Phlavor Profiles

In this episode Phlavor travelled to Nevada for a Pinoy feast! Social Media personality and food artist, Greggy Soriano, opens his home and crock pot for a small get-together that’s long overdue. He recounts his time on the East Coast, studying at the CIA, creating extravagant cakes for socialites and what made him come back home to the West Coast.     00:09:37         "Young Americans" social club and state performances   00:23:12          "CAKE BOSS" audition   00:36:00           Producing content for YouTube and Social Media   00:46:24           "its chocolate meat", STFU   00:53:30           What does Filipino food and culture mean to you?    @greggysoriano @itsphlavorprofiles @cakeboss @foodnetwork @marygrantthefilipina

Phlavor Profiles is in the San Francisco area. We sat down with Chel Gilla, Co-Owner of TSELOGS Filipino Restaurant in San Francisco and Daly City. Chel describes a chance encounter with a classmate in the Philippines that inspired her life's purpose.      00:08:00     life in the Philippines     00:19:30     "be consumed by a purpose" and Meryl Lynch     00:32:00      Affordable lunch, word of mouth marketing, everyone gets a raise     @tselogs  @itsphlavorprofiles @chelgilla    

This week Phlavor Profiles visits the Los Angeles home office of Spread the Love Foods. Co-Owner Val Fishbain sits down to chat about her days in Social Services, blogging and how her wedding favors became her first food product.      10:00   Therapy, Social Work and Burnout     16:00    Hawaiian Inspiration, Definition of "Healthy" and Goop     20:00     Vitamix, Nut Butter, Wedding Favors     44:00      Pandemic, Sales and E-Commerce      @spreadthelove @saltandstraw @amazon @itsphlavorprofiles @gelsonsmarkets  

Phlavor Profiles visits with Lord Maynard Llera aka Kuya Lord.  We discuss his younger years in the Philippines and why he felt like moving to the United States would force him to grow up. Maynard also discusses leveling up in the restaurant/hospitality industry, his passion for "his" Filipino food and how a garage pop up saved his sanity and provided for his family during the pandemic.     15:00   Filipino food in the Philippines vs Filipino food in the United States   30:00   Age, Maturity, Experience and curveballs in the hospitality industry   42:00   Were you always “Kuya Lord”?   52:00   Filipino food is thriving.     @kuyalord_la @itsphlavorprofiles @bestiadtla @badsaintdc @applepodcasts @spotify

Today Phlavor Profiles is getting our caffeine fix on in "The Bay".  We sit with Corazon Padilla, QC the at Andytown coffee and "Relationship Coordinator" for Kalsada, a company based in the Philippines.  Corazon describes the goals of Kalsada Coffee and it's relationship to farmers and describes her initial search for community and connection which she found in coffee.    07:30    Reno, Diplomacy, Identity   19:00    Quality Control for Andytown Roasters and coffee in the Philippines   31:00     Who are the "gate keepers" for coffee?    41:07      How does Filipino food and culture make you feel?    @kalsada @andytownsf @cOrazy @itsphlavorprofiles @applepodcasts @podbean  

In this episode, Phlavor Profiles is in Long Beach CA.  We sit down with Tomas De Los Reyes, the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Don Papa Rum, a liquor company based in Manila.  Listen to this industry rep describe a trip to the Philippines which lead to his current role as Brand Ambassador for Don Papa rum, single-island batched rum from “Sugarlandia”.    07:20            “I was a shop boy”   13:25             Who started Don Papa Rum   24:40             A brand ambassador helps influence sales   35:00             You can buy it direct on the website   www.phlavorprofiles.com @donpaparum @tomasmoves @itsphlavorprofiles @spotify @podbean

In this episode we visit social media personality Keto Ass Bih aka Desiree Frederickson.  It’s been 2 years(2019) since we bumbled with the Bee… She tells us about her current keto lifestyle, Filipino family time with Husbih (Kevin), Tito Bih (her dad), all the other characters of her life and what collaborations are in her future.     07:10             What is #filiketofriday ?   13:00             Social Media Platforms and real issues   19:00             Keto Ass Bih, “The Series”   27:00             Company collaborations: “some people might like it”.   39:00             Caldereta, that shit is timeless.                 www.phlavorprofiles.com @ketoassbih @itsphlavorprofiles @spotify @podbean

Phlavor Profiles is in the San Francisco Bay area, at Trellis Co-Working Space, to interview Gina Mariko Rosales, Co-Founder of Undiscovered SF. In this episode we get all the details about the organization/night market, we learn what and where SOMA Pilpinas is and we listen to what Gina thinks the next generation of Filipinos has to offer.        00:07:00      "i hella connected to being Filipino"     00:15:14      "I never saw myself as being a part of that community"     00:26:00        Favorite part of Undiscovered SF     00:29:00       Would Undiscovered SF continue if I wasn't around?      www.phlavorprofiles.com   https://www.instagram.com/itsphlavorprofiles/   https://www.instagram.com/undiscoveredsf/   https://www.instagram.com/trellisworkspace/   https://www.instagram.com/marygrantthefilipina/  

