Why Filipinos still love Jamaican Pattie Shop after 30 years | Barry Chin Yee & Shaun Si

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]It's been more than three decades since the original Jamaican patty was brought here in the Philippines. And today, we're going to learn more about this favorite comfort snack. Joining us now in the studio are the founder of Jamaican Patty, no other than Barry Chini, and their chief marketing officer, Sean C. Welcome to the Daily.

[00:00:20]>> Happy Friday. I know the viewers can't smell it, but we are really sniffing already. You know, when we walk in our studio, we never normally like get so hyped and excited, but we were dancing cuz we saw the patties. We were so so excited >> and we smelled food.

[00:00:36]>> Motivation.

[00:00:37]>> I'll start off with Barry because >> for many, many, many years, for many generations, people got to enjoy Jamaican patties without ever really knowing or seeing you.

[00:00:47]>> But here you are right now with your very first interview. I asked him a while ago, have you been interviewed before? And then your answer was >> just >> only by my wife.

[00:00:57]>> Only by So we are honored to be second to your wife.

[00:01:01]>> So please share with us why bring in Jamaican patties? What was it about?

[00:01:08]>> Sadly I cannot say anything that's very noble. I just wanted an excuse to live in the Philippines.

[00:01:15]>> Mhm. So Jamaican party came to my mind and then I met my wife who was not my wife then but later became my wife and I decided to start the business in Manila.

[00:01:26]This was 1990.

[00:01:28]>> Wow. But you grew up in Jamaica. I hear the accent. It's so cool.

[00:01:31]>> I was born in Jamaica.

[00:01:33]>> Mhm.

[00:01:33]>> But you're Filipino.

[00:01:35]>> No.

[00:01:35]>> No.

[00:01:36]>> I'm Chinese Jamaican.

[00:01:37]>> Oh. So what made you move here to the Philippines?

[00:01:40]>> Uh do I have to answer that?

[00:01:43]>> Yes. What made you want to bring it here? Yeah.

[00:01:47]>> No, I needed a reason >> to come >> to stay here to keep coming back here >> because I visited just vacation.

[00:01:56]>> Loved it. Then I met my wife which I loved it even more.

[00:02:00]>> Is she Filipina?

[00:02:01]>> Yeah.

[00:02:02]>> So that's why it's a love letter to >> Jamaican patties made you create a life here but your wife made you stay forever and ever.

[00:02:13]Did you have to change it to make it more Filipino like to the Philippines?

[00:02:17]>> My my objective was not to change it.

[00:02:21]>> So this is an authentic Jamaican.

[00:02:23]>> Yeah. Because because it was very personal to me >> to keep it original, hence the name. I couldn't think of any name except >> Jamaican is and it stuck. It stuck with everyone.

[00:02:36]>> So what exactly is a Jamaican patty?

[00:02:40]a Jamaican party. Uh it originally started from the British who were in Jamaica like during the days of slavery because we had slaves from Africa >> which was which who were brought by the British to Jamaica. Now in those days uh they they were always eating uh Cornish pasti the British right >> which is like a pastry with meat. like you see that in like the plays.

[00:03:10]>> Yeah. So I think what happened was that the British people taught their you know their maids how to do this Cornish pasting >> but the maids didn't quite get it right so it became the Jamaican party. Wow, it's a beautiful miscommunication, right?

[00:03:30]>> Well, throughout the years, a lot of Filipinos have fallen with in love with it, and it's just stuck >> to their lifestyle. When I say lifestyle, before you enter a movie house, this is something that you would see uh in the in the small corner in the in the mall. This is something you would get. I know this because my husband and I would always get from Jamaican green. It's just there. So, how does it feel knowing that Filipinos did not just accept it, but fell in love with it?

[00:03:59]>> Oh, made me feel very good because I was already in love with the Philippines, >> so I needed to get validation.

[00:04:08]>> 30 years, correct?

[00:04:10]>> Wow. Now, Sean, you know, as somebody that saw Jamaican Patty as this beautiful brand, how did it evolve over the years for you? Well, in terms of the flavors, actually, we retained the original flavors to keep it really authentic. Um, but more recently, we're also coming out with new flavors following uh trends that we're seeing also um here in the Philippines. So, for example, like this year, we launched like a new flavor called meaty lasagna.

[00:04:36]Like came out with something different.

[00:04:38]>> Oh, these are different.

[00:04:39]>> Yeah. What else?

