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GMA Network
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Fil-Ams dominate the Gold House Gala 2025
Fil-Ams were represented at the fourth annual Gold House Gala event that was held recently at the historic Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Despite the nearly 100-degree hot weather, Fil-Ams arrived in their native or 'gold carpet' best and joined in the celebration of the top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders where over 600 guests convened. James Beard awardee chef Lord Maynard Llera of the critically acclaimed Kuya Lord restaurant prepared the Filipino cuisine menu, which was presented by OpenTable. In our earlier exclusive interview with chef Llera, he described his menu: 'For the first course, I will have ensaladang talong – my take on the Italian panzanella. It has eggplant puree, tomatoes, and then I used our toasted pandesal for the bread. For the second course, I'm serving a smoked and braised bone and short ribs. Humba. But instead of the traditional pork pata, I used short ribs para maiba naman. I will serve it with Chinese long beans – sitaw with the humba sauce na nilagyan ko ng fermented black beans, shiitake mushroom and sweet adobo sauce. And for dessert, I did my version of calamansi cake pie. It's very simple and delicious.' Present during the star-studded event were singer-actress H.E.R., actress Liza Soberano, comedian JR De Guzman, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, actress Jenn Aguinaldo, model Kelsey Merritt, fashion designer Nava Rose and actress Shay Mitchell. Among the 100 most impactful changemakers who were honored included Fil-Am singer Bruno Mars, 'Maybe Happy Ending' actor-producer Tony awardee Darren Criss, and 'Sunset Blvd.' actress Tony awardee Nicole Scherzinger, and Olympic foil fencer Lee Kiefer. We were able to interview some of the celebrity guests who attended the high profile event and they shared why they thought the Gold House Gala was important and why representation in Hollywood matters. Attorney General Rob Bonta Rob Bonta is the Attorney General of California. Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Talk about AAPI representation in Hollywood. Is it improving? Yes. It's so important that we're here. We have to be deliberate and intentional, focused. Can't just wait for it to happen and hope for it to happen. You got to make it happen. That's what Gold House does. That's their mission to lift up our AAPI leaders. I was honored to be an A100 a couple of years ago [and I'm] proud to be here to cheer on the next group of honorees who are representing us and doing it at the highest level of excellence. It's important that we lift each other because AAPI history is American history, and we should be at every place in space where decisions are made. Art is created and we are represented. That's what Gold House is about. So, I'm proud to be here tonight. DEI is such a controversial topic these days. What are you doing to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in Hollywood? I know that DEI can be a buzzword at times. And you know, this presidential administration unfortunately has focused its sights right on DEI. But diversity, equity and inclusion look like a lot of things. It looks like the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment to our Constitution, which ended slavery and gave equal protection and voting rights to more people, to African Americans who were denied that right. It looks like the Americans with Disabilities Act; it looks like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Our core civil rights protections and measures that made us more inclusive, that made our union more perfect, that brought more Americans into this incredible American democratic project. That's what he's attacking. And so, to say that tackling discrimination is discrimination is a wild and crazy proposal, an idea that he unfortunately advances. In California, we're holding the line. We are not doing anything. Of course, that's unlawful, and nor have we. We will, but we will continue to do lawful take lawful actions that end discrimination, which end harassment, which provide a more inclusive environment no matter what the Trump administration does with his culture wars. So, we're holding the line here in California and proud of it. There are a lot of Filipinos being honored tonight. Who are you looking forward to meeting? I'm excited about everyone here tonight. I'm always proud of our Filipino Americans, but I'm proud of the AAPI community as a whole, not a monolith, of course, and beautiful in our diversity and the breadth of our talent. So, I just like to