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Friday, June 30th from 3-10PM, we will be popping up at Café Demitasse in West Hollywood. We will be serving some of our seasonal desserts such as Key Lime Pie, Blueberry Ube Tart, and much more. Come by for some signature coffee and sweets!
Blueberry Ube Tart
Café Demitasse West Hollywood 8700 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 3PM-10PM
APIOPA, Asian and Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Allianceis hosting an annual farm to table dinner and fundraiser. This fundraiser is bringing together all supporters to enjoy a night of delicious Asian cuisine and craft beer tastings in support of APIOPA's integral work in the Asian and Pacific Islander Community. All proceeds from the event directly help low income families to afford healthy food and provide skill building and leadership workshops for the farmers.
Look for cupcakes from our bakeshop, featuring the APIOPA logo in red velvet, vanilla, and pandan flavors.
This event is to be held at Special Service for Groups 905 E. 8th Street Los Angeles, CA 90021.
6:00-8:30PM
apiopa.org/ftc
Facebook: APIOPA
#apiopa #sustainapiopa
There's a new something to do every first thursday night of the month. If you're hungry and it's not quite friday yet, but you just wanna hang out, Chinatown is where it's at. Yes, the old Chinatown downtown. It isn't the quite the same town that martial artists used to practice at, or where Lindsay Lohan's Freaky Friday took place, but there's something else new in town.
Small businesses like AMBoy, a new filipino fast food restaurant by Eggslut chef/owner Alvin Cailan, Chego!, by Kogi Truck chef/owner, Roy Choi, Endorffein Coffee, and Scoops Ice Cream are just some of the new small businesses in Far East Plaza on Broadway. Every First Thursday of the month, they are showcasing their food for visitors and passers by. As well, there are also vendor stands along the halls selling Hainan Chicken and Rice by Chef Johnny Lee and TamaLAs by our own Chef Anne Altarejos. Every month we will be serving a different set of tamales. This month we served our new Beef Curry TamaLA and our Spicy Coconut Shrimp TamaLA.
So, come visit, eat, and listen to some crazy Karaoke as your entertainment!
Images by John Yaw
In the back of an unsuspecting warehouse space/hair salon and fashion studio last Saturday, August 8th, we had the opportunity to join other Filipino Chefs at NextDayBetter LA's Filipino Tastemakers Event. Next Day Better's purpose is to amplify Filipino culture through food, art, and social do gooding.
A stage was set and lights were dimmed for a packed audience at The Well LA, featuring speakers Chef Alvin Cailan of Eggslut and Ramen Champ, as well as Justin Garrido, founder of Social Products, featuring organic rice from the Philippines.
Panelists were Charles Olalia, Chef/Owner of A'postrophe and Chef/Partner of Ricebar in DTLA, Chefs Chad and Chase Valencia of LASA Restaurant Pop-Up, Business Owner Kristine dela Cruz of Créme Caramel LA, Paleo Gourmand and Blogger, Kathleen Reyes of TheCavery.com, and panel moderator Style Ambassador and DJ, Samantha Dueñas.
Social Products founder Justin Garrido discussed his importation of organic mountain rice, picked in the Cotabato region of the Philippines and of how he made his discovery of what he wanted to do while he was vacationing in the Philippines. Eggslut and Ramen Champ Chef/Owner Alvin Cailan told us of the story of how he grew up as a latchkey kid, the influences of breakfast made by his father, and how he had developed the idea for Eggslut. He gave some good advice about starting your own business, which came down to just going for your dream, taking that chance and diving in head first as he went and purchased his first Eggslut food truck. Panelists discussed the importance of the Filipino food movement and how they started their own entrepreneurial journeys as well.
Outside in the courtyard were food vendors alongside Let's Eat It All Up's tamales. We featured our spicy coconut shrimp, pork adobo, and chipotle chicken tamales. Next to us was Justin Garrido's imported rice from Mindanao, and next to him was Charle's Olalia's mango mousse cups from A'postrophe. Créme Caramel and Park's Finest BBQ were also vendors. Park's Finest served up some of their pulled pork and famous bibingka cornbread while Créme Caramel brought out a sweet ending with dessert.
Images by John Yaw
On a late December evening in Pasadena, California, Michael & Christina had their first toast as husband and wife. They had a garden wedding in the afternoon at the Westin and the reception was held indoors to shield everyone from the wintery cold weather. Desserts by Let's Eat It All Up included green tea créme brûlée, a light green pistachio cake, green almond tartlets, heart-shaped shortbread cookies, mini macarons, grasshopper bars, & Scotch kisses. The couple chose a lacy design and fresh flowers for their four-tier cake created by Cake Boss Monica.
