How This German Native Ended Up Selling Empanadas Streetside in Pasig
He also recently opened a physical stall by a school.
(SPOT.ph) Maybe you’d heard about the tale on TikTok—that of the hardships of Marko Strampe, known better today as Tatay Empanada. He flew from Germany to the Philippines, and has since turned to selling empanada in the outskirts of Pasig to make a living. After months of roaming around the area and selling only on selected days to a limited audience, Strampe now has a regularly open stall in San Joaquin where you can catch him selling snacks to students and residents of the neighborhood.
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The story of Tatay Empanada and where to find his new shop
Today, Strampe is assisted by young Filipina vlogger Carrie Laine Abad, who ran into the German selling his empanadas in Pasig then posted about it on TikTok. The video went viral and ushered in an outpouring of help from Filipinos concerned about the the guy's well-being. With the help of Abad, Strampe was able to set up a physical stall for his hot pockets which officially opened last May 1. It's located in front of San Joaquin Elementary School.
Open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays, the stall is home to his signature empanada varieties: Classic Chicken, Spicy Chicken, Classic Tuna, Spicy Tuna, and Ham and Cheese (all P25 each). Strampe's empanadas look like they're deep-fried and have an uneven golden-brown hue. Each piece is about two and a half inches long, and has a puffy, thick crust. You can also drop by for his Big Cookies (P12) which are, well, big at around four inches in diameter, and decidedly crisp—perfect as a not-too-sweet snack, or for dunking in hot coffee.
The German native came to the Philippines in 2015 with the goal of marrying a Filipina he had connected with on Facebook—but things took a turn for the worse. Issues with his airline ticket (“It was lost—nobody could say why,” he told One News PH) kept Strampe from easily being able to return to his home country. And with his six-month valid travel visa expired, he’s been stuck in the Philippines since. His romance with the Filipina didn’t work out, either, and the two separated in 2018.
Strampe, an artist who was working in the IT industry back in Germany, initially sought to make money by peddling his artworks. But he struggled selling them. “Food selling [on the other hand is] always fine. [It’s] like sex, drugs, and rock and roll,” he said in an exchange with SPOT.ph. In his early days in the food business, Strampe had a business partner supplying the empanadas but that didn't last too; his empanadas and cookies today are supplied by Abad’s mom who has a background in baking.
Strampe recently appeared in an episode of Raffy Tulfo in Action where, apart from sharing his story, he was asked by a representative from the Bureau of Immigration to talk about his pending immigration fees, estimated to be around six figures; Tulfo offered him assistance.
Strampe admits selling food was difficult in the beginning—but he found it fulfilling when the pastries started selling out by day's end. Soon, he will also be working with a company specializing in hydroponic farming. Life in the Philippines may have began like a horror story for the old man but things are getting better. “I’m happy here," says Strampe. "This is my home now.”
The Tatay Empanada stall is across the San Joaquin Elementary School, 1601 Elizco Road, San Joaquin, Pasig City. For more information, check out Tatay Empanada Offiical's Facebook page.
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