take it all in. I've learned about new people. I celebrate the folks I've already been a fan of, but I'm just honored to be here tonight and ready to cheer on all the great AAPI leaders who are being focused on and celebrated on stage tonight. Your daughter, Reina Bonta, is also a filmmaker now. Yeah. Don't get me started. You have two hours to finish this interview. I'll talk about Reina Bonta all day and all night. She just finished her second film. It's a beautiful documentary about the Philippine women's national soccer team's pathway to the World Cup. Reina was on that team. Reina went to the World Cup. They were debutants for their first time in the World Cup; they had their first appearance. They had their first win. They beat New Zealand in New Zealand. I was in the stands cheering for Reina and she said that story. But she also connected it to the trip that she and her Lola, my mom and I took afterwards. We went to the Philippines right after and my mom brought us to her hometown. She grew up in Los Baños and she was in Luzon, and she showed us where they fled to the countryside. When the Japanese came in during World War II, the place that she lived that was burned to the ground. How her mom, my Lola, buried her dishes in the dirt beneath their homes so that they could get them. Later, after the soldiers left her, elementary school was turned into a torture chamber. During the war, she remembers opening a church door and seeing skulls that were piled up. So, she grew up to be a child of war, and she was able to share some of those thoughts. But we also went to Dumaguete, where she spent time. Her dad was a professor there. We saw her childhood home, and she talked about the fond memories of the kids in the neighborhood and for me as a dad and as a son. It was special to see Reina and my mom spend that time, and then for Reina to put it on film. The film is called 'It's Got to Be the Rain, or 'It Must Be the Rain.' It's a documentary screening tonight in San Francisco. It's screening in LA a couple of weeks ago, and we're just really proud of Reina. She's telling authentic, beautiful stories about the Filipino American community and her own personal stories about her own Lola. Are you planning to go back to the Philippines for a visit? I have gone once a year for some time. I've slowed down a little bit. Honestly, Duterte and Marcos, I'm interested to monitor and see what Marcos does, but we left the country when I was two months old because of the rise to power, Ferdinand Marcos and the dictatorship and the human rights abuses and the end of democracy, and we wanted democracy. My mom fought for it and fought for the People Power Revolution to return it in 1986. I love the Philippines. I love the country of my birth. But I'm also sad. They're still struggling with poverty, lack of infrastructure, and horrific natural disasters. But the people are strong, beautiful, powerful, and resilient. So, I'm sure I'll be going back soon. I don't have anything firm right now, though. There are talks that you're running for governor. There were talks and I was definitely thinking about it, but I've decided to run for re-election as attorney general. I'm super excited about this job. It's a role that's as important as ever. We are able to directly confront and stop the Trump administration when they break the law and violate the Constitution. So, we're on the front lines and one of the first and last lines of defense when it comes to protecting our democracy, the rule of law, the progress that we made in California, the funding that we deserve, the rights and freedoms that we enjoy. So, I'm going to stay in that fight. I think the people of California want and deserve someone who's fully committed, focused, giving all the gas in the tank, all the energy that I have, thinking about them and our future every day. And so that's what they're going to get. I'm going to keep fighting for them as attorney general. Elodie Yung of 'The Cleaning Lady' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Tell us about your role in 'The Cleaning Lady' and the arc of your character. So, we just finished doing season four, and Thony is reclaiming her identity and her power this season, so she's going to be a surgeon. What she was doing in the Philippines, she was a doctor surgeon. So, she's making a deal with the head of the cartel to be able to do this, as well as being the cartel doctor. There are a lot of Filipino actors in the show including Martha Millan. Talk about her participation in the show. Martha Millan is just wonderful. She's one of the best actors I have had the chance to work with. She brings a lot of joy and fun to the part and a lot of heart as