Through bringing home the taste of biryani, a famous Middle Eastern staple, a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Dubai found a glimmer of hope amidst the coronavirus pandemic that had taken toll on her family’s livelihood in the Philippines.
Filipina Jhoi Cheng and her Pakistani husband Nasir, who now both reside in Cavite, had reeled after the sales of their ready-to-wear clothing business started to dwindle when the enhanced community quarantine was enforced over the entire country in March.
Sharing a bowl of biryani one time, this staple of Indian-Middle Eastern origin that usually gives them a semblance of comfort in the midst of uncertainties gave them an idea to use their glut of time at home to hit the kitchen.
Since many people then faced difficulty to go the market when public transportation came to a halt, they thought of making this recipe a part of their game plan to be productive and survive the pandemic’s toll on their finances.
With Jhoi’s drive to make this work and her husband Nasir’s passion for cooking, they started their own Facebook Marketplace with chicken biryani as part of their initial menu.
“At first tingin namin baka hindi ito magustuhan ng mga Filipino kasi unusual ‘to na hindi pa nila natikman,” Jhoi told The Filipino Times.
To pull customers into their unfamiliar product, Jhoi made sure to take and upload palatable photos of their biryani, sold it at an affordable price while also ensuring that they only use quality ingredients. The spices they used came from Nasir’s parents, who still reside in the United Arab Emirates.
“Hindi ko talaga akalain na andaming mag-o-order which is yung mga taong ‘yun galing sila sa Middle East and na-miss nilang kumain ng ganitong pagkain,” Jhoi said.
Their hearty recipe now attracts not only those who once worked in Dubai or in the larger Middle East, but also everyone who craves good food. Now, the couple is earning a profit of Php5,000 to Php7,000 each day, or least P14,000 per week since they only sell it every Wednesday and Sunday.
“Nilakasan lang din namin yung loob namin na pasukin yung business na ito,” she said. “Napakalaking tulong niya talaga lalo na ngayong pandemic na tatlo ang anak namin. Malaking bagay talaga siya sa amin.”
One solo order (one 1,000 ml tub) of their chicken biryani is sold at P180. Later on, they also offered bigger servings on party trays worth P1,200 where eight to nine people can share. A month after this pocket of success, they also allowed resellers to help them get a little cut. Apart from biryani, Jhoi shared they also sell Spicy Chicken Karahi (P150 per tub) and Beef Aloo Keema with 2 roti (P200 per tub), among others.
The couple also recently set up a Facebook page named “Swadisht”, which is the Hindi word for “delicious”, since that’s usually the feedback they get from their customers.
When asked about her life in Dubai before she came home, the former OFW shared that she had to swallow the bitter pill of being away from her two kids in 2013.
At that time, she was a single mother raising her two kids from her previous relationship on her own. She first landed a job at a telecommunications company in Dubai. In 2015, she met Nasir and they tied the knot two years later. Then, they decided to settle down in Cavite in 2018 where they now live with all her children including their new bundle of joy.
The former OFW happily shared that her husband now speaks Filipino.
As for her advice to returning OFWs who want to start a venture into online selling, she said they should setup a business that truly “interests them” and never be afraid to fail.
“Hindi nakakahiya magbenta ng kung anu-ano through online basta lahat marangal,” she added.
Jhoi and her husband plan to ameliorate their precious discovery that bringing a taste of their second home, Dubai, in the Philippines can be their way to ride out the storm of this pandemic. They are grateful that till this very day, ‘Dubai’ still ushers them in good opportunities.
