“I remember vividly waking up to a hissing sound – my Apu using her old school pressure cooker, and her pounding away on some garlic in her mortar and pestle. The house would always smell of Gisa, browning onion and garlic, in the big metal kawali, and the doors were wide open so the house wouldn’t get stanky. But the memory of cooking that really stands out is first being taught how to cook rice using my finger as a measurement. That really rocked my world as a little kid interested in cooking.”

Mark Pecson, chef of the brand-new pop-up project Aliwang Lutu, doesn’t hesitate to identify his Filipino childhood as the genesis of his interest in the kitchen. And paired with formal French training in one of the world’s premier hospitality destinations, Mark’s culinary perspectives invite refreshed experiences of Filipino cooking that’s classically rooted in the family table.

“I graduated from culinary school in Las Vegas a few years ago, and worked in a French restaurant for a year at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Those experiences taught me foundation and finesse, and a great deal of discipline in the kitchen. After applying those techniques to Filipino cooking and foods that I've been around my whole life, my career really took off from there. But just like any other Am-Boy, it was the cooking of my Apu (my grandmother), and my family that inspired me to really delve deeper into my culture and the cuisine,” Mark says.

Using French methodologies to express Filipino flavors, Mark’s cooking honors traditional perspectives by introducing preparation and presentation techniques more closely tied to boutique restaurant experiences, rather than Filipino family parties. Understanding this process as a show of deep reverence for the familial dishes that form his culinary foundation, Mark explains the name of his project.

“This will be my first dinner under the name: ‘Aliwang Lutu.’ In my family’s native language, Kapampangan, the phrase means ‘a different style of cooking.’ Filipinos are notorious for remaining strictly traditional when it comes to cooking and eating their cuisine, so in itself, the simple act of speaking the name of my project has a certain weight to it, for certain audiences.  I believe that introducing my style of French finesse and aesthetic plating techniques will open the door to new ways of enjoying traditional Filipino dishes for my guests,” Mark says.

Appreciating new ways of doing things – for example, sitting down to a familiar dish prepared in a different way – requires a cultivated ability to loosen the mind and release established ideas of the way things have been done in the past. Fortunately for Aliwang Lutu diners, Mark’s done all the rigorous work of research, ideation, and testing, resulting in approachable dishes that prize experience and smiles as much as excitement and innovation.

“Inspirational food, for me, has to be tasty, eye-catching, and creative. My cooking style has always been about trying to create a paradox between traditional dishes and flavors, and making it different in more than one way. I find lots of food ideas from high end restaurants, trying to apply a level of finesse and honing in on the concentration of flavors, all while breaking down how chefs innovate with ingredients on the plate,” Mark says.

Importantly, Mark’s vision isn’t just limited to what’s for dinner. He recognizes the impact that projects like Aliwang Lutu and Kulinary Confidential have on individuals, and how those relationships and stories translate into greater strength for the Filipino community and SOMA Pilipinas.

“With Filipino cuisine gaining popularity in today’s food scene, it is very important to utilize channels like Kulinary Confidential and underground popup chefs to highlight talent that may be overlooked, especially here in the Bay Area and in SOMA Pilipinas. The heritage of the Filipino people has been preserved in its food culture, and will continue to be preserved through projects like these, because I believe that our job as chefs is to make doubters into believers, one dish at a time. Being the youngest chef on this panel of amazing chefs, I want to be able to prove my worth and bring a wind of hip, creative energy into this awesome community!”

Written by Paul Barrera. Photography by Albert Law.