well. I feel like Fiona, her character, is the heart of the show. This whole Filipino family that we've recreated, it's just so prominent on our show. It's just something that we carry on portraying in 'The Cleaning Lady,' and I'm very proud of it. Working with Miranda Kwok, what does she bring to the show and how much joy do you enjoy working with her? It was wonderful to work with Miranda. This season, she's not running the show, but she's keeping an eye on the production side. Obviously, she created and developed the show. So, I'm very grateful to her. What do you look forward to in this year's Gold House gala? I've heard that they're celebrating my friend Jon M Chu, so I can't wait to congratulate him on this amazing body of work that he's done. He opened the way for most of us. I got the chance to work with him on 'G.I. Joe' a long time ago, and he's just so wonderful. So, I can't wait to see him and celebrate him. You also worked with director Marie Jamora. Talk about your experience working with her. Oh, yes. Marie is extraordinary. She's an amazing director and producer. She produced my short, 'Happy Ending' as well with her production company. She's extremely creative and supportive, and she pushes everything. She thinks forward especially this narrative for the Filipino community or the people you don't really portray in movies. What do you think about the AAPI representation in Hollywood? Is it improving? I guess so. Look at us. We are here again. It's always important that we carry on creating that type of event and that are creative like writing series and movies where we have different people portrayed in those shows. Like 'The Cleaning Lady' is again a good example because I don't think we've had so far, a lot of Southeast Asians in a lead position on broadcast TV. Definitely not Cambodian or of Cambodian descent. So, I think, across the board, we're getting stronger and more visible. We need to carry on. Bing Chen, Executive Chair, CEO Founder of Gold House Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador What do you look forward to in today's gala? Oh, I'm excited for everyone to have something happy this year. Honestly, there's so much joy and so many surprises. So that's it. And having Kuya Lord prepare your dinner tonight. Yeah, what a huge honor. We had the best chef in California, no question. Have you heard what he's making? GMA wrote about it. Yeah. Two different interpretations of adobo. So, we're very excited about it. What do you think of the AAPI representation now in Hollywood? There have been so many incredible strides. There is always more to do, but I'm excited that everyone is fired up and no longer just focused on representation but focused on excellence. The biggest franchises, the best films, the best shows. So, I'm very proud of that. What makes this year's gala different from the others? Number one, it's truly global. Number two is truly cross-cultural. And number three, no one here apologizes. This is not about pain. This is now about new power. What do you think is the future of Gold House five years from now? You'll find out in the closing remarks. JR De Guzman, Comedian, Musician Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador You said you were also introducing today. Yes. I'm introducing. I'm thanking the sponsors tonight. All the partners like Visa and Panda Express. I am giving them a shout out. What are you looking forward to at today's gala? I'm looking forward to seeing everybody, like, catching up with all the Asians in the industry, because I feel like everyone's busy and they're killing it, which is awesome. So, it's cool to catch up and hear how everyone's personal lives are going. Is this your first time at the Gold House Gala? Yeah, this is my first time at the gala. So, I'm really excited to be here. What do you think of the AAPI representation now in Hollywood? It's good. Always more and more. I think until we get to the point where you see Asian characters, but they're not just stereotypes. I think that will be the goal. What are you busy with these days? Right now, I'm on tour doing stand-up comedy and music stuff. So, after this, I will go to Detroit, Texas and Hawaii. So, I'll be traveling. Who are you wearing today? He's a modern stylist from San Francisco. I forgot his name. Nava Rose, fashion designer Fashion designer Nava Rose and her Skyflakes bag. Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador You're recycling a Skyflakes bag? It's my mom's Skyflakes bag. She kept it. She's taught us to recycle and keep all our containers to reuse. And so, she let me have this and then I just bedazzled it. Very creative. And your dress, is that also recycled? No, this is by a designer, but it matches. Is this your first Gold House gala? It's my third one, actually. But this is my first one to host the gold carpet. So, I'm actually here with Metta, too. So, what do you look forward to seeing at tonight's gala? Oh, I always look forward to seeing all the guests here. Everyone is just so cool. It's like I am fangirl all the time for fashion. Who is your idol here at the Gold House Gala? I would love to see Prabal Gurung. Joel Kim Booster of 'Fire Island' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Can you tell me more about 'Fire Island' and working with Conrad Ricamora? Conrad. Ricamora. Oh my gosh. I mean, the thing about Conrad Ricamora is, when we were auditioning that part, he was the only one who came in and did a chemistry read with me and made me forget my lines, like the lines that I had written in the script, because he is so charming. He has so much charisma. He is so handsome that it was so completely disarming that even I, who had written the script, was thrown completely off, and it was really easy to fall in love with him every day on set. I'll tell you that he made it very, very easy on me, and I love him to death and I'm so happy for all his success now. And if you get a chance to see him in Omaha, run. Don't walk. It is. I'm so proud of him. And he got a Tony nomination. Yes. Very well deserved. He's going to be an EGOT. I see it for him. So, talk about representation in Hollywood. What do you think? Is it improving for AAPI? Listen, I think that representation in Hollywood is always going to be a little bit of two steps forward, one step back situation. And I think we're seeing the one step back right now. Honestly I think there was a time when a lot of diverse programming was of interest to the powers that be, and I think that now they no longer see us as a marketable commodity, and it's getting more and more difficult to get our stories told. But that's why it's so important for events like these and for our community to come together and really rally behind the work that we need to support so that it continues to get made. And how significant is the Gold House gala tonight? The Gold House Gala is always so significant to me, because it is just so nice to be in community with these people, like other Asian Americans, because we've been so siloed, separated from one another in the industry. There's only one of us in the cast. There's only one of us on the writer in the writer's room. There's only one of us in the production team, you know? And so, it's nice to be not the only one, you know, and just be surrounded by family. And what's next for you? What's next for me? I am about to finish shooting this third season of loot. And then stay tuned. There's some big stuff coming that I can't talk about right now. Andrew Ahn, Director of 'The Wedding Banquet' and 'Fire Island' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Congratulations on 'The Wedding Banquet' and your other projects. 'The Wedding Banquet' was a real labor of love. It was a reimagining of the 1993 Ang Lee film 'The Wedding Banquet,' which was the first gay film that I ever saw. And it's been really wonderful to reimagine it for today, for a queer Asian American people to see themselves on screen. How important is it for representation now in Hollywood? It's so important that people find the value of our stories that we're not just sidekicks, that we are the main characters and that together we can create really beautiful works that celebrate who we are, celebrate our drama, our comedy and hopefully inspire even more films to come out in the future. How was it working with Conrad Ricamora? Conrad is an incredibly talented actor. He just got nominated for a Tony Award because of Omari. Working with Conrad Ricamora on 'Fire Island' was such an honor. He was so committed, so brilliant, and also so hot. I'd love to work with him again. What are your future projects now? I'm still trying to figure out what's the next thing for me, but I think it'll be Asian American. I'd love to tell more Asian American stories. You will be reunited with Ang Lee tonight. So, what would you be telling him tonight? We're presenting an award to Ang. I'm very excited about that. I'll be talking about something besides 'The Wedding Banquet' and maybe another film of his that inspired me. Why do you look forward to going to the Gold House Gala? I think for me, it's about finding community with other Asian American creatives, getting to celebrate all that we've accomplished this past year and to be able to find that strength in each other so that we can go out there and keep making more films, more TV shows. Daniel Dae