RECENT scientific studies show that Polynesians are genetically linked to the indigenous people of Southeast Asia, the area where the Philippines sits.

Dated archeological findings suggest that the ancestors of the people of Polynesia, the group of islands located at the southern Pacific Ocean, started out from within the islands of Southeast Asia and navigated through boats to other Pacific islands.

This must be the reason why to the owners of this small restaurant along South Tacoma Way in Lakewood, Washington, being a Filipino is no different from being a Polynesian. Thus, Chico and Annie Mageo named their partly-Filipino, partly-Polynesian restaurant “Polynesian Grill.”

"I’ve always considered the Philippines a part of Polynesia, more than Asia, because of the culture,” said Chico, who learned to cook many of the Filipino dishes through Annie. The two met in the Philippines while Chico was in the Air Force and based in Clark Field, Pampanga, where Annie worked as an accountant. They soon fell in love, got married, and decided to settle in the United States.

The Mageos went into the restaurant biz because, as Chico said, they both share a passion for food. Because Chico is Samoan and Annie hails from Pampanga, a Philippine province known for its good food, they came up with the idea of putting together a menu that fuses the tastes of Filipino and Polynesian dishes.

They soon acquired a purely Filipino restaurant on South Tacoma Way and turned it into what is now Polynesian Grill in 2003.

Currently, they already have about 15 items on their menu. They serve mostly Filipino dishes like palabok, adobo, and pancit, plus their bestsellers, dinuguan and menudo. Most Filipinos, who miss the taste of home, come to their restaurant which caters to mostly Pinoy patrons.

But they also serve Hawaiian and Samoan dishes. Chico, who cooks for the restaurant, is especially proud of their specialty, the Hawaiian Island Chicken and Hawaiian ribs.

Aside from eating, visitors may also enjoy the karaoke bar, which the Mageos also own, located right beside the restaurant.

For the meantime, the Mageos are bent on adding more items to their menu and improving the flavor of their dishes to better satisfy their customers.

But for this year, they hope to expand their restaurant business and bring Polynesian Grill to the Philippines