On this episode, we visit the Yangil valley in central Luzon’s Zambales province, where a documentary called “The Foresters: A Story of Climate Keepers” follows an indigenous Aeta community and the challenges they face through a rapidly changing climate. It's also about how organizations such as MAD Travel have begun and continue to expand on massive reforestation and agri-tourism projects…
On this episode we chat with Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter with the national team at Eater, one of today’s best-known brands in the global food media space dedicated to all things food and dining. We chat about a range of topics on Filipino food and culture through a diasporic lens, so let’s get to it!
On this episode we chat with Abi Balingit, author of the cookbook Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed. It landed on the New York Times’ Best Cookbooks list in 2023, winning Abi an Emerging Voice award from the James Beard Foundation the next. I’m a huge fan!
On this episode we listen to the stories behind Istorya, a Las Vegas-based pop-up restaurant that aims to showcase the diversity of cuisines across the Philippines, interpreted by chefs in the diaspora. The menus at their dinners are crafted with care and symbolic of the team's own journeys to rediscovering the history and heritage of the Philippines through through food. And we got to collab on a…
On this episode we chat with Chef Earl Briones from Coterie Restaurant and Wine Bar in Edmonton, Alberta. Earlier this year, Earl and other local chefs led the “Flavours of the Philippines” sessions at the Terroir Symposium in Canada. When I learned he also presented at the Kain Conference, I knew we’d have lots to talk about!
On this episode we chat with Reena Gamboa, whose work with the amazing team at Slow Food Negros has collectively led up to the first Terra Madre Asia Pacific Conference happening in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, on November 19-23, 2025. The event’s inaugural theme is “From Soil to Sea: A Slow Food Journey Through Tastes and Traditions”. What I’d give to be there and hear those stories!
On this episode we chat with Abi Marquez, known online as the Lumpia Queen for her wildly popular “What if we wrap this in lumpia wrapper?” series on TikTok. Abi has millions of followers across social media platforms, and today we talk about testing recipes, cooking at home, and getting judged by your content - alongside all the amazing things that can happen when you put in the work, and really…
On this episode we chat with Chef Budgie Montoya, who envisioned and brought to life Sarap and Apoy - two uniquely Filipino restaurants in the heart of London, UK. I caught up with Budgie on his last few weeks in El Nido, Palawan, where he’s started work on his next project - a visiting guest chef program linking cooks and local food producers with the tourist market in El Nido. We talk lots about…
On this episode we delve into the evolving landscape of global Filipino cuisine with restaurateur, hospitality consultant, and author of the “I Am A Filipino” cookbook, Nicole Ponseca. We chat about seeing ourselves in the industry, the success of her restaurants Jeepney and Maharlika, things we think about when we go out to dinner, strategies to mindfully and continually grow the presence of…
On this episode, we chat with Luisa Brimble, a photographer based in Sydney, Australia. She's worked with some of the most influential publishers and authors in the industry, and has been recognised by the James Beard Foundation. Her Substack newsletter “In the Foreground” explores the deep contrasts of food, and how it shapes identity, memory, and belonging. We talk about food from the Bicol…