About Chef Kuya
Kuya came first. In Tagalog, ‘kuya’ means ‘big brother’. To Chef Jerel, the eldest son of Filipino immigrants, it meant ‘the one who takes care of others’. Making ‘kuya’ a part of his culinary philosophy, Chef Jerel has always believed first and foremost that food is meant to be shared and given as an expression of caring. Cooking those Sunday brunches for the family were as much about the people gathered around the table as it was about the fragrant garlic fried rice, sweet and sticky longanisa, and farm-fresh eggs that to this day still remain an influential culinary memory and experience.
Chef came much later. After a diverse career that spanned teaching, sales, and corporate training, Chef Jerel finally decided to pursue a career in culinary. He enrolled in the Culinary Arts A.S. program at Bergen Community College where he met students and instructors who would later become friends, colleagues, and mentors. He briefly staged at a fine-dining restaurant in Italy before working for a variety of restaurants and dining concepts in the New York area. His professional experience includes growing casual cafe chains, multi-million dollar corporate kitchens, high-end lifestyle catering, and mom-and-pop eateries.
What ‘Chef Kuya’ embodies is that varied and extensive culinary experience combined with the spirit of caring for others. It is exemplified in the attention, detail, and passion poured into every dish, for any occasion, with care for any diner.