Born in the Philippines and raised in Forest Hills, Queens, chef Ria Montes studied at the International Culinary Center (formerly the French Culinary Institute). She’s spent the last 15 years working in various award-winning kitchens in New York and Washington, D.C., and is now the chef de cuisine of Estuary at Conrad Washington DC. In this edition of Voices In Food, Montes talks to reporter Katie Lockhart about misconceptions about Filipino food and why she doesn’t want to be known for cooking only that cuisine.
Food is really a big part of Filipino culture, period. It’s part of our hospitality. Every time you visit a Filipino person’s house, the first thing they’ll do is offer you food.
I grew up in the Philippines in Los Baños. My dad was the one who came to the U.S. first ― it’s a really typical immigrant story. He moved to the U.S. not too long after I was born so my mom, my brother and I lived with my grandparents in the Philippines. I was around 6 years old when my mom was able to then come here to the U.S. My brother and I were brought over almost a year later, when we moved to New York.
I grew up in Forest Hills. I think it was really great to move from the Philippines to Queens because even though it’s very diverse, it’s really such an immigrant-founded borough. There were a lot of strong cultural ties. I always tell people, if they’re ever going to visit New York, don’t ever go to Manhattan ― just get food in Queens, because that’s where you’re going to get real authentic whatever it is that you’re looking for.
We moved into a house with my grandmother, my aunts and my cousins, which is usually what happens with a lot of immigrant families. And to stay connected to your culture, you cook a lot. They always say that it’s not a Filipino party [unless there’s] lechon (suckling pig) and karaoke, which is a staple of every family party I’ve ever had. I was in the kitchen a lot, helping cook. I remember rolling lumpia…
Read the full article here
