josephine and Allen find so much joy when customers smile as they eat their small eatery food.
"I am basically taking Filipino barbeque and adding a Texas twist to it," she said. Josephine has proudly shared her culture with the community by cooking at Old Rooster Creek every weekend for the last four years.
