Pinoy-owned Sakuragi Japanese Pan-Asian Cuisine opens in Wetaskiwin

Pinoy-owned Sakuragi Japanese Pan-Asian Cuisine opens in Wetaskiwin
Father Nilo Macapinlac with Sakuragi restaurant owners and staff during the grand opening, February 9, in Wetaskwin

WETASKIWIN — It was just a chance meeting between Chef Juancho Miday and Fernando Sulit who along with his business partners Michael Sotto, Jomar Perez and Marlon Vargas decided to open Sakuragi Japanese Pan-Asian Cuisine restaurant.

“Two years in the making din ito,” said Sulit, who acts as marketing manager of the new restaurant that formally opened last February 9 at 4714 56 Street, here.

Chef Juancho Miday (right) with marketing manager Fernando Sulit at the Sakuragi restaurant, Feb.9, in Wetaskiwin.

Miday has been a chef in Dubai, Kuwait, India then moved to Wetaskiwin and worked for a local restaurant before meeting Sulit and his partners.

“Kaya sabi ko, sige, simulan natin yan,” said the chef. So Sulit started talking to friends in the Filipino community and agreed to open a restaurant and name it Sakuragi, as all of them are inspired by the Sakuragi anime, a basketball team in Japan that has a “never-say-die” attitude.

“Na inspire kami sa basketball team na yan, na nagsimula, from humble beginnings talaga at they don’t give up as a team,” said Sulit who looks forward to growing their restaurant by opening other branches.

Father Nilo Macapinlac, who also writes a column for the Filipino Journal, officiated the blessing of the new restaurant in the presence of Filipino community leaders like Rommel Buriel and Chris Mission.

Photo by Moses Billacura

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