Kim, Actor Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador What is the significance of the Gold House Gala for you? I'm always happy to celebrate our community and this is the best way to do it. With so many people who have achieved so many different things in different fields. And looking fabulous. What do you think about the AAPI representation in Hollywood? Has it improved? I think so. I think it has improved. I think there are still barriers to breaking, but I'm proud of the progress that we've made. What are your projects? I have a TV show on Amazon Prime that's about to come out in August called 'Butterfly.' And I'm shooting season three of 'Avatar The Last Airbender.' Janet Yang, Academy of Motion Pictures President Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador What do you think of this Gold House gala tonight? Our community has grown so beautifully, so quickly. I couldn't be prouder. What are you looking forward to in this gala? I am looking forward to so many things. My life will change significantly after June 30th because it is when my term as Academy president ends. So, I have a lot of wonderful things I'm looking forward to, though it will be bittersweet because I've loved my job at the Academy too. Do you think the AAPI representation in Hollywood has improved? It definitely has improved and there's still work to be done, of course. Tayme Thapthimtong, Actor in 'The White Lotus' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Talk about the success of 'The White Lotus.' Were you expecting that? And how was your journey in that series? The success of 'The White Lotus' has just been mind-blowing for me. I knew that it was a big show when I was in Thailand. I just didn't know it was this big. So, I got to the US and saw the reception of it. As the weeks went by, I just felt like people got more and more interested in my character. I have to give a lot of praise to Mike White for just writing me such a good character that I got to portray a character and show how Thai people are just the nicest, polite and respectful people. I know my character is an annoying security guard, but on just the human side of things. I'm glad I got to portray that through him. How was it working with Lisa Mook? It was amazing to say the least. She's a superstar. I learn a lot from her. She was so nice to me. We hung out a lot. We're still good friends now. I'm glad I got to go and see her do her thing at Coachella. That was very good. Your dancing entrance at a TV show went viral. So, talk about your dancing in the show. I've always loved singing, dancing and acting. It was just which one would give me the first opportunity to get up there? So, it was acting with this one. But, you know, now I'm actually doing music too. Like, I'm working with a few producers. I'm trying to get some music out, but I'm still very new to that industry. I'm new to all of this, but I just want to try it out, and I think we've got something. Do you think your next project is a musical? Maybe not like a musical on stage, but I'd like to make tracks like something in R&B, which I've always listened to, Usher and Chris Brown, growing up. I just want to make an original track of my own. I love dancing, so it's going to be a track that you can groove to for sure. You look amazing today. Can you describe who you're wearing? So today I actually wanted to incorporate US and Thailand as it signifies my first time really working in the US as a Thai man. This tuxedo is Brooks Brothers. I wanted to incorporate some Thai in it. So, I found a lady in Thai town who makes these lovely sashes, which is like a traditional sash that grooms would typically wear on their wedding day over their white suit. So, I thought this would be a nice incorporation of it. Sherry Cola, Actress and Comedienne Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador Love your outfit. What was your inspiration for your outfit? Listen, the inspiration is Shanghai, my motherland. The city I was born in. This is Xiao and the designer is kind of winking at Shanghai in 1930. Paris of the East. Just representing in every way. Who are you looking forward to meeting here at the gala this year? I heard Megan Thee Stallion's here, so that's going to be a party. I'm lucky enough to already know a lot of these beautiful people and just to say hello and check in and kind of remind ourselves that we have a lot to celebrate, but a lot more to fight for as well. What do you think about the representation now in Hollywood for AAPI? Listen, we've made a lot of progress, but I feel like every single year we have to show that we're worthy. We have to keep reminding them that our stories deserve to be heard, and we deserve to be seen. So, it's