In American restaurants, immigrants are the backbone of the kitchen. Guatemalan brothers Jorge and Rigo bring indispensable knowledge and skill to two Los Angeles institutions, Providence and Connie and Ted's.
The Filipino food movement finds chefs of various backgrounds and professional levels embracing tradition, forming community and pushing forward the cuisine of their heritage together.
Through perseverance and entrepreneurial efforts, two Mexican families strive to create a better life and legacy for their families after immigrating to the United States.
Two women of Middle Eastern descent reach back into their heritage to create culinary experiences for their communities.
In Koreatown, the family behind Jun Won Restaurant faces the challenge of preserving the business they've built over two decades when they're forced to close.
A collective of chefs (including Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish, Wes Avila of Guerilla Tacos, Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria, as well as Jorge Gaviria of Masienda) work to preserve heritage and push the "Alta California" Mexican food movement.
The Mahendro family (Anu, Pawan, Nakul and Arjun) immigrated to Los Angeles where each family member contributes something special and significant to their restaurant Badmaash.
Echo Park's Tsubaki, Sonoko Sakai, Wild Live Seafood and Spago Beverly Hills...each aims to introduce Angelenos to the unique spirit of Japanese hospitality and the culture's deep culinary customs.
A group of chefs in Los Angeles (including Cassia's Bryant Ng and Diep Tran of Good Girl Dinette) are hoping to demonstrate that there's so much more to Vietnamese food than banh mi, spring rolls and pho.
The Jewish Delis of Los Angeles serve an important role for connecting heritage to food. Factor’s Famous Deli has been a central pillar for the community for 70 years while newcomers like Micah Wexler and Michael Kassar of Wexler’s Deli bring a fresh take to classic deli food traditions.
Jake Myrick and Noriko Kamei have taken their love for namazake and created Sequoia Sake, a small brewery in the heart of San Francisco. Rooted in the traditions of Japanese sake brewing, they work to resurrect an heirloom rice in California and pioneer the young but growing craft sake movement in the US.
Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins opens her new restaurant, El Jardín, in San Diego. Inspired by the traditions of generations of Mexican women and combining regional heirloom ingredients from across Mexico, Zepeda-Wilkins takes a huge risk to elevate the cuisine in her hometown.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, Brandon Jew walks the line between his Chinese heritage and his American upbringing with his restaurant, Mister Jiu’s. With the rapid gentrification of the neighborhood, the face of the country’s oldest Chinatown is changing while a younger generation holds on to the traditions and flavors of the past.
Two extraordinary women of Palestinian descent, Reem Assil and Lamees Dahbour, use food to bring their misunderstood homeland closer to Western tolerance and acceptance.
Jazz Singsanong of Jitlada Thai and Louis Tikaram of E.P. & L.P. transport the palate around the world with the complex flavors of Thai cuisine. These chefs work to bring balance to the complexity of flavors that reflect the mixed cultural influences of their own backgrounds and experiences.
Taiwanese food is poised to experience a renaissance at Los Angeles's Kato, where chef Jon Yao aims to be the first 3 Michelin-level Taiwanese American restaurant in the US. At Kato, Jon mines rich traditions from his culture and personal upbringing, taps farmers from his community for unique ingredients, and aims to enlighten diners on the nuances of this varied and unique cuisine.
In Portland, Oregon, a long-misunderstood culture of Russia and the Ukraine finds a fresh audience and following at Kachka, a restaurant that celebrates both chef Bonnie Morales' Soviet-Jewish roots, as well as the particular Pacific Northwest bounty.
In Puerto Rico, chefs like José Enrique work with farmers and their communities to rescue a vibrant culture from a history of colonialism and agricultural oppression, all while creating opportunities for a more independent and self-sufficient future.
Soul food has long been a polarizing stereotype, limiting conversation about the resiliency of the Black identity. In Houston, Texas, chefs Chris Williams of the renowned Lucille's and Jonny Rhodes of Indigo are on a mission to empower the Black community of Texas through entrepreneurialism, while fighting agricultural oppression and uplifting African American foodways.
In Brooklyn, New York, a long tradition of female-driven food customs that began centuries ago in South Korea enters a new era in the hands of two powerful chefs, Jenny Kwak of Haenyeo and Sohui Kim of Insa.
Season 1 Broadcast Special: Los Angeles’ booming food scene is being shaped by a new generation of chefs. Visit almost any kitchen in Los Angeles and it is likely you will find a migrant chef combining ethnic cuisines with new flavors and techniques. And often within the food, is a story of their migration. “The politics of migration, the labor economy, all that drama plays out in the restaurants that we go to,” says journalist and author Rubén Martínez This is seen even at Los Angeles’ premiere restaurants like Providence (recently named the top restaurant in Los Angeles), where Chef Michael Cimarusti has created one of the most elegant and sought after dining experiences in Los Angeles. Behind his kitchen doors you’ll meet Guatemalan Kitchen Manager Jorge Dugal whose account of struggle and survival is not unlike his peers who left everything behind for a chance to find a better life in the United States. Eleven years ago, he managed to escape from the horrific gang violence and pressure that continues to plague his native Guatemala. Despite all this, he has been able to cling to the better memories he had in Central America and recreate his grandmother’s chirmol sauce from memory, which is now the backbone and inspiration for a spot prawn and chirmol dish on Cimarusti’s prestigious menu. Jorge Dugal is not alone. In “The Migrant Kitchen” we meet several such chefs whose unique stories of struggle and survival are intricately intertwined with the food they create and serve. Shortly after migrating to the United States, Yong Jun and his mother opened Jun Won, one of Koreatown’s most famed restaurants, frequented on any given night primarily by Korean immigrants along with a handful of food savvy Angelenos. When faced with scrupulous landlords and an unstable lease agreement, however, they struggle to keep their business afloat after twenty-two years. Similarly, street vendor Enrique Peralta, who found his place in Los Angeles’