Tag Archives: Filipino

Show 494, October 8, 2022: Chef Henry Pineda, Proprietor, Lola’s by MFK, Anaheim Part One

Posted on by
Henry Pineda of Lola's MFK

“With the full-service Lola’s by MFK in the former CaliVino Wine Pub space off Katella Avenue next door to Angel Stadium, Chef Henry Pineda, 31, is celebrating his mother’s Filipino and father’s Guatemalan roots through the lens of his favorite meal serving a Modern Filipino Brunch from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 7 days. Dinner will eventually follow. Chef Henry operates Lola’s by MFK with his wife and business partner, Amanda “Panda” Pineda.

“Every year on my birthday we don’t go to dinner, we go to breakfast,” said Pineda, who grew up in L.A and moved to Anaheim when he was six. “Breakfast was always the meal where my family ate together. My dad worked the graveyard shift and would just be coming home right before my mom was about to head out.”

“Pineda has worked in restaurants since age 18 starting at Mama Cozza’s in Anaheim. He’s also cooked at Orange Hill in Orange; ADYA in Anaheim; Starfish in Laguna Beach; Shabu Shabu in Santa Ana; Smoking Ribs in Garden Grove; and The Penthouse inside The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. Pineda opened MFK by Aysee’s original location on the border of Anaheim and Buena Park in 2016 at age 26. That restaurant tragically burned down one night in September 2020 when a fire spontaneously broke out.”

Pineda’s Brunch classics include Lola’s Crispy Sisig, Adobo Fried Rice Omelet, Ube Pancakes, Sweet Avocado Pancakes and Ube Tres Leches French Toast. Lola’s beer and wine license just came through so Filipino craft beer (unusually on tap) and exotic fruit-based libations will soon appear on the menu.

Chef Henry takes a break from the Brunch rush to join us with spatula in hand.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Show 494, October 8, 2022: Chef Henry Pineda, Proprietor, Lola’s by MFK, Anaheim Part Two

Posted on by
Henry Pineda of Lola's MFK

“With the full-service Lola’s by MFK in the former CaliVino Wine Pub space off Katella Avenue next door to Angel Stadium, Chef Henry Pineda, 31, is celebrating his mother’s Filipino and father’s Guatemalan roots through the lens of his favorite meal serving a Modern Filipino Brunch from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 7 days. Dinner will eventually follow. Chef Henry operates Lola’s by MFK with his wife and business partner, Amanda “Panda” Pineda.

“Every year on my birthday we don’t go to dinner, we go to breakfast,” said Pineda, who grew up in L.A and moved to Anaheim when he was six. “Breakfast was always the meal where my family ate together. My dad worked the graveyard shift and would just be coming home right before my mom was about to head out.”

“Pineda has worked in restaurants since age 18 starting at Mama Cozza’s in Anaheim. He’s also cooked at Orange Hill in Orange; ADYA in Anaheim; Starfish in Laguna Beach; Shabu Shabu in Santa Ana; Smoking Ribs in Garden Grove; and The Penthouse inside The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. Pineda opened MFK by Aysee’s original location on the border of Anaheim and Buena Park in 2016 at age 26. That restaurant tragically burned down one night in September 2020 when a fire spontaneously broke out.”

Pineda’s Brunch classics include Lola’s Crispy Sisig, Adobo Fried Rice Omelet, Ube Pancakes, Sweet Avocado Pancakes and Ube Tres Leches French Toast. Lola’s beer and wine license just came through so Filipino craft beer (unusually on tap) and exotic fruit-based libations will soon appear on the menu.

Chef Henry takes a second break from the Brunch rush to rejoin us with spatula in hand.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Show 469, April 9, 2022: Jacob Deleon, Founder, Fila Manila Filipino American Kitchen, New Jersey Part One

Posted on by
Filipino Kitchen

Jacob “Jake” Deleon is the young founder of Fila Manila Filipino American Kitchen based in New Jersey. He has an award-winning line of glass jarred Filipino condiments including savory and sweet varieties that are free of artificial colors and flavors.

“Jake is a first generation FilAm, or Filipino American, who was born in the Philippines and raised in New Jersey with countless memories of joyful family gatherings. At the center of each gathering was a table overflowing with homecooked Filipino dishes. Jakes remembers the delicious flavors of this food together with the laughter of his family bringing comfort and joy to his heart.”

“He created Fila Manila to celebrate the joy of the Filipino family, culture, and the delicious cuisine and share it with a wider audience of discriminating food lovers.”

