Los Angeles has Lasa. Santa Ana has Irenia. And soon, Long Beach will be home to the region\u2019s next great, modern-Filipino restaurant when pop-up chef AC Boral opens his first brick and mortar at 2741 E. Fourth St. at the end of the summer.<\/p>\n
Since 2014, Boral, a Filipino-American originally from Oxnard, has been cooking his takes on the famously fusion cuisine he grew up eating, under the name Rice & Shine<\/a>. Over countless brunches<\/a> and eat-with-your-hands kamayan <\/em>dinners\u2014which popped up everywhere from Feastly\u2019s Venice headquarters to, most recently, Boral\u2019s own loft on Pine Avenue\u2014the self-taught chef served creative dishes like sisig chilaquiles, sinigang lumpia and longanisa Scotch eggs along with a side of Filipino hospitality, history and culture. He\u2019s also the talent behind the multimedia Wu-Tang-Clan-themed tribute dinner series Enter The 36 Courses<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI like to use tradition as an anchor for progress,\u201d Boral says. \u201cThere\u2019s always an aspect of education behind my food.\u201d<\/p>\n After producing hundreds of roving food events and schooling newbies on the complex fusion that is Filipino food, Boral knew it was time to find a permanent home for his popular menus. He spent the last few years searching for a location that would allow him to not only engage with new diners daily but also serve as his catering kitchen and as a community space for other up-and-coming chefs.<\/p>\n He signed a lease on the former Mr. Makoto Ramen location last month and this week, launched a Kickstarter to help him fund the remainder of the build out.<\/a><\/p>\n