Our first interview with Ray Yaptinchay and Jay Tugas took place in 2019. The guys were gearing up to transition from food truck operators to restaurateurs. In this interview, we catch up with the duo inside their Los Angeles restaurant to talk opening the doors, closing the doors, pandemic survival and customer service expectations.      00:05:00        Were people ready for your Filipino food concept?   00:10:00         Were people embracing their Filipino identity more, after the George Floyd murder?   00:15:00         The service industry and customer service   00:20:30         Customer complaints during a pandemic    by/gift stuff: www.phlavorprofiles.com   get in touch https://www.instagram.com/itsphlavorprofiles/   thanks to: https://www.instagram.com/spoonandporkla/  

WANDERLUST CREAMERY- ADRIENNE BORLONGAN Adrienne  Borlongan is the co-founder of Wanderlust Creamery. We talk about her life before the ice cream business, what shop inspired her and how she became the creative director of this So Cal hot spot.      00:06:00      Immigration and Stability   00:13:00      Debut Flavors: sticky mango and Paulo Santo Mint Chip   00:21:30      Filipino flavor profiles   00:29:00      "you dont get to call yourself Filipino"   Get in touch: IG @phlavorprofiles.com www. phlavorprofiles.com

Dr. Ray Mangune owner and operator of Gerry’s grill was our second interview on the podcast. This season we talk about surviving the pandemic, what Filipino pride looks like today,  in the woke era and why he considers Gerry’s Grill is a Filipino food institution.   00:06:00          News of the Corona Virus and a possible pandemic 00:16:30          Chinese people don’t invite people to eat Panda Express 00:27:20          Balut and the stigma of Fear Factor 00:37:00          Vegan Filipino Food and carbon footprint Get in touch: IG @itsphlavorprofiles www.phlavorprofiles.com

Ginger Dimapasok was our first podcast guest back in 2017. In this episode, post-pandemic, we listen to her plans for a CAFÉ 86 expansion, what the health crisis revealed about friends & family and the the surprise gift she got from it.   00:06:00          Baked Goods at Café 86 00:14:15          Boba is essential to some people 00:21:50          Don’t be ashamed to ask for help (in the business community) 00:29:00          Next trip to the Philippines, the motherland Get in touch: IG @itsphlavorprofiles www.phlavorprofiles.com  

  This season we catch up with some of our past favorite guests including Cafe  86, Gerry's Grill, Spoon & Pork and Keto Ass Bih.   Our interviews also include some new favorites: Wanderlust Creamery, Greggy Soriano, Tselogs, Don Papa Rum, Undiscovered SF, Kalsada, Kuya Lord and Spread The Love  We find out how everyone is doing, how they coped during the pandemic and what lessons they learned.  

This week we sit down with Desiree Frederickson, aka Keto Ass Bih! Mrs. Bih tells Phlavor about her journey to get her mind and body right on the gram and “In Real Life". This fly Pinay keeps it 100 about being a wife, mom and lover of Filipino food.

This week Phlavor sits down with restaurateur Lem Balagot. Lem chats with host Karena Higgins about his time at the historic Manila Hotel, how he changed the food game at Philippine Airlines and why he opened LA Rose, a Filipino restaurant, in the middle of Hollywood California. 

Phlavor Profiles sits down with Chef Educator Aileen Suzara. The Sariwa Kitchen creator tells host, Karena Higgins, about her journey as an Environmentalist to teacher and why re-branding her pop up made a huge difference in the “legitimacy” of her pop-ups.  

In this week’s episode, Phlavor Profiles host Karena Apollony Ebora Higgins sits with JR Martin, owner of Tatang. They chat about his global search for his identity, his reluctance to cook Filipino food and who helped bring him full circle. 

This episode features Cool Haus Co-Founder Freya Estreller. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Freya and Karena meet up in Koreatown to discuss life growing up in Los Angeles, the “F” truck and the skills needed to be an Entrepinay.   

On this episode Phlavor Profiles visits Food photographer, Rezel Kealoha, at her home in Walnut Creek, CA. They discuss her job, her travels as a Server Tech for Visa Credit Card company, pregnancy health, sweaty selfies on Instagram and a recipe for refined Halo Halo.       

Baked Dessert Bar Owner Abby Declaro describes her journey from nursing to small business owner.  Host, Karena Higgins, and Abby discuss Costco cakes, side hustles and Filipino-ization. Abby also tells us why kids parties are the best forums for word of mouth marketing.