"[Kim and I] emphasise simple traditional Filipino food; but when you study all the aspects of our cuisine, you'll discover all it had to go through to evolve to what it is now," saad ni Jay Prieto.
Habang marami ng pinagdaanan ang pagkaing Pinoy, dumaan na rin sa maraming ebolusyon ang mag-asawang chef na sina Jay at Kim Prieto.
Estudyante at migrante
Nagkakilala ang Bikolano na si Jay at ang taga-Laguna na si Kim noong 2005 noong nag-aaaral pa sila sa Centre for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila. Bilang mga culinary students, pinadala ang dalawa sa Australya para sa apprenticeship sa Grand Hyatt Hotel sa Melbourne at ang Grace Hotel sa Sydney.
Pagkatapos ng apprenticeship ng dalawa, umuwi silang muli ng Pilipinas. Ngunit habang nasasanay na muli ang dalawa sa buhay sa Pilipinas, hindi nawala ang Australya sa kanilang pag-iiisip. Sa 2008, pinagdesisyunan nilang lumipat ng Western Australia.
"Our time in Western Australia was very different from our experience in Melbourne and Sydney. It was a lot more laid-back," saad ni Jay.
Jay and Kim’s love story began in 2005 when they were both culinary students in the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila. Source: Kim Cudia-Prieto
Habang nasasanay na sila sa buhay sa Western Australia, nakatanggap ang dalawa ng magandang balita na nag-udyok sa kanilang muling lumipat.
"We had a child - a cheeky and beautiful little girl named Lexie. When I gave birth to Lexie, we thought of moving to Canberra because we heard that it was a good place to raise a family. We wanted her to grow up here," saad ni Kim.
Ayon kay Jay, "It was 2014. During that time, from what I remember, the Lonely Planet said that Canberra was one of the best places in the world to live in."
Lexie has been influenced by her parents' love of food and cooking. Source: Kim Cudia-Prieto
Home bakers at Sunday markets
It was in Canberra that the family held Lexie's second birthday celebration. The celebration unexpectedly led to a new venture for the Prietos.
Ayon kay Kim, "I thought of making ensaymada for Lexie's birthday. The guests loved it. One guest ordered four dozens from me. After that, word spread about my ensaymada throughout the Filipino community."
Saad ni Jay na gumagawa at nagbebenta sila ng ensaymada kapag wala silang pasok sa trabaho.
It all began with ensaymada. Source: Lolo and Lola Facebook
Dahil sa kasikatan ng kanilang ensaymada, dinagdagan ng mag-asawa ng sansrival, pan de coco at ube leche flan ang kanilang benta.
"We realised there were a lot of Filipinos in Canberra craving for Filipino goodies; so we decided to get a stall in one Sunday market in the city," saad ni Kim.
Ayon kay Jay, "We called our home business 'Waterhouse Bakers' because we lived in Waterhouse Street then."
After realising the demand for Filipino treats, Kim began selling ensaymada and sansrival during Sunday markets. Source: Kim Cudia-Prieto
Pagpapatakbo ng food truck
Mula sa pagpapatakbo ng Waterhouse Bakers, hindi inisip ni Jay at Kim na magkakaroon sila ng negosyo agad-agad.
"We saw how much Filipinos missed Filipino food, so we decided to open a food truck - a 20-ft shipping container in one of the container villages here in Canberra," saad ni Kim.
Pinangalanan ng mag-asawa ang kanilang food truck na 'Lolo and Lola'.
Kilala ang lolo ni Jay na magaling magluto sa probinsya nila.
In as much as Jay considers his grandfather to have sparked his love for cooking, Kim says her grandmother taught her how to cook from the heart. Source: Kim Cudia-Prieto
"He started with slaughtering a pig in the morning and, then I would see him make a lot of dishes from just one whole pig. I wasn't allowed to help when I was young, but I would watch him. As I got older, I was allowed to help. I learned a lot from him," saad ni Jay.
Ayon naman kay Kim, ang lola niya ang nagturo sa kanyang magluto ng mula sa puso.
"This was our way of giving respect and paying homage to all our grandparents who passed down their traditions to us. There's always a feeling of warmth, comfort and love that goes with remembering our grandparents. When we think of them, we think of home," saad ni Kim.
Malakas ang pakiramdam ng pamilya't tahanan sa food truck ng mag-asawa.
"We both have strong personalities and our own way of doing things," Kim laughs, adding, "We fought a lot in the beginning; but working together all the time meant we didn't have the luxury of being mad at each other for long."
Sang-ayon si Jay at aniya, "Friction in a kitchen environment is normal. The nice thing about working with your spouse is that you understand where he or she is coming from from both a professional and personal level."
"We fought a lot in the beginning; but working together all the time meant we didn't have the luxury of being mad at each other for long." Source: Kim Cudia-Prieto
Pagkakaroon ng restaurant
Nang magsara ang container village kung saan nakapwesto ang food truck nila, naghanap ng mas permanenteng lugar ang mag-asawa para sa kanilang eatery. Noong 2017, nagbukas ang Lolo and Lola restaurant sa Watson at, sumali ang pastry chef na si Christina Uy, isa nilang kaibigan mula CCA ring, sa negosyo.
"The great thing about our training in CCA was that the three of us are culinary-qualified chefs. We have experience with different responsibilities in the kitchen so we all have a hand in the entire operation," saad ni Jay.
Adhikain ng tatlo ng gumawa ng pagkaing Pinoy na niluto sa tradisyunal na pamamaraan.
The Lolo and Lola crew is proud of the restaurant's authentic Filipino dishes. Source: Lolo and Lola Facebook
"Our advocacy is to promote Filipino food as it is. No shortcuts. No modifications, For example, we cook papaitan (soup with innards) the traditional way and we still use tuwalya (tripe). For me and Jay, Filipino cuisine is already fusion. It's a fusion of Spanish, Chinese, Indo-Malay; so there's no need to complicate it even further," saad ni Kim.
Sang-ayon si Jay na malaking bahagi ng pagkatao niya ang pagkaing Pinoy.
"No matter where we are in the world, we never forget the food we ate even before we became chefs. My history with Filipino food is what makes me different from other chefs around the world. All my memories of food has shaped me into the chef and person I am today."
Nagpakatotoo ang mga Prieto sa lahat ng pinagdaanan nila bilang kusinero, negosyante't mag-asawa.
"Be true to yourself. Stay true to your traditions, to your culture and to your roots." Source: Kim Cudia-Prieto
Ayon kay Kim, "Be true to yourself. Stay true to your traditions, to your culture and to your roots."
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