“Jake named the brand after the joyful and quirky spirit of the FilAm community combined with Manila, the heart of the Philippine Islands.”

His flagship product is Filipino Adobo Sauce and Marinade, used in the Philippines signature dish and Jake’s favorite food. It was a NEXTY Award Winner at Natural Products Expo West for Best Condiment the year it was introduced. “This Filipino staple is tangy, savory, and salty all at once, and Fila Manila’s take on this iconic sauce is both a great entry point to the cuisine and an attractive new option for aficionados with its clean, minimal ingredient list and use of tamari over wheat-based soy sauce. These modest updates to typical conventional versions cut no corners with authenticity; the sauce gets some of its zip from coconut vinegar.”

Fila Manila’s newest creation is Ube Purple Yam & Coconut Jam. It was awarded the NEXTY for Best New Pantry Food at the recent Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center. “It’s crafted in small batches. Thick and sweet, this creamy coconut and purple yam-based spread is tasty and satisfying – and more than a little crave-worthy.”

Jacob Deleon is our guest providing a taste of the Philippines.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Show 469, April 9, 2022: Jacob Deleon, Founder, Fila Manila Filipino American Kitchen, New Jersey Part Two

Posted on by
Filipino Kitchen

Jacob “Jake” Deleon is the young founder of Fila Manila Filipino American Kitchen based in New Jersey. He has an award-winning line of glass jarred Filipino condiments including savory and sweet varieties that are free of artificial colors and flavors.

“Jake is a first generation FilAm, or Filipino American, who was born in the Philippines and raised in New Jersey with countless memories of joyful family gatherings. At the center of each gathering was a table overflowing with homecooked Filipino dishes. Jakes remembers the delicious flavors of this food together with the laughter of his family bringing comfort and joy to his heart.”

“He created Fila Manila to celebrate the joy of the Filipino family, culture, and the delicious cuisine and share it with a wider audience of discriminating food lovers.”

“Jake named the brand after the joyful and quirky spirit of the FilAm community combined with Manila, the heart of the Philippine Islands.”

His flagship product is Filipino Adobo Sauce and Marinade, used in the Philippines signature dish and Jake’s favorite food. It was a NEXTY Award Winner at Natural Products Expo West for Best Condiment the year it was introduced. “This Filipino staple is tangy, savory, and salty all at once, and Fila Manila’s take on this iconic sauce is both a great entry point to the cuisine and an attractive new option for aficionados with its clean, minimal ingredient list and use of tamari over wheat-based soy sauce. These modest updates to typical conventional versions cut no corners with authenticity; the sauce gets some of its zip from coconut vinegar.”

Fila Manila’s newest creation is Ube Purple Yam & Coconut Jam. It was awarded the NEXTY for Best New Pantry Food at the recent Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center. “It’s crafted in small batches. Thick and sweet, this creamy coconut and purple yam-based spread is tasty and satisfying – and more than a little crave-worthy.”

Jacob Deleon icontinues with us providing a genuine taste of the Philippines.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Show 239, September 2, 2017: Chef AC Boral, RICE & SHINE Brunch Series

Posted on by

AC BoralPresented by Long Beach Chef AC Boral, RICE & SHINE (an eight- course, family-style brunch experience) prides itself in being a completely unique brunch. Guests even leave with an edible care package. Sit at Chef AC’s long table for a great time blending food, family, culture, and, of course, mimosas. It’s Filipino family favorites with a contemporary twist.

Filipino hospitality means that guests eat well, always leaving the table busog (full) and with even MORE food to take home. Everyone is treated like family and becomes family.

“RICE & SHINE takes traditional Filipino dishes and blends them with American brunch. We want to share the culture and history of Filipino cuisine with those who are unfamiliar while offering something fresh for those who grew up eating it. “If ya don’t know, now ya know.”

At its core, Filipino cuisine is food for the soul. The spirit behind RICE & SHINE is to pay tribute to Filipino food tradition.

The next RICE & SHINE is set for Sunday, September 10th at 11:30 a.m. in a secret location in Downtown Long Beach.

We’ll meet Chef AC.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Show 205, January 7, 2017: Executive Chef Ross Pangilinan, Mix Mix Kitchen Bar, Santa Ana

Posted on by

Ross PangilinanYou know Executive Chef Ross Pangilinan from his time at Leatherby’s Café Rouge in Costa Mesa at The Segerstrom Concert Hall. He’s now launched his own ambitious venture, Mix Mix Kitchen Bar (A Globally Inspired Chef-Driven Concept) in Downtown Santa Ana.

