Always check the label of "Magnolia" products you see in Canada and the United States. If it has no "San Miguel" then it is NOT the original Magnolia from the Philippines, despite the logo -- it's the OMGpeke Magnolia manufactured by a brand and trademark pirate in Northern California.
A significant byproduct to this happening in the Filipino food scene is the rise of several Fil-Am chefs. Here's a list of three chefs serving up Filipino-inspired food from around the country.
Austin-based chef Paul Qui won Season 9 of Top Chef. Los Angeles is represented by chefs such as Chad Valencia and his brother Chase Valencia; they started the LASA restaurant project and are determined to expand Filipino cooking in L.A. Then there is Tim Luym, a San Francisco Chronicle three-star chef and a former San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef. He is now the executive chef at Buffalo Theory in San Francisco and consultant chef at Attic Restaurant in San Mateo.
We are excited about these Fil-Am chefs and are salivating at the Filipino food they are bringing to the table. Plus, with this spotlight on Filipino food, this gives prominence to the Filipino community the world over. Here is some background on these chefs and how they’re increasing the profile of Filipino cooking in the U.S.A.
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Fil-Am Chef Paul Qui
Paul Qui was born in Manila and trained in classic French and Japanese cuisine. He is now the owner and chef at East Side King in Austin, and he plans to open another restaurant called Rabbit / Conejo on the site of his former restaurant, Qui, in late 2016.
Qui has received a number of awards including the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest for his work in the kitchen at Uchiko in Austin; he also won the San Pellegrino Cooking Cup in 2013 and was also named one of Food & Wine magazine’s 2014 Best New Chefs and Top 10 Empire Builders of 2012.
Qui is perhaps most famous for being the winner of Season 9 of Top Chef. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio said Qui was the most talented chef to ever compete on the show.
Fil-Am Chef Chad Valencia
Chef Chad Valencia and his brother Chase Valencia are behind several popular pop-up restaurants in L.A called LASA, which the brothers launched in 2013. Prior to this project, Chad, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu, was a chef at L.A.’s Canelè, Contigo, and Sqirl.
LASA reflects their background as second-generation Filipino-Americans with Pampanga ancestry. Their stint at venue Elysian in Frogtown was often booked solid; in fact, 120 seats sold out within minutes after opening reservations to the public. LASA still has a weekend residency at Unit 120, which is located at the Far East Plaza in L.A.’s Chinatown.
Fil-Am Chef Tim Luym
Lyum has helmed a number of restaurants including the popular Poleng Lounge, which featured Filipino- and Asian-inspired street food, as well as the Wow Silog food truck, Attic Restaurant, Frozen Kuhsterd, Neighbor’s Corner, and Mekong Kitchen. At these primarily Asian-themed restaurants he successfully integrated Filipino dishes and flavors into the menus.
Poleng, Lyum’s first restaurant, was named one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 10 New Restaurants of 2006. It was also awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand and named one of the Chronicle’s Top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area in 2007 and 2008. His Crispy Adobo Wings made it on 7×7’s “100 Things to Eat in San Francisco Before You Die” list. Luym also works with the community, and he was recognized with a CAAMFeast Trailblazer Award.
Luym is currently the executive chef at Buffalo Theory on Polk Street in San Francisco, a 33-taproom beer bar with an Asian-American-inspired bar menu.
With the increase of Filipino restaurants, Filipino grocery stores, and the continued rise of Filipino chefs in the U.S., Filipino cooking will continue to soar in popularity and get its much-deserved time in the spotlight, which we believe is a long time coming! Be sure to hit these chefs’ restaurants when you’re in San Francisco, L.A., and Austin.