[00:04:41]>> Uh and also we're seeing like a health trend as well. So, a lot of people are now going to meatless uh meatless options, meatless patties. So we also came out with like a cheesy spinach patty which is something that we launched also quite recently. So we're we're seeing a lot of like uh adoption also for Jamaican patty but at the same time we we kept a lot of the we kept the classic flavors like cheesy beef beef pinatubo as original >> cheesy beef.

[00:05:10]>> What is beef pinatubo? Okay so forgive me I didn't grow up here so this is actually the first time I'll be trying Jamaican patty. So, I'm super super excited for this.

[00:05:19]>> In in 1991, Mount Pinatuba in the Philippines erupted.

[00:05:24]>> Yes, >> that was a big eruption, covered all of Manila with volcanic ash. And Ja party was just like a few months old. At the time, we had opened already at South Supermarket in Magalanes.

[00:05:41]And when that eruption happened, I was thinking, I I want to make a spicy party.

[00:05:46]>> Mhm. and call it pinatubo because pinatub was the news every day.

[00:05:52]>> Yes.

[00:05:53]>> So everybody said no Filipinos don't like manhang. I said who told you that?

[00:06:01]>> Oh I I know because I don't like or my sister doesn't like as I said I'm going to do it anyway.

[00:06:07]>> So we made it really hot and then surprisingly it became the second bestseller.

[00:06:13]>> Oh wow.

[00:06:14]>> It really picked up.

[00:06:15]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And to the extent that today our Jamaican party known as the Pinatubo >> is actually more well known than the volcano itself among the young people, right?

[00:06:32]>> They're like what's a a pinatubo?

[00:06:33]>> It's a party.

[00:06:36]>> Well, where do you attribute the success of your business? Because 30 years is not easy, especially when it comes to food. We all know the lifespan of food business, you know, come and go. So, >> I don't think I could trace it to the actual product.

[00:06:53]>> Mhm.

[00:06:53]>> I I would not be genuine to say that. I think it was more a question of uh the cultural imagery of Jamaica, which the young people of that time were into like reggae music, Bob Marley.

[00:07:10]>> Yes. So we we kind of just rode on that because we were the only representative of Jamaican culture in Manila.

[00:07:19]>> So all the stores would have the colors.

[00:07:21]It would have a poster that's like a Rasha man poster. And so I think that played a big part in the younger generation Filipino relating to it because he was listening to reggae.

[00:07:36]>> He was already into the track and field.

[00:07:39]>> So it was a natural sort of thing. Well, okay. I'll try that. But after that, it was the quality.

[00:07:46]>> I just want to close my eyes and listen to your accent all throughout.

[00:07:49]Everything's going to be I >> Well, when it comes to the new generation because this one, of course, the millennials know the brand so well.

[00:07:58]But what about the Jenzers? How are you reintroducing the product aside from the flavors?

[00:08:03]>> Well, for in terms of the reach also and expansion for Jamaican patty. So now Jamaican Patty is actually available in almost 200 stores, 200 locations nationwide. Wow.

[00:08:14]>> So with that, we're actually able to to reach a lot of the younger segment of the market as well. Uh while at the same time reintroducing them to the parents, formerly those who loved Jamaican patty and now introducing it to the next generation. Um, we also partner with schools, universities, um, so that we get to be able to reach the student market and be able for them to be able to try our Jamaican patties.

[00:08:40]>> Cool. Well, speaking of reaching the new generation, which is me, we're going to do a quick gap real quick cuz we're going to get the patties prepared and we're going to taste all of them. So, stay tuned. Jamaica me crazy. We'll be right back. How was that accent?

[00:09:07]Welcome back to the Daily Dish. And of course, we can't talk about food without without having the real thing, right?

[00:09:14]>> Here in the Daily Dish, you can't talk about food without bringing food.

[00:09:18]>> So, thank you for sharing this with all of us. But please do also share what are we seeing.

[00:09:25]>> Yeah. All right. So in front of us we have our famous Jamaican patties. So here we have our cheesy beef. Um our cheesy chicken.

[00:09:34]>> Which one is that?

[00:09:35]>> I got child just jump.

[00:09:37]>> And then the original beef is here.

[00:09:39]>> Original.

[00:09:40]>> And then cheesy chicken over here. And then on the left side we have our famous cheesy beef pinatubo. Um our spicy Jamaican patty. And then our new flavors as well. Meaty lasagna. And then cheesy spinach.

[00:09:52]>> Let's ask Sean which one is your favorite? Uh, well, for me, my favorite is the meaty lasagna.

[00:09:57]>> The meaty lasagna. What about you, Barry? Which one should you pin?

[00:09:59]>> The pinatuba.

