Was it tough to be a high school kid who liked cooking more than sports?
I went to Southwest High, which was a rough place. I wouldn’t say it was hard, but most of the kids were into gangs, playing ball or some other extracurricular activity – I went my own way for sure. Thomas Keller (chef-owner of Napa’s French Laundry) was an idol of mine. My friends looked up to Dr. Dre and Tupac, and I was looking up to superstars in the cooking world. But I loved what I was doing so it didn’t matter. While you worked at Nobu in Las Vegas did you get at all involved with Sin City life? Of course I got involved. In Vegas, you work hard so you play hard. I mostly play Texas hold ’em poker. I really fell in love with it – I still have pickup games with friends and go to Indian reservation casinos. The thing is, the pickup games out here aren’t quite the same level. I’m coming from Vegas where they are hardcore players. What food memories do you have from your childhood in San Diego? Well, I grew up in a Filipino household. So, we ate lumpia (spring rolls) and pancit (stir
