They are putting the family’s reputation and business on the line behind a revamped menu and new presentation.Īt their store in Cerritos, the blue and yellow colors once associated with Goldilocks are gone. The Leelins are looking to change some of those perceptions. “In reality, Filipino food is very colorful, diverse and beautiful.” “It’s brown, oily and unhealthy – that’s always been part of the stigma associated with Filipino food by narrow-minded people,” said Gapultos, who once operated the Manila Machine food truck. Gapultos says there are other challenges. People want fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, crunchy flavor and textures.” There’s not a variety of textures and cooking techniques. “But there’s nothing spectacular about them.

“The most common dishes – lumpia or pancit – those are all fine,” Gross said. Matt Gross, editor at Bon Appetit magazine, is skeptical whether Filipino food can make a successful crossover with American palates. Most people, though, associate Filipino food with balut, a boiled duck embryo and delicacy in the Philippines, which is a common sight in Fear Factor and Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods. There are so many different flavors and ways to present it that there’s something for everybody.” “It’s that variety that makes it so good. “Filipino food is incredibly diverse,” said Marvin Gapultos, author of the Adobo Road Cookbook. Chinese influence can be seen in noodle dishes such as pancit – sauteed rice noodles with meat and vegetables. The Philippine’s national dish, adobo – stewed pork or chicken in cane vinegar, bay leaves and soy sauce – was introduced by Spaniards. “No one knows where to go,” says Michael Leelin, a Placentia resident and chief financial officer at Leelin’s.įilipino cuisine is influenced by Spanish, Chinese, Mexican and Southeast Asian cultures.

Cerritos goldilocks