just definitely a mountain to climb still. But we're in this together and it's really refreshing to just see you and be like, hey, you're killing it. Keep doing your thing. I'm rooting for you. We'll collaborate soon. You know what I mean? It's cool. What are your new projects this year? Look out for 'Bride Hard' in theaters on June 20th. It's me, Rebel Wilson, and a campy stellar cast - Gigi Zumbado, Da'Vine Joy Randolph. And then also, I'll be joining season three of the TV series 'Shrinking,' which I'm excited about. Jon Chu, Director of 'Wicked' and 'Wicked: For Good' Photo: Sthanlee B. Mirador So how are you handling this AAPI representation in Hollywood? When I was starting here 20 years ago, you did not have stuff like this. You didn't even have a community like this. Now I'm, like, awestruck by some of these people here. A lot of these people here. Look how good they look. Look at how our representation is in all media. We're dominating so many things. And this is just the beginning. There's a lot more work to be done. But we have to acknowledge the accomplishments. This is a lot of work from a lot of people who put their careers on the line and trained when they didn't know there were going to be jobs on the other side, honed their craft, and now they get to shine. That's a beautiful thing. Why do you think the Gold House Gala is very important to be held? Because I think it's important to celebrate. It's important to say acknowledge that this doesn't go unseen, that we ourselves can look at our own community and be proud of our people, our brothers and our sisters. To me, that means everything. What's next for you? Well, I'm finishing up 'Wicked Part Two' right now, 'Wicked: For Good'. So that's consuming my mind, and I have five children. That has taken up a lot of time. — LA, GMA Integrated News
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Where to find Sri Lankan food in L.A.? Inside the kitchen bringing string hoppers to East Hollywood
There's no shortage of delicious things to eat in East Hollywood: herbaceous lamb kebabs at Saffy's; garlicky prawns at Kuya Lord; the entire spicy-sweet-salty pantheon of Thai Town. But until recently, there was nowhere to try kottu roti, lamprais or string hoppers. That is, until Kurrypinch came along. Located in the former home of a vegan pizza joint on Hollywood Boulevard, Kurrypinch is one of just a handful of Sri Lankan restaurants scattered across the Southland and the only one in Central L.A. (Most of the others are in the Valley, and there's an outlier in Westwood.) Chef-owner Shaheen Ghazaly has big plans to introduce the cuisine — and his own personalized take on it — to as many Angelenos as possible. But first, he's trying to define his version of the rich, spicy Sri Lankan food that bears some resemblance to its South Indian neighbors but is very much its own thing. 'I'm still trying to figure that out myself,' he says. Ghazaly walks me through the vast lineup of herbs and spices in his open kitchen: finely chopped ginger and garlic, mustard seeds ('Those three ingredients go into basically every dish,' he notes), chile flakes, paprika, turmeric, fried curry leaves, two different types of his own custom curry powders. There are tubs of brick-hued chile sauce and garlic oil, both made in-house, and a sheet tray overflowing with burnished tangles of fried onions, awaiting their role as garnish. Coconut is everywhere too, in fresh, shredded and milk form; Ghazaly uses it as the base for many of his curries. (Rice and curry, he explains, is a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine: 'Without it, we are nothing,' he says solemnly.) An entire subgenre of 'deviled' dishes is heavily spiced with chile and garlic, and fried snacks like fish fritters and spiced chickpeas make great drinking food. And, of course, hoppers (rice flour pancakes), string hoppers (rice noodles) and rotis underpin many meals — the latter two Ghazaly cooks on the griddle, spatulas clanging in a rhythmic blur. Ghazaly makes his own curry blends and chile oil; eschews the use of soy sauce, black pepper and MSG; and doesn't use any dairy as a thickener. All of his produce is fresh, including curry leaves gifted from a customer's tree. 