It’s an appealing, somewhat unfamiliar menu (Dinner) of global dishes with influences from traditional French and Italian to modern Filipino cuisines. Sunday Brunch has recently been added to the menu.

“The inspiration for my menu at Mix Mix comes from both the memories I embrace from childhood and techniques I’ve learned throughout my culinary career,” commented Chef Ross Pangilinan, who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants across France and California. “At an early age, my father instilled in me an appreciation for diversity in food; together, we explored everything from hole-in-the-wall Chinese eateries to high-end French restaurants.”

Dishes like the Filipino Ceviche and Tropical Verrine pay homage to Pangilinan’s Filipino heritage. Among his signature dishes, the Tropical Verrine is a modern interpretation of the restaurant’s namesake dish, Mix Mix, the literal translation from Halo Halo, a traditional Filipino dessert featuring a mixture of sweets.

“The dining adventures I shared with my father sparked my inspiration for cuisine at a young age,” added Pangilinan. “To this day, I draw inspiration from the meals we shared together.”

In addition to its eclectic menu of global cuisine, Mix Mix offers handcrafted libations from its craft cocktail bar. The beverage program focuses on ‘shaken & stirred’ cocktails created with house-made bitters, syrups, and infusions, as well as French wines and craft beer from around the world.

Prominent features of the new restaurant include a succulent garden wall behind the bar and in the dining room, a 6-seat ‘butcher’s block’ Chef’s Table that peers directly into the restaurant’s open kitchen. The reservation-only Chef’s Table will offer a five-course “Oui Chef” menu that evokes a dining experience for all the senses.

Chef Ross briefly escapes from the open kitchen and is our in-studio guest.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

February 15: Rick Bayless, Top Round Roast Beef, Cochon 555, OC Restaurant Week, Grill on the Alley

Posted on by

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jamie Tiampo and Chef Steven Fretz, partners, Top Round Roast Beef
Segment Three: Chef Rick Bayless, Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, and Red O (in West Hollywood & Newport Beach) Part One
Segment Four: Chef Rick Bayless, Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, and Red O (in West Hollywood & Newport Beach) Part Two
Segment Five: Brady Lowe, Founder & Lord of Pork, Cochon 555
Segment Six: Executive Chef Jason Montelibano, Chapter One: The Modern Local, Santa Ana
Segment Seven: Bob Spivak, President, CEO, and Co-Founder, Grill Concepts, Inc.
Segment Eight: Jet Tila on Manhattan Dining. (Part 2)

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Chef jet Tila and Alton BrownFood Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” with host Alton Brown is back on Sunday nights for Season 2. Our own Chef Jet Tila is the most frequently appearing solo judge on this tough competition show that requires strategy as well as cooking chops. Look for Jet’s new episodes starting in February.

Thanks to all of our generous listeners who attended Chef Carla Hall’s Culinary Concert to benefit The James Beard Foundation at Zov’s Bistro in Tustin on Feb. 9th. Carla and guest MC Sherry Yard had the group thoroughly entertained with Carla’s demo of her Swamp Thing recipe which is from her new cookbook. It’s a braised pork shoulder in a smoked pork and corn broth.

America’s own master Mexican cooking authority, Rick Bayless of Topolobampo and Frontera Grill, is with us. He’s the menu-maker for the fashionable new Red O restaurant in Fashion Island in Newport Beach. It’s the 30th Anniversary of the legendary Grill on The Alley in Beverly Hills. We’ll celebrate with the founder. Cochon 555, a pork spectacular, returns to Santa Monica this month. We’ll tell you all about it. How about a fast food stand serving quality roast beef sandwiches using the very best ingredients? It’s run by fine dining chefs! Orange County Restaurant Week launches February 23rd. We’ll have a preview with one of the colorful participating executive chefs.

All of this and lots more incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Top Round Roast BeefTop Round Roast Beef opened in the extensively remodeled space of a former donut shop at the busy corner of Olympic Blvd. and La Brea Avenue last June. The theme is top quality roast beef sandwiches where the beef is sliced to order. On the menu is a variety of quality roast beef sandwiches served on a butter-toasted bun with natural au jus. The beef is impressively sliced to order. Also on the small menu are curly French fries cooked in beef fat for maximum flavor, milkshakes and St. Louis frozen custard.

The owners have impressive culinary credentials from places including Red Medicine, 800 Degrees, and Curtis Stone’s restaurants.

Restaurant investor Jamie Tiampo (who is also the owner of See Food Media in New York) joins us along with Chef Steven Fretz (previously executive chef for Curtis Stone’s restaurant group) to explain the concept.

