Deanne on 
Paul Dicken on 
Madeleine Boivin on 
Brian on 
Naomi Wilton on 
Michael on 
Ameena Sethi on 
Sh Saqi on 
No, this is not one of my best photos but:
- I did take it on my cellphone.
- It was 2 a.m. or something.
- I had not been drinking.
- Yes, I had.
This was actually from our trip this summer, but I had forgotten all about the pics on my cellphone.
Pizza Corner, as I’ve documented before, is a bustling after-hours noshing destination.
But what do you do when you don’t feel like donairs or pizza? You visit Rocky’s!
I always thought Rocky’s was a fly-by-night street stand run by wily entrepreneurs, but it turns out it’s the late-night arm of a tiny Filipino restaurant called ASAP Mabuhay owned by well, Rocky.
On busy bar nights, Rocky sets up a sturdy barbecue in front of his restaurant and sells Filipino shish kabobs — and hot dogs.
I recall our conversation going something like this:
“What do you have?”
“Chicken or pork.”
I got two pork skewers. I can’t remember how much they were but they couldn’t have been more than $5. Yum.
Rocky’s barbecue, 5237 Blowers St., Halifax, N.S., Thursday to Saturday, 10 p.m.-5 a.m.
ASAP Mabuhay Bar & Grill, winter hours Tuesday to Friday 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., (902) 423-5547.
Oh, boy, That. Brings. Back. Memories.
$2.25 per, with or without hot sauce and/or bread, and still awesome!
I believe Rocky made news headlines a decade or so ago when he and a few other Filipino sailors jumped ship and claimed asylum in Halifax–that’s how he got there. My memory of the incident is a bit sketchy, but I believe they claimed the ship’s crew had been forced to toss some stowaways overboard or something???
I remember that story! The Filipino crewmen reported that the captain of the Maersk Dubai forced two Romanian stowaways overboard, and he was arrested when the ship docked in Halifax. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maersk_Dubai_incident
Four sailors were eventually granted refugee status, but I can’t tell if any of them is Rocky. http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/1998/08/14/dubai980814a.html
An amazing tale, regardless.
I’ve been coming to Halifax on and off for a few years now but have not been into ASAP because I’d assumed they’ll be open regular hours just like the rest of the restaurants in the area. Wrong!! Up to now, I’ll drive by the restaurant and they’d be close. Darn…I just found out they cater to late night crowds Thursday to Sat. and pretty much just lunch hours during the weekdays (Tue.-Fri). Does anybody know other flip restaurants in Halifax or nearby areas (Dartmouth, Lacewood, etc.) I’ll drive for an hour or more for a good flip food…
The shish kabob is more commonly referred to as street meat and it is 2.25. Some people question whether or not it’s actually pork, but it’s the best tasting meat i’ve ever had.
I was also drunk when I had the kebobs for the first time ever…but the party-in-your-mouth kind of feeling will never leave me. I think I bought like four kebobs in total that night, and stopped only because I didn’t have enough change
.
I discovered this place back in 2006 when I was on my way for a donair at KOD. When I saw “Filipino” and “buffet” I stopped in. The pork is marinated (usually for a few hours), that’s why it doesn’t taste like the common salt & peppered pork chop.