We had a great time and a successful night at the LA Underground Market held in San Pedro. Visitors got to walk around and dance in the aisles to DJ Mark Lewis at the CRAFTED 25,000 square foot warehouse to check out all kinds of arts and crafts along with tasting and buying from different food vendors along with ourselves.
We sold some delicious LA Tamales, inspired with Filipino flavors. Pork Adobo and Spicy Coconut Shrimp with a cucumber salsa. For dessert, guests could choose from a deconstructed Sweet Corn and Cheese tamale with homemade Roasted Peach Gelato or a Piña Colada Popscicle.
Thanks to all those that attended! Hope to see you again soon!
Imagine a night that you can walk into an indoor marketplace somewhere in Japan. Full of food vendors, people walking around and traditional music surrounding the area as if it’s tying a ribbon around your experience. Now imagine this in a very old wine barrel room at a school; but not just any school—The Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California.
Looking down into the lobby.
Pre-event set-up
With hundreds of guests arriving over a three day period in this early November, I was fortunate enough to work with one of the sponsors, House Foods. House Foods is based in Orange County in Southern California and their products are of course, tofu of all types, and curry. They are the owners of Curry House Restaurant as well as makers and distributors of many well known products such as Java and Vermont Curry, along with the different textures of block tofu.
Chef Nori grilling up firm tofu
Someone about to try my chocolate tofu truffles!!!
By assisting House Foods, I helped create food items that featured some of their products. I worked on the pastry side of things, while Chef Noriyuki Sugie of Japan and San Francisco worked on the savory side. The first evening, the CIA opened their doors, Chef Nori made a beef bourguignon featuring firm tofu. On the sweet side, I made a tofu cream filled puff using silken tofu.
It was great to be back to visit the place that I once studied baking and pastry. I visited all my former chefs and caught up with some of them when I could. We took a tour of the facility, which has increased in size with added kitchens, demonstration rooms, and classes. They no longer have the program that I was studying <sad face>. In place of that is the Associates in Baking and Pastry Arts—a full two-year program, like they have at their Hyde Park campus in New York.
Chefs from all over Japan & the US
The main kitchen up on the top floor was abuzz with the Japanese language. Different chefs from all over Japan and the United States participated in the Worlds of Flavor: Japan event. Even Chef Morimoto of Iron Chef fame was there giving a demonstration, book signing and random picture taking. Unfortunately, I was too busy working to get a picture with him. Other well-known chefs that were on the list were David Chang of Momofuku in NY and Chef Noriyuki Kobayashi of Megu in Midtown Manhattan.
Dish by Chef Morimoto
Making the "modern-yaki"
Sushi making machine~the wave of the future!
Adding fish to the sushi rice
Tuna Tartare
Taiko drummers in action
Miso Display
Back at the Williams Center kitchen, under the direction of Chef Lars, several companies and restaurants took their small space in the kitchen and made wonderful food for each night and the last day’s lunch event. A symphony of sounds and senses: the steam of rice from a newly opened rice cooker; rice vinegar and soy sauce being carefully poured; knives swishing along a sharpening stone; the careful deboning of fresh fish; a sudden burst of fire and sizzle as kobe beef is being seared; and the smell of buttery pork belly as it is being braised. Intense movement and only sounds of kitchen work being done were enrobed in light chatter as some people shared their thoughts about the food they were making or sharing stories about their restaurants or background.
Once service time hit, everyone rushed to load up the van that would port us and our food items up the hill to the decorated barrel room. One by one, guests arrived. Food writers, editors, authors, chefs, artists, photographers, etc. were wandering around trying different foods from each stand. “Dozo!” (in this context, try!) the chefs would say as guests would wander up to their stands to try the different foods and reply with an “mmm…Oishi!” (yummy!)
Chef Nori & Yoko Difrancia representing House Foods..."Dozo!"
This event is awesome. They do this every year and so I’m hoping to make it back another time. It’s great just having fun cooking or baking and meeting people you wouldn’t otherwise get to meet unless you walked into their kitchens. All in all, everyone’s just the same—here for the food and excitement of making the best they can to share that great food experience with others
Chef Nori Sugie talking to Chef Nori Kobayashi