'No pork or pork by-products and alcohol': A happy tale of Filipinos serving Halal foods in Victoria

Muslims or believers of Islam eat Halal food, which has been cleaned and processed according to Islamic or Shariah law. And Filipino workers in a cafe serving Halal food have also made a Halal Pinoy version of dishes like turon and Pinoy breakfast called Pinoy brunch board.

The Filipino-Australian duo of [L-R] Paul Matthew Iradiel, the manager, and John Michael Pajarillo, the head chef, jointly operate Legacy Camberwell in Victoria. They have also included in their menu the Pinoy brunch board featuring various Filipino foods. Additionally, they have created a Halal Pinoy version of Banana Turon. Credit: Paul Matthew Iradiel

Key Points

• Head chef John Michael Pajarillo, together with Filipino café manager Paul Matthew Iradiel of Legacy Camberwell, serves dishes that have been cleaned and processed according to Islamic or Shariah Law, known as Halal food.
• Aside from the typical Halal Australian breakfast, they also offer Filipino-inspired dishes, referred to as the Pinoy brunch board, every weekend. This includes beef bacon and the Halal version of the Filipino dessert 'BananaTuron.'
• Islam is the second largest religion in Australia, with the 2021 census recording over 800,000 individuals identifying as Muslim, comprising 3.2% of the country's total population.

Banana Turon Credit: Paul Matthew Iradiel

The Halal Pinoy brunch board has been incorporated into their menu on weekends. Credit: Paul Matthew Iradiel

Filipinos flock to the café to taste the Halal Pinoy brunch board, which includes the usual Filipino breakfast. Credit: Paul Matthew Iradiel