OVER TO YOU.
LAUREN: THANK YOU.
A CULINARY STUDENT WILL SEE HIS
DISH SOLD ACROSS THE STATE.
HE WON THE 7-ELEVEN ENTREE
COMPETITION WITH A DISH INSPIRED
BY HIS BACKGROUND.
IT WILL BE SOLD AT 711
THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
FOR MORE, LET'S SEND THINGS OVER
TO BRIDGET.
BRIGETTE: IT'S THE GOAL FOR ALL
ASPIRING CHEFS TO MAKE DISHES
FOR THE MASSES.
HE ACHIEVED THAT GOAL BY
CREATING A DISH THAT MAY BE SOLD
AT 711.
JOINING ME KNOW IS THAT --
JOINING ME NOW IS THAT STUDENT.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
THESE ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE
INTERVIEWS TO HAVE.
PUT ME IN FRONT OF FOOD, I'M A
HAPPY CAMPER.
TELL ME ABOUT THE DISH YOU MADE
AND WHAT INSPIRED IT.
WHAT I MADE IS A FILIPINO
DISH.
ESSENTIALLY, IT'S JUST A SOUR
SUIT, SOMETHING -- SOUP,
SOMETHING I GREW UP EATING A
LOT, SOMETHING I WOULD ASK MY
GRANDPARENTS TO MAKE ME.
REALLY COMFORTING.
UNLIKE A LOT OF FILIPINO FOODS,
IT'S KIND OF LATE.
AS OPPOSED TO OTHER STUFF.
THAT'S WHY I LIKE IT AND WHY I
DECIDED TO MAKE IT.
BRIGETTE: I UNDERSTAND THE
BEAUTY, BUT CAN YOU TELL US MORE
ABOUT WHAT YOU MEANT BY A SOUR
BASED SOUP?
WHAT MAKES THIS DISH SOUR IS
THE TAMARIN I PUT INSIDE.
I DON'T THINK TAMARIN IS AN
INGREDIENT A LOT OF PEOPLE USE
IN THEIR FOOD AND I WAS LIKE
MAYBE THIS WILL WORK WELL.
AND IT DID.
BRIGETTE: WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR
YOU?
HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO
CALL HIM A CHEF.
HE SAID NO, I'M A COOK.
WHY DON'T YOU WORK ON THIS AND
TALK TO ME?
CAN YOU DO THAT AT THE SAME
TIME?
TELL ME HOW EXCITED YOU WERE TO
FIND OUT YOU GOT THIS HONOR.
YOU WON FIRST PLACE.
TO BE HONEST, I WAS A LITTLE
SURPRISED.
I THOUGHT WHAT I WAS MAKING
ISN'T SOMETHING THAT -- I
THOUGHT IT WAS TOO UNIQUE TO BE
SOLD.
NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOW OF
SYNAGOGUE.
ANYTHING A FILIPINO FOOD, YOU
THINK OF STUFF LIKE THAT.
THINKING SOMETHING LIKE
SYNAGOGUE, YOU DON'T SEE THAT
OTHER FILIPINO RESTAURANTS.
IT'S LIKE WOW, MY DISH GOT
CHOSEN.
IT'S UNREAL TO ME.
I WASN'T EXPECTING IT.
BRIGETTE: YOU ARE INTRODUCING A
WELL LOVED FILIPINO DISH TO THE
MASSES.
EVERYBODY GOES TO 7-ELEVEN.
THAT'S AWESOME.
TELL ME WHAT YOU PUT IN THERE.
WHAT I PUT IN WAS SWEET
ONIONS, BOK CHOY, I SEPARATED
THE BOTTOMS AND THE LEAVES
BECAUSE THEY COOK DIFFERENTLY.
I ADDED OKRA, ROMA TOMATOES, AND
LONG BEANS.
BRIGETTE: AND YOU ARE GOING TO
KEEP THAT IN THERE?
YEAH.
BRIGETTE: LET'S TALK TO DEBBIE.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT 711.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE
THIS
COMPETITION.
WE WANT TO GET THE IDEAS OF THE
YOUNG PEOPLE, GET THEM SOME
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOMETHING
THAT WE COULD PUT IN OUR STORES
AND GIVE SOME EXPERIENCE.
WE DID THIS LAST
YEAR AND IT WAS
VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IT WAS ALSO ANOTHER ETHNIC DISH,
COMFORT FOOD.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE CHOSE THE
DISH THIS YEAR.
HE MADE SOMETHING I THINK IS NOT
JUST FILIPINOS COULD LIKE.
I THINK IT COULD CROSS OVER.
BRIGETTE: WHAT WAS IT LIKE
FOR
YOU TO SEE HIS REACTION?
OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING -- COOKING
IS SOMETHING THAT'S PASSIONATE
FOR HIM.
HE'S VERY HUMBLE.
HE WAS QUITE SURPRISED.
HE HAD A LOT OF COMPETITION.
THERE WERE 12 DISHES SUBMITTED.
THEY NARROWED IT DOWN AND IT WAS
THE FINALIST.
BRIGETTE: THAT'S AWESOME.
THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
CAN THAT MAKE YOU A CHEF NOW?
NO.
[LAUGHTER]
I THINK YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
MAKES YOU A CHEF.
I DON'T HAVE THAT.
BRIGETTE: YOU'LL GET THERE.
I PROMISE.
WHEN CAN PEOPLE TRY HIS DISH AT
711?
WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO
DUPLICATE THE RECIPE AND HAVE
HIM TRY IT AND WORK WITH US TO
MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT.
PROBABLY BY THE END OF FEBRUARY
WE WILL HAVE IT IN STORES.
IT WILL ALSO BE SUBMITTED AS
PART OF OUR CONTRIBUTION TO
LOCAL ISSUES CAMPAIGN IN MARCH.
A PORTION OF THE SALES WILL
GO
TO THE BIGS ON STATION.
BRIGETTE:
THIS IS SO OFTEN THEY
ARE GIVING YOUNG COOKS THE
CHANCE TO SHOW THEIR TALENT TO
THE MASSES.
BEFORE WE GO, WHAT IS YOUR
SECRET TO A GOOD SYNAGOGUE?
JUST FINDING THE BALANCE
BETWEEN SOUR AND SAVORY.
LIKE I SAID, THE
BALANCE, IT
TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO FIGURE
OUT HOW MUCH WE COULD CHIP IN.
AND I
THINK JUST HAVING A GOOD
ASSORTMENT OF THAT SUPPOSE IS
REALLY KEY, AS WELL.
THAT'S WHY I CHOSE VERY
VIBRANT,
COLORFUL VEGETABLES.
BRIGETTE: THE CRITERIA
FOR THE
COMPETITION WAS IT HAD TO BE
HEALTHY, UNDER A CERTAIN MAXIMUM
CALORIES.
BRIGETTE: I LIKE THAT.
AND HE QUALIFIED.
BRIGETTE: NICE.
SO HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS.
AND I GET TO TRY THIS.
THAT'S SUPER AWESOME.
GET A SHOT OF THAT.
SO COOL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN
STUDIO.
CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THIS.