'This is how I grew up cooking,' he says. With a majority Sinhalese population that's mostly Buddhist, a smaller Tamil contingent who are primarily Hindu and a smattering of Muslims and Christians too, it's impossible to neatly define the cuisine of the island nation — which also bears the influence of Dutch, Portuguese and British colonialists. But if there's a throughline, it's that most Sri Lankan food is boldly, brightly flavored with a riot of contrasting tastes and textures that makes it nothing short of thrilling to eat. The L.A. metropolitan area has the second-largest Sri Lankan population in the country (behind New York) with an estimated 7,000 people, many concentrated in the San Fernando Valley near Reseda and Tarzana. In 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act repealed certain measures aimed at excluding Asian immigrants, and the following year the first Sri Lankan immigrant to the U.S. under said act, 19-year-old Rajah Rutnam, arrived in L.A. Rutnam's brother, Jayam, the co-founder of the Sri Lanka America Assn. of Southern California says that chain migration and later a lottery system encouraged more Sri Lankans — often fluent in English due to the British schooling system — to arrive in subsequent decades. 'In the '60s, ours was one of the few families here, and the only reason we came was to visit my brother,' Rutnam says. 'But we got here and we immediately liked everything about California.' It's worth noting that Rajah Rutnam, who died in 2010, founded the first Sri Lankan restaurant in California, dubbed Rajah's Elephant Walk, in Hollywood. Ghazaly, 49, took a slightly different path. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, he moved to Sri Lanka at 8. As a child, Ghazaly took an active interest in the kitchen, and his single father encouraged his son to become familiar with different spices and ingredients. 'I've had this talent since I was very young where I can taste something, recognize its ingredients and mimic it,' he says. As a young adult, he joined his father's merchant shipping line and spent a dozen years crisscrossing the globe on cargo carriers, docking across Asia, Africa and Europe, exploring the local cuisines in each port. He moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to pursue a career in IT, while spending his off-hours cooking elaborate Sri Lankan dishes to woo the family of his now-wife, a childhood friend who had immigrated a few years before. Friends and family who tasted Ghazaly's home cooking encouraged him to go pro, and in 2018, he opened a small storefront in Van Nuys, doing a brisk takeout business. Sri Lankans from across Los Angeles county sought him out, and in 2022, he moved his operation, dubbed Kurrypinch, to a larger location in Tarzana, just down the street from longstanding Sri Lankan destination Apey Kade. With COVID-19's impact on businesses and a landlord considering demolishing the building, Ghazaly closed the Tarzana location in February of last year. He considered taking a break from restaurants entirely, but when one of his former customers, Dr. Nimesh Rajakumar, offered to invest in a space in East Hollywood, Ghazaly knew it was an opportunity too good to pass up. The new Kurrypinch, designed by Jennifer Nielsen, trades the strip-mall coziness of some other Sri Lankan spots in exchange for a more modern, streamlined aesthetic, with cool concrete floors and rustic flourishes throughout. There are 26 seats, including a six-seat chef's counter with a partial view of the kitchen, where Ghazaly holds court, experimenting with new dishes for the most adventurous diners. The menu is a mixture of more traditional 'Sri Lankan Signatures' — like kottu roti (chopped roti stir-fried with an aromatic blend of eggs, meat and vegetables) or string hopper (served in pilau form with curry leaves and spices) — and the 'Chef's Signatures,' where Ghazaly's creativity shines, with what he describes as riffs inspired by global dishes — a coconut milk risotto with mahi-mahi inspired by shrimp and grits, or seared salmon atop a creamy curried kabocha squash puree. Ghazaly is attempting to strike a balance between satisfying the Sri Lankan customers who come in seeking the highly spiced flavors they grew up with, and the majority non-Sri Lankan guests who may be trying the cuisine for the first time. 'That's one of the reasons I didn't want to call it an 'authentic' Sri Lankan restaurant, because everything has a different kind of spice blend and a different way of cooking,' he explains. So far, however, feedback from all parties has been positive (even if the Sri Lankans sometimes ask for extra chilies or more gravy on the side). Kurrypinch opened at the end of February and is still fine-tuning operations. Ghazaly is currently focused on getting the restaurant open for lunch service and outdoor dining, and expanding his wine list with specific pairing options. It's all part of his overarching goal to introduce people to the complexities of his cuisine. 'Whenever people ask me, 'Hey, is Sri Lankan food like Indian food? Is it like Chinese food?' I say, sure, we're similar — but Sri Lankan is better,' he says, laughing.
