The region?
South Central PA.
The inspiration?
Global flavors from myriad cultures the world over. Prep your palate, and put on your eating pants because we’re going on a voyage. South Central PA is home to a whole slew of globally inspired restaurants, with people from all different cultures calling the Susquehanna region home and sharing their cuisine with others in their community.
Salivating already? Let’s dig in.
Lapu Lapu Filipino Fusion
Filipino Fusion
Where to find it: 324 Market St, Lemoyne
Favorite dishes: Sisiq, BBQ sticks, Lumpia
Photos By Karlo Gesner
Behind the scenes with Lapu Lapu:
As the first Filipino restaurant in the area, Lapu Lapu has made a big mark. Owners Daryl Bingaman and Samantha Stitt have built a menu that’s authentic yet accessible for the American palate.
Lapu Lapu’s barbeque is a family recipe from the owner’s Aunt Maribel in the Philippines. The team puts tons of effort and love into each dish, including the hand-rolled Lumpia complete with meat, vegetable, and spices.
“I think this city needs flavor and more culture with variety. I hope that I have brought that to the Central PA area,” the owners say. “It’s a great food establishment if you're looking to try different food.”
In the future, Lapu Lapu plans to expand their menu and to add more authentic dishes, so customers can expect even more.
Sadly, on May 2nd, the owners of Lapu Lapu announced the closure of the restaurant.
Norbu
Bhutanese & Nepalese
Where to find it: 38 N Christian St, Lancaster
Favorite dishes: Ema datsi, Thali
Photos Courtesy Norbu
Behind the scenes with Norbu:
Norbu is more than Pennsylvania’s first Bhutanese restaurant. It’s also family run and culturally multifaceted, with Nepalese traditions in the mix as well. Owners Tenzin Norbu and Sanya Yeh cherish the opportunity to build relationships with customers and farmers.
Bhutanese people are known for using datsi, or cheese, in their dishes. The national dish, which is also the spiciest, is ema datsi, a chili and cheese stew. Meanwhile, Nepali cuisine centers on the thali, a brass platter featuring a sampling of dishes.
With a Nepali-Bhutanese background, Norbu learned how to cook from his mom. “The menu is built around his family recipes,” Yeh says about her husband. Contrary to some expectations, the menu is not all spicy—each dish is made to order based on the customer’s unique preference.
Inna’s Pierogi Shop
Ukrainian
Where to find it: 811 Rothsville Rd, Lititz | Lancaster Central Market
Favorite dishes: Potato onion pierogi with sauteed onions and kielbasa
Photos Courtesy Inna's Pierogi Shop
Behind the scenes with Inna’s:
For non-GMO, all-organic pierogi that are healthier with all the same flavors, eat at Inna’s.
Inna Kondramashin is owner, manager, and holder of many other roles at the shop. She opened up Tanya’s Pastry Shop in 2016. Within two years, Inna introduced pierogi to the menu. During the pandemic, her pierogi became extremely popular, so she rebranded to Inna’s Pierogi Shop to focus on the crowd favorites. “We hope to one day bring back some of our pastries,” Kondramashin says.
Today, Inna’s is a small pierogi shop selling frozen pierogi by the dozen, cooked refrigerated pierogi for people to warm up at home, and lunch-ready pierogi for people to eat right at the shop’s intimate tables.
Kondramashin says, “I love getting reviews or messages about how our space brought people back childhood memories with their grandmother as I can share the same memories.” For Inna’s, serving people and serving great food go hand in hand.
Global Cafe
Cameroon
Where to find it: Central Market House York | 2300 E Market St, York
Favorite dishes: Grilled jerk chicken platter, Grilled salmon platter
Photos By Karlo Gesner
Behind the scenes with Global Cafe:
Through Global Cafe, Assen Achu’s Cameroon roots have brought a lot of joy to York’s locals and visitors over the years. Now, the Central Market House staple has opened a shop in East York, featuring an extended menu of breakfast, brunch, and sandwiches as well as the market stand’s platters and customizable favorites.
In addition to delicious jerk chicken and grilled salmon platters, Global Cafe is known for its mouthwatering veggies. “Veggies are big for us culturally,” Assen says about her family and Cameroon heritage. The plantains are fried at peak ripeness because, as Assen says, you have to “fry it in the right state” for that perfect sweetness.
