Another Filipina-American is making waves in the US.
This time, it’s vegan chef Reina Montenegro for her innovative plant-based Pinoy comfort food. It all started in 2017 when she took the plunge in presenting her “veganized” Filipino classic dishes in the San Francisco Bay Area.
At the time, she had just taken over the existing Nick’s Kitchen in Daly City as the new managing co-partner and executive chef. Her vegan menu became such an instant hit that it led to the opening of two other Nick’s-branded Filipino vegan restaurants within the vicinity of the city.
When she acquired Nick’s Kitchen, Chef Reina made the decision to retain the name and keep everything unchanged. Though the restaurant already had a robust customer base, it didn’t meet the levels they anticipated. Chef Reina knew she would either have to close or make drastic changes.
“I was at the brink of shutting the restaurant. I remember thinking, I had nothing to lose so why not add my vegan recipes to the menu? Back then, I couldn’t have anticipated the demand for vegan and naked foods. It just exploded from there and I’m so glad I took the leap.”
Her non-meat offerings were widely embraced and she soon went viral in the vegan community. In 2019, she was named a cultural trailblazer by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the world’s largest animal rights organization with more than 6.5 million members and supporters.
Even celebrities, the likes of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and animal rights advocate and vegan venture capitalist Prince Khaled Bin Alwaleed, had to get a taste of her specialties.
The pandemic, however, threw a wrench and forced the Nick’s chain of restaurants to close. For Chef Reina, it was an opportunity to venture on her own and shift her business model.
In April 2021, she launched her namesake brand, Chef Reina, an online food ordering concept with a storefront in Brisbane, California. While customers can buy her vegan Filipino meal kits and homemade vegan meat substitutes online, they can also place to-go orders through her store’s walk-up window.
The Chef Reina storefront is among the first in the United States to serve recipes using OmniPork’s vegan luncheon meat. By this summer, Chef Reina will have frozen vegan “meats” available for shipping within the USA. Patrons can order by the pound and easily cook them at home.
Her long-term plans include holding cooking demonstrations, product reviews, and collaborations with guest chefs at her storefront’s intimate event space. She has been active on social media, enticing with her remarkable creations and sharing recipes on Facebook and Instagram. Already in the works is her very own YouTube channel, another platform she’ll use to spread awareness about the benefits of a vegan diet.
Who would have thought that traditional Filipino favorites, mostly cholesterol-rich with meat and pork, could be recreated into delicious meatless versions?
But Chef Reina has converted non-vegans into avid fans. She has even made her own mock bagoong (shrimp paste) that has garnered rave reviews. A whopping 65% of her loyal customers are not even vegan.
The pandemic granted her time to experiment with plant-based ingredients and perfect her renditions of Filipino classic dishes. Her close friends who are non-vegan served as her taste-testers, holding her to very high standards.
“One advantage I have is that I’m a ‘young vegan’ so to me, the taste of meat is not a distant memory. I’m a very picky eater myself so I make sure to emulate the traditional flavors and textures of my favorite Filipino dishes.”
Health reasons prompted her to adopt the vegan lifestyle. Determined to clear her daughter’s inexplicable rashes, she delved into online research and discovered that dairy products had a direct link to skin issues. This was her “awakening.”
She realized that it wasn’t all that hard to convert into a vegan. The best part was that she didn’t have to miss out on her favorite meals.
Chef Reina, a Dumaguete native, found her way to the United States in 1997 in search of her American dream. Already with a college degree, she pursued a course in hotel management in San Francisco.
A series of major life events led her to the right set of circumstances, bringing her to where she is today. She admits it hasn’t always been easy, but she believes in working hard and working smart.
Through the years, she learned to adapt and thrive— albeit an immigrant, a person of color, and a single mother.
“My hope is to inspire others to follow their dreams. I did it. Anyone can.” – Rappler.com
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