Rick BaylessWhen it comes to possessing a vast knowledge of the regional cooking of the various states in Mexico the recognized “el jefe” in the United States is Chicago’s Rick Bayless. Locally he’s probably best known for the PBS’s series “Mexico – One Plate at a Time” (now starting its 9th award-winning season) and from Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters.” In Chicago he’s a local culinary celebrity for his highly popular restaurants including River North’s Topolobampo and Frontera Grill.

Chef Bayless has created the menu for the recently opened, and much talked about, highly designed Red O in Fashion Island, Newport Beach. It’s basically his contemporary take on Oaxacan fare and other culinary regions of Mexico.

Certain dishes are exclusive to Fashion Island and the tequila list includes 100 selections.

Chef Bayless offers tips for preparing the perfect guacamole.

The new season of his hit PBS series takers us to Oaxaca, one of his favorite culinary regions in Mexico. We’ll see the “Day of the Dead” celebration Oaxaca-style.

Brady Lowe of Cochon 555Cochon 555 (a celebration of heritage pork) returns to Los Angeles on its 2014 cross-country tour at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel on Sunday afternoon, February 23rd. Over 11 tons of heritage pork raised by family farms will be served across the country in the nose-to-tail touring culinary competition.

2014’s competing chefs include Host Chef Ray Garcia of Fig Restaurant, Christian Page of Short Order, Jason Neve of B&B Ristorante, Ray England of Craft, and Brian Howard of Comme Ca. Each chef prepares a maximum of six dishes created from one whole heritage pig.

Our own Jet Tila will be preparing an additional late-night sixth pig for the After Party.

orange-county-restaurant-weekThe OC’s most anticipated, and delicious, dining event, Orange County Restaurant Week, returns from February 23rd to March 1st. Diners will have the opportunity to enjoy the wide spectrum of dining options in the County at special prices for prix-fixe menus for both lunch and dinner.

Over 100 restaurants are part of Orange County Restaurant Week.

One of the featured restaurants is Santa Ana’s Chapter One: The Modern Local. Chef Jason Montelibano (aka Chef Chicken Wing) joins us to talk about his menu. Given his Filipino ancestry he’s incorporated a few contemporary Filipino touches into his menu.

Chef Jason won Riveria Magazine’s “To Live and Dine” chefs’ challenge event @ SoCo last year with his Lamb & Gnocchi dish.

The Grill on the Alley30 years ago dining history was made in Beverly Hills (a tough city for restaurant longevity) with the launch of The Grill on the Alley which is better known as The Grill. It soon evolved into a high profile business destination for lunch for the power brokers of Hollywood. Where your table was signified your status in the Entertainment Business. At night it became a destination for affluent locals with a very loyal following. Unusually for the time pretentiousness was never part of the gameplan. It also was the start of a significant restaurant company with three successful concepts.

Grill Concepts, Inc. continues to flourish to this day. Public School is the newest concept (with a sense of humor) with locations in Downtown Los Angeles, Culver City and Thousand Oaks. Northern California is next and more locations on the horizon. It’s a bar & restaurant gathering spot.

Founder Bob Spivak, a second generation restaurateur with a love for the hospitality business, joins us to share the fascinating story.

“We are so fortunate to have been in business for 30 years,” President, CEO, and Co-Founder Bob Spivak said. “In the ever changing restaurant industry, we are proud to say that we were vintage before it was trendy. And we will continue to maintain the tradition of exceptional service and timeless cuisine that guests have come to count on.”

Ippudo Ramen in New York CityChef Jet has been in New York twice over the last two weeks and has enjoyed some standout dining adventures along the way. Jet shares the details of his meal at Chef April Boomfield’s Spotted Pig (no reservations) in the West Village. This was one of the country’s first gastropubs. It’s still a scene over ten years later.

Jet also visited Ippudo, a well-known Japanese ramen shop and a personal favorite.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jamie Tiampo and Chef Steven Fretz, partners, Top Round Roast Beef
Segment Three: Chef Rick Bayless, Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, and Red O (in West Hollywood & Newport Beach) Part One
Segment Four: Chef Rick Bayless, Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, and Red O (in West Hollywood & Newport Beach) Part Two
Segment Five: Brady Lowe, Founder & Lord of Pork, Cochon 555
Segment Six: Executive Chef Jason Montelibano, Chapter One: The Modern Local, Santa Ana
Segment Seven: Bob Spivak, President, CEO, and Co-Founder, Grill Concepts, Inc.
Segment Eight: Jet Tila on Manhattan Dining. (Part 2)