Global Cafe’s cuisine is healthy, wholesome, and nutritious—and perfect for vegans as there are many veggie options, and they don’t use butter in any of their main dishes.
Taqueria El Camino
Mexican Fusion
Where to find it: 81 W Canal St, Dover
Favorite dishes: Birria tacos, Elote salad
Photos By Karlo Gesner
Behind the scenes with Taqueria El Camino:
Owner Ethan Greer describes his cuisine as chef-driven Cal-Mex street food with Caribbian-Latino influence. The streetside shop offers art-centric outdoor seating that’s best enjoyed in the sun or under the overhang.
Of the many dishes that represent the restaurant, Greer says the quesabirria tacos are one of
the biggest phenomena. Born in Mexico and popularized in California, Greer’s mid-atlantic version sources high-quality, local beef and cheese, the latter of which is from Caputo Brothers Creamery cheese in Spring Grove. Caribbean-Latino seasoning and cooking techniques elevate the dish further.
In the first grade, Greer already knew he wanted to open a restaurant. He never lost focus. “I come from a family of excellent cooks, and everything is centered around food,” says Greer. To him, their support means everything.
The multi-cultural team all have an aspiration to make their friends, family, and community proud and, as Greer says, “We really put that love into our food.”
Issei Noodle
Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian
Where to find it: 44 N Queen St, Lancaster | 54 W High St, Carlisle
Favorite dishes: Spicy TanTan ramen
Photos Courtesy issei Noodle
Behind the scenes with Issei:
Andre and Donna Pham were in their early 20’s when they decided to open Issei Noodle in downtown Lancaster in 2013. “We spent a lot of time day-dreaming about other small-business possibilities that we thought would be fun,” says Donna. “But when Andre finally sat down to iron out the finer details of what life would look like as a future Issei Noodle owner and operator, his vision really clicked and the pieces just fell into place.”
Andre’s sister Chane operates the Carlisle location. They both grew up in their parents’ restaurant, learning what hard work, long days, and sacrifices really mean.
You can find a version of TanTanmen on almost any ramen shop menu—both in the U.S. and Japan—but Issei’s version is unique. It’s “a silky textured broth that bursts with nuttiness and swirls into a depth of varying spice,” Donna says.
Charcoal art, a curated playlist, and an amazing staff make up Issei’s environment. As for the food, that’s intimate in and of itself. “Before anything makes it onto our menu for service, we make it for ourselves and our family to eat many, many, many times,” Donna says.
Halfway Tree Jamaican Restaurant
Jamaican
Where to find it: 145 S Cameron St, Harrisburg
Favorite dishes: Jerk chicken, Jerk shrimp, Escoviché snapper, Oxtail
Photos By Karlo Gesner
Behind the scenes with Halfway Tree:
Roselyn Torres was always chasing a career in food. Together with Julian Clarke, she bought Halfway Tree, and the pair infused their dreams together. “It’s been lit ever since,” Roselyn says emphatically. The restaurant also features creations from Grace Torres, who makes fresh juices for customers to enjoy.
“The most rewarding parts of the restaurant are the customers who appreciate the time and love we put into our craft,” says Roselyn. That
craft is legit, because Halfway Tree makes everything from scratch. Absolutely nothing is processed and the result is very fresh, well-made Caribbean cuisine.
Simply Greek
Greek
Where to find it: 23 Briarcrest Square, Hershey
Favorite dishes: Traditional gyro, Greek bowl
Photos By Karlo Gesner
Behind the scenes with Simply Greek:
Owned by George Tsambas and John Avgoustakis, Simply Greek started as a ghost kitchen out of the Soda Jerk Diner in Hummelstown in 2019. The authentic Greek destination has since found a place to call its own and charmed customers with its rotating spit meat, house-made ingredients, and customizable options.
Over the last few years, Simply Greek has reveled in the opportunity to serve their community during difficult times. “During COVID, it felt awesome to hear from our customers that they enjoyed getting food from us,” says restaurant manager Chandra Kotzatoski. “Any bit of happiness we could provide during all this really feels great.”
“We want people to know we use high-quality fresh ingredients and our own family's recipes,” Tsambas says. “We are always adding new authentic specials to the menu for our customers to try.”