Marvin was born and raised on the gritty streets of Los Angeles to Filipino parents. Despite the graces of his mother’s home cooking, the ill-effects of Western assimilation retarded Marvin's appreciation of Filipino food – wreaking havoc on his palate from a young age on until adulthood.
Now married to a non-Filipino, Marvin continues to hone his kitchen skills by expanding his culinary repertoire and learning to cook the food of his culture that he once ignored, even if it means burning a few lumpias along the way.
Marvin does indeed have a wooden fork and spoon hanging on his dining room wall. The wooden fork and spoon is a decoration found on many a dining room wall of Filipino old-timers. Its perceived "tackiness" has lead to its status as an inside joke among many Pinoys today.
Although the wooden accessories are a tad funny, we don't think they are tacky at all. They should be viewed as more of a welcoming sign of good food and good company.
We hope that those who recognize the wooden fork and spoon feel that same sense of welcoming when visiting this site.
Marvin can be reached at burntlumpia AT gmail DOT com.
Marvin is also a contributing writer to Mutineer Magazine--a national publication that focuses on fine drink and beverage.
Marvin is currently working on his first cookbook, "The New Filipino American Cookbook", which will be released by Tuttle Publishing in the Fall of 2012.
Press Mentions:
- LA Weekly (May 2011) - Marvin Gapultos: Adobo Road
- LA Weekly (March 2011) - From Food Blog, To Food Truck, To Cookbook
- San Diego CityBeat (April 2010) - The Original Fusion
- Los Angeles Times (February 2010) - Filipino food: Off the menu
- Chicago Sun-Times (January 2010) - Filipino noodle recipe secured at last
- Washington Post (December 2009) - Washington Cooks: Feli Orinion
- Theme Magazine (United States, February 2009 issue)
- Yummy Magazine (Philippines, December 2008 issue)
- Rogue Magazine (Philippines, August 2008 issue)
- Epicurious.com - Filipino Food Blog
- SeriousEats.com - (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here)
- Kababayan L.A. (KSCI 18) - Television appearances in February 2009 and February 2008
But wait! There's more...
In June of 2010, Marvin decided to take his Filipino recipes to the next level and opened The Manila Machine--a mobile restaurant specializing in Filipino cuisine. In addition to opening Southern California's first Filipino food truck, Marvin became one of the first food bloggers to start his own food truck business.
In just a short amount of time, The Manila Machine gained both a loyal following, as well as critical acclaim. Marvin's recipe for Pork Belly and Pineapple adobo claimed the Runner-up award for "Best Noveau Street Food" at the 2010 LA Street Food Fest as decided by a panel of judges including Chefs Susan Feniger and Walter Manzke. In addition, The Manila Machine has also won the praises of Pulitzer Prize winning food writer, Jonathan Gold.
For a listing of press mentions for The Manila Machine, click here.
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