Los Angeles Times
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Five L.A. and O.C. chefs and restaurants nominated for 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards
On Wednesday morning the James Beard Foundation announced the chefs, beverage programs, restaurants and bars nominated for its 2025 culinary awards — vastly scaling back the number of Los Angeles-area names previously in the running. In January the James Beard Foundation recognized nearly 20 L.A.-area restaurants, chefs and others as semifinalists. As of this morning, only five from L.A. and Orange County will proceed as nominees. Each year the James Beard Foundation Awards recognize individuals, businesses and programs in the dining and hospitality industry; the accolades are widely regarded as some of the country's most prestigious in the culinary world. This year's winners will be announced in a ceremony held June 16 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. L.A.-area chefs have been on a roll in the category of best chef: California. Last year Kuya Lord chef-owner Lord Maynard Llera won the honor, and in 2023, Justin Pichetrungsi of Anajak Thai was awarded the title. This year's nominees include two chefs named on the L.A. Times 2024 101 Best Restaurants guide: Jon Yao and Daniel Castillo. Yao serves a celebrated tasting menu informed by his Taiwanese heritage. Not only did his Arts District restaurant, Kato, land in the No. 1 spot on the L.A. Times' list of top restaurants two years in a row, it also garnered a Michelin star and placement in the World's 50 Best Restaurants. Yao was a semifinalist or nominee in the rising star chef of the year category in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Castillo helms Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, where some of the most tender brisket, creative smoked sausages and genre-bending, cross-cultural specials can regularly be found. This is the first James Beard nomination (or semifinalist nod) for Castillo and Heritage. Castillo said he's celebrating the win as a team effort, and that he hopes the nomination will shed more light on Orange County and its culinary community — as well as barbecue as a whole. 'The light has been shown on the amount of work that goes into being able to operate a barbecue restaurant,' Castillo said. 'It's a marathon and it's a lot of hard work, it's a lot of dedication. It's no different than having a chef working in a fine-dining restaurant: Consistency is important. Above all else, you're working with live fire versus a switch in a kitchen that you can turn up and down; you're working with something that's wild and that takes a lot of patience. It takes a lot of time to master something like that.' In San Diego, Tara Monsod is also a nominee. Monsod made waves with modern Filipino cuisine at Animae, and also leads the kitchen at sibling restaurant Le Coq, a French steakhouse in La Jolla. Two San Francisco chefs are the other finalists for the state's best chef: Richard Lee of Saison and Kosuke Tada of Mijoté. Gusto Bread in Long Beach returns as a nominee in the category of outstanding bakery; the artisanal panadería from owners Arturo Enciso and Ana Belén Salatino began as a homespun operation but blossomed into a full-fledged bakery focusing on heirloom grains and local, seasonal sourcing. Anaheim's Strong Water was also a nominee in its category last year. The ambitious tiki destination from husband-and-wife duo Robert Adamson and Ying Chang is once again a contender in the category of outstanding wine or other beverages program, and one of the best tiki bars in Southern California. Tobin Shea — bar director of Redbird — is a contender for outstanding professional in cocktail service alongside beverage colleagues in Honolulu, New York, Cincinnati and Denver. This is Shea's first Beard nod, as well as Redbird's. At the downtown restaurant he focuses on themed menus with elevated classics, as well as a no-ABV program. Shea, now in his 30th year bartending, distinctly remembers listening to a podcast that announced the foundation was adding a category for bar programs in 2012, finally recognizing cocktails after a long history celebrating wine. 'In my head I was like, 'God, this is the justification I need to keep on bartending,'' he said. 'My parents were always accepting of it, but they were always like, 'Are you thinking about getting a job other than bartending now?' In 2012 I just remember listening to that podcast and being like: That would be absolutely amazing to have that for my career, or just in general — something to work towards.' Shea was a member of Redbird's opening team and has been with the stalwart restaurant for more than a decade. He considers the nomination to be in recognition of his whole bar staff, not simply himself. Shea's 50th birthday is the week before the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony — so he and his family might wind up celebrating both events in Chicago. 'It's going to be a great week,' he said. The majority of L.A.'s 2025 semifinalists did not proceed to the nominations round. In the best chef: California category, nearly half of the semifinalists stemmed from Los Angeles or Orange County. In addition to Yao, Castillo and Monsod, the foundation's semifinalists included Kwang Uh of Baroo, Alex and Elvia Garcia of Evil Cooks, Evan Algorri of Etra, Charles Namba of Camélia, Danielle Duran-Zecca of Amiga Amore, Melissa López of Barra Santos and Roberto Alcocer of Valle in Oceanside. In national categories, Holbox's Gilberto Cetina was named as a semifinalist in the outstanding chef category, while Santa Monica's Pasjoli was a semifinalist for outstanding restaurant. Damian's Jesus 'Chuy' Cervantes was the only Southern California semifinalist up for this year's emerging chef award, and Bridgetown Roti was noted as a semifinalist in the best new restaurant grouping. République was a semifinalist for outstanding hospitality while Thunderbolt was a semifinalist in outstanding bar and Nicole Rucker was a semifinalist for outstanding pastry chef or baker.