[00:10:00]>> Pinatubo. So, which one should Mo try?

[00:10:03]>> Yeah. For this I'm a first time Jamaican patty eater.

[00:10:07]>> But you don't like spice.

[00:10:08]>> Is it really spicy?

[00:10:09]>> No. Yeah, maybe original stick.

[00:10:12]>> The original.

[00:10:13]>> Okay, it's fine. I will. I will go for it. So, which one is the original? We're going to be doing pinatubo. Which one's the cheesy beef? Pinatubo. Should I just go? Can I just use my hands? Yeah.

[00:10:24]>> Yes. Go for it. That's how we actually eat it. Okay. Here's the other thing. Of course, when it comes to your >> should No, you shouldn't break it. You should stand >> bite from the top. I was going to show.

[00:10:33]Okay. So, I'm doing it wrong.

[00:10:35]>> Yeah. But a lot of Jamaicans.

[00:10:38]>> Oh, okay. Okay. Here. So, bear. You want to stay beside me so you can watch me eat this correctly? Is the proper way?

[00:10:44]>> No.

[00:10:45]>> I I want to watch you, but >> let's do it. Let's do it.

[00:10:50]>> Yeah, that's correct.

[00:10:51]>> Then get to the bey part. get to the meaty part.

[00:10:55]>> Oh my god.

[00:10:56]>> Yeah. Right.

[00:10:56]>> And it's flaky and meaty.

[00:10:59]>> Once you get down to the the middle part, that's my favorite.

[00:11:02]>> The crust.

[00:11:02]>> It's amazingly flaky. Wow.

[00:11:05]>> The secret in the crust.

[00:11:06]>> It's all secrets.

[00:11:08]>> That's why it doesn't.

[00:11:08]>> You got to spill. It is a secret. Oh, you're here. You got to spill the secret.

[00:11:12]>> I can't have you just eating it. Can I also take a bite again? I've been wanting cheesy. Cheesy beef is this one.

[00:11:19]>> Okay. But of course, it's not just for camera sake. It's not that spicy. I don't want to upset Jamaicans out there, but I just have to half it so that they see >> the middle part. There you go. Can we can see the middle?

[00:11:32]>> There. There. There.

[00:11:34]>> So, yes, you get the flakiness, but you get that yummy, comforting meatiness inside as well.

[00:11:40]>> I'm amazed how the crust doesn't get um soggy.

[00:11:43]>> Soggy. Yeah, >> that's a thing with like meat pies. So the other thing, Mo, aside from the patties themselves, is the hot sauce that you guys have. I remember it clearly. Uh, do you have it?

[00:11:56]>> Yes, we have the hot sauce here available.

[00:11:58]>> Look at me knowing my stuff. Well, >> we got the hot sauce.

[00:12:02]>> So, you see, way back in college, couples would have dates, and this is what we could afford and what we would enjoy, and this brought a lot of memories. But I'm curious because your wife is actually what made you stay all throughout and love the Philippines. So what is it in the Philippines that aside from her and the business that you have, what is it that actually made you say, "Okay, I could live in the Philippines, >> the warmth of the Filipino family."

[00:12:32]>> Yeah.

[00:12:33]>> For real. Yes.

[00:12:35]>> Cuz is there some similarities with the Jamaican culture with Filipino?

[00:12:38]>> Is so family oriented?

[00:12:41]We're once you're in the family, everybody loves you no matter what.

[00:12:46]>> That's actually so true.

[00:12:48]>> Hold on. I love your patties already.

[00:12:50]Very I'm going to try the other. I want to try the cheesy one.

[00:12:52]>> Please put the hot sauce.

[00:12:54]>> This is the hot sauce.

[00:12:54]>> So, this is the hot sauce that I was talking about.

[00:12:56]>> Yeah, >> that will give us the same warmth as Filipino families.

[00:13:00]>> So, I'll just be putting this here.

[00:13:03]>> There.

[00:13:05]>> I'm not into super spicy things, too.

[00:13:07]But this one really completely. That's not that hot.

[00:13:10]>> It's not that hot.

[00:13:12]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:13:13]>> Add to the flavor.

[00:13:15]>> Don't mind me here. I'm enjoying this is amazing.

[00:13:17]>> Do the honors. Do the honors. What is the hot sauce?

[00:13:19]>> You have a new fan. Come. So maybe you guys could share what are some of the craziest ways you've seen or heard of how people eat their patties, mix it with or pair it up with? Are there stories all throughout the years? Oh, well, I saw one guy came to our store at Park Square and he the patties are always hot from the oven.

