When one thinks of Filipino food in the greater Los Angeles area, cities like Carson, Cerritos, West Covina, Eagle Rock, and Panorama City come to mind. Anything on the westside, though, and it’s slim pickings — until Chef Barb Batiste opened Big Boi in Sawtelle Japantown in 2018 to offer the area buckets of expertly rolled lumpia, platefuls of rich chicken adobo, and an array of combos of hearty Filipino breakfast known as silog. These recipes are ones she grew up watching her mother cook, all of which share the common thread of Lee Kum Kee sauces as an integral part. “I use Lee Kum Kee because that’s what I saw as a child,” Chef Barb reminisces. However, this pioneering Filipino restaurant also serves as a touching tribute to her late father.

Naming the restaurant after her father, whose nickname was "Boy" (a common Filipino nickname), was a fitting tribute for Chef Batiste. This decision honored her close bond with her parents and their mutual passion for Filipino cuisine. “​​I love food with flavor. That's the only way I've ever eaten food,” she eagerly shared. Given that many Filipino dishes weren't the healthiest options for her father, Chef Barb's mother had to adapt her recipes to suit his needs. These early memories of watching her mother innovate in the kitchen left a lasting impression on Chef Barb, igniting her own passion for Filipino cuisine.

She recalled her early memories of being exposed to her mother’s recipes and the specific ingredients she used, “I didn't know that it was Lee Kum Kee. When I was a young kid, you know, I remember the photo. The branding was so important, those beautiful bright colors on the sticker, on the jar. I recognize that and to this day, when I go to the market or in any Asian market, I'm drawn to that. That's what I used to see as a child. Now I know the brand so well because I use them daily.” To call the products a pantry staple for Chef Barb would be an understatement, as she’s well-stocked with Lee Kum Kee’s Premium Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, and Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, all on hand to create her enticing Filipino dishes.

After infusing her own flair into her mother's beloved recipes, which she and her father cherished, Chef Barb set out to fill the Filipino food gap in the area she grew up in. “You couldn't find [Filipino restaurants] in West LA, Santa Monica, or the Palisades, and they were all in the South Bay. So it was exciting to have it here and also be so near UCLA,” she explained. Opening Big Boi in 2018 became a proud moment for her, introducing Filipino flavors to a part of LA unfamiliar with dishes like pancit palabok, sisig, lechon kawali, and more. Hefty buckets of lumpia and irresistible Filipino spaghetti have become Big Boi's calling cards, showcasing Chef Barb's innate generosity and passion for sharing Filipino cuisine with the community.

“I wasn't always the coolest kid in town, with having [Filipino] dishes in my house, but now I feel like the coolest kid on the street. Because I’m introducing it to the masses and hoping that it will become as mainstream as Thai food and Chinese food one day.”