PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea  – There was a time when a traveler in a foreign city, you would not expect to find anything that would remind him of home.

Most travelers have so conditioned themselves to think this way that when they do come across something familiar, it gives them a momentary feeling of displacement, albeit a welcome one.

That is how some Filipinos might feel they see the familiar warm brown interiors with wooden swirly accents and get a whiff of the aromatic blends of Figaro Café in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

The popular coffee chain has just opened its first branch in Vision City Mega Mall, giving the residents on this side of the Pacific a taste of the Philippines.

“We thought it was a good time to take advantage of Papua New Guinea’s economy, which is just about to boom. At the same time, we wanted to cater to the large Filipino community here,” said Jerson Amancio, chef at Figaro Café.

Transported from the Philippines

According to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Membership Processing Center, there are 7,603 registered Filipinos working in PNG. Meanwhile, the Philippine Overseas Employment Association (POEA) recorded a deployment of more than 9,000 Filipinos to PNG in 2011.

The Figaro in Port Moresby is a franchise of the original coffee shop. It looks like it was transported straight from the Philippines, from its interiors right down to its menu, which Amancio guarantees has something that will satisfy both the Pinoy community and the foreign nationals who visit the cafe.

“The menu has Filipino favorites like our tapa, longganisa and bangus. And for the foreign tourists and the Papuans, there are our continental dishes like Tuscan Chicken, which is actually one of our best sellers. For our kabayans, siyempre, our bestsellers are the tapsi and bangus dishes,” Amancio explained.

At the price range of PGK 18-20++ (the equivalent of P400) for pasta and their rice meals and PGK10-15 (equivalent to P300) for a cup of coffee, the ambience and the food make it a great value. “The food court here at the mall offers meals at just about the same price, but without the ambience,” said Amancio.

Philippine grinds are also available by the bag and are catching on with the locals. “The favorites are the Barako and the Figaro House Reserve. Our muffins and pastries are also a favorite. They sell very quickly, with some customers ordering in advance,” Amancio added.

Unique coffee experience

But the best that Figaro has to offer isn’t exactly what’s on the menu per se.  Its crowd drawer is Figaro’s distinct coffee shop ambience, where you can relax while reading the newspaper and sip your favorite brew; an alternative place to have meetings or a snack.

While quite ubiquitous in Manila where you find a coffee shop – maybe even 2 – on every corner, this café experience is not yet a common one in Port Moresby.

The Vision City Mall itself just opened last year and is the first mall in the capital.

“Our busiest days are Sundays, parang sa Pinas din. There are lots of people in the mall and we are completely full,” Amancio said.

Apart from the residents and expatriates who are “malling,” Amancio said that Filipino employees from Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) plants in the outskirts of the city come by the busloads.

A taste of home

Similar to weekend mall goers in the Philippines, Amancio explained, “Pasyal na din kasi to come here to the mall and then when they see Figaro, they want to eat here for a taste of home.”

Rene Miranda and Mick de Lesiguez, two Filipinos who have called Papua New Guinea their home for decades, would have to agree.

Miranda, 59, has lived in Papua New Guinea for 37 years and still remembers the early days when there were hardly any commercial or leisure establishments open in Port Moresby.

“We were looking forward to the opening,” shared Miranda, “And proud kami, siyempre, sarili ito, di ba?”

De Lesiguez, 58, has been a resident of PoM (the name used for Port Moresby by locals) for 21 years.  “Figaro has become an extension of our office. We sometimes have our meetings here because it’s convenient and always better to hold meetings while drinking some good coffee.”

Both Miranda and De Lesiguez run their own business, and while PNG has been their home for many years, they still welcomed the taste of home and seeing it being enjoyed by others.

Pinoy coffee experience

In the spirit of replicating the Figaro Café experience, 3 Filipino staff were flown in to set up operations and train the local staff: store manager Robert Oliver and Erwin Sabile and Raigel Guerra. Amancio, a fairly new addition to the team, flew in last March.

Currently, there are 26 staff members all in all.

Sabile and Guerra are set to fly back to the Philippines this April, but Amancio has signed on for a contract of 3 years and is waiting for the arrival of 2 other staff members from the Philippines.

The trio, along with store manager Oliver, will manage the day-to-day operations and train the staff of the other branches that are also scheduled to open soon in Port Moresby and in Lae, the 2^nd biggest city.

It seems that other parts of the country are going to enjoy a taste of Philippine blends very soon. – Rappler.com