[00:13:39]>> Mhm.

[00:13:39]>> So, when he got it out, we got when he bought it, he put it on the counter on the bag and he opened it up, >> right? Like >> like he literally opened the >> Yeah. Yeah. Open it open it up like that and then he's fanning it with >> Did you say anything to make No. No. Oh, you should have said that's not the proper way. Like me >> to each their own. And then he enjoyed he closed it back and he ate it.

[00:14:05]>> Interesting.

[00:14:06]>> What is the funniest uh reaction you've got that you remembered from all the years you've been here in the Philippines with your Jamaican patty?

[00:14:13]>> There was this girl who was buying and then she didn't know me. I didn't know her. Mhm.

[00:14:18]>> She was somebody looking like you, right? and uh she was wearing shorts and then she said, "You know, I'm going to show you what you did to my leg." So I said, "What? What do you mean?"

[00:14:34]>> I said, "Well, you know, your patties are so hot and I'm driving and eating a hot patty and the meat fell out, >> fell on my thigh, >> and I still have the scar." And she's showing me.

[00:14:46]>> Oh my god.

[00:14:47]>> Yeah. She said, "I still have the scar from that day, you So, >> but but she wasn't mad.

[00:14:52]>> Yeah. Yeah. They love it.

[00:14:55]>> See, that that's the beauty of it because you could carry it around wherever you go, not just the movie house while driving.

[00:15:01]>> This is going to be my new go-to. Like, look how flaky it is. Literally flaking everywhere.

[00:15:06]>> Okay. But there's also something new that you guys have been doing. I don't know if it if it's that new. Is it frozen? You guys have that already?

[00:15:13]>> Well, currently we already have the frozen patties available in our store.

[00:15:17]So people can actually also take that out or have it delivered and then they can also have bake at home. Just bake it.

[00:15:24]>> They can bake it. They can use an air fryer.

[00:15:27]>> Is this fried?

[00:15:28]>> No, it's not. It's baked.

[00:15:31]>> So it's it's healthier. It's healthier.

[00:15:33]>> It's a healthier option.

[00:15:34]>> If it's frozen, it's not going to come from the iconic shelf right over there that you see it from every single time.

[00:15:41]>> How many do you guys sell a day? Can you guys count how many patties you sell a day? Secret >> with all your 200 all these 200 stores. Are these all um store owned or franchises or how does it work?

[00:15:54]>> Uh it's a mix but majority of the stores are still company owned because we believe that we want to be able to uh operate our own stores and reach a lot of our customers. But definitely we're very grateful to a lot of our franchises. A lot of our franchises are also very happy with with Jamaican patty because it's something that's easy, convenient. A lot of people already love it. So, in fact, there are a lot of stories also from our franchise that they say, "Oh, I grew up eating Jamaican patty and we're really looking for you and we want to franchise this brand because it's some it's a college snack that they did or it's a dating snack or a movie snack which they already um enjoyed previously." So, yeah.

[00:16:32]>> So, you and I can franchise. Well, real quick before we let y'all go. So, you know, you guys see trends online, like the interview is like Hot Ones and maybe like a Filipino patty. Are you guys open to new flavors and are are trends changing the way you guys see how you guys make your patties?

[00:16:51]>> We're open to new flavors. Uh but the we have to maintain the original quality.

[00:16:57]Mhm.

[00:16:57]>> So, we're very careful because some flavors do not match >> the Jamaican party, you know.

[00:17:04]>> So, yeah. Because of like the crust and >> Yeah. And just the whole imagery like we we would not have a we do not want to have a for example a pork patty because in Jamaican culture a lot of the people don't eat pork.

[00:17:19]>> And that's a big thing in the Philippines pork.

[00:17:21]>> Yeah. So, it's really sticking to your roots which is beautiful. I think which actually defines what Jamaican patty is all about.

[00:17:28]>> I just tried the meatless or the lasagna one. This is really good. And I'm going to be reaching out to the hot sauce over here. Okay. So, thank you Sean and if people are interested in Jamaican patty, you guys have over 200 stores, but where can they contact you guys?

[00:17:43]>> Well, we have our socials. So, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, we're reachable. Then send us an email also.

[00:17:49]Um, we can definitely reach us through our website as well. So, yeah. And we're very available nationwide for Jamaican patty.

[00:17:57]>> Love, thank you so much for sharing your flavors. Thank you for appearing on TV for the very first time Jamaican patty for the first time. It's delicious.

[00:18:12]Jamaican party.

[00:18:17]This is the daily. This is the daily.