This Filipino Chef Is in the Running for the James Beard Award
Washington D.C.-based Filipino chef Paolo Dungca has harbored a long-standing dream of earning a nod from the James Beard Awards. "Every year, I feel like we always fall short, or that I'll never see my name there. At some point, you start to give up on that kind of dream," he admits.
But then January 2025 ended with a wonderful surprise when Dungca found out that he made it to the list of semifinalists in the Emerging Chef Category for his Filipino restaurant, Hiraya.
"It's like a dream come true because this is bigger than just me being on that list," he tells Esquire Philippines. "It's a representation of our culture and heritage on such a big and prestigious platform, and it gives us pride in what we do daily. Our goal is to represent our country and educate others about how rich and diverse our culture is. For me, this is for all the Filipinos who are cooking Filipino food. It is for Washington, D.C. as well; being able to represent them in the Emerging Chef category is beyond my wildest dreams. I'm just really fortunate to have made the list, to be honest."
"The setting [of Hiraya Cafe] reminds you of walking into a Filipino home that leads you straight to the kitchen. We wanted the place to evoke memories of your mom's home, your aunt's house, or your lola's house," says Dungca.Â
Pride of Pampanga
The 34-year-old chef hails from Pampanga, often referred to as the "Culinary Capital of the Philippines." Their family migrated to Los Angeles, California in 2004; he was 13 years old then. Admittedly though, he developed no interest in cooking at that time, despite having a relative who had a karinderya in Parañaque.
"I remember that every time we visited my mom's aunt in Parañaque, I would feel grossed out because she would be sweaty and sticky from all the cooking," Dungca recalls with a laugh. Little did he know that he would eventually find himself in the same circumstances and, in fact, grow to love it.
 Hiraya Cafe's Ube Chori Burger with Papaya Atsara, Secret Sauce, Ube Bao Bun
The boy from San Fernando, Pampanga initially considered pursuing nursing, a path many Filipinos take, but he realized it wasn't his calling. Until he discovered his niche in the hospitality business. "It brings me joy to see our work nurture others and create experiences that touch people's lives. In a sense, you're connected with them for the rest of your life. For me, that's very important.
Dungca studied Culinary Arts at The Art Institute in California, Orange County and worked his way up from there. "I worked with some of the best chefs in L.A., including Chef Kevin Meehan when he was doing his Kali restaurant pop-up. He opened my eyes into the world of fine dining," he remembers.
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Upon moving to Washington D.C. in 2014, he chose to concentrate on modern Filipino cuisine, distinct from the karinderya, turo-turo, and traditional home-cooked Filipino fare. He served as the sous chef to Chef Tom Cunanan and helped open Bad Saint in 2015.
Hiraya Cheeze Burger With Adobo Caramelized Onions, Cheddar and Sesame BunÂ
"Basically our approach was how do we champion Filipino food, retain its true form and present it in a way that's representative of us, the new generation of Filipinos," he explains. "It was refreshing to see such a passionate chef pushing Filipino cuisine to new heights. The accolades and success he achieved inspired me to pursue the same path." Cunanan won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in 2019.
Dungca observed that Filipino food was once hard to find in major markets or cities like Washington, D.C., especially in a progressive and unique culinary setting. "Growing up, I perceived Filipino food mainly as home-cooked meals, not something that would be featured in fine dining or earn awards. Working with Chef Tom has been inspiring and I'm grateful for the opportunity, having learned a lot from him," he adds.
Hiraya Cafe's Calamansi Tart with Black Pepper MeringueÂ
Fruit of One's Hopes
The name of his restarant, Hiraya, was inspired by an educational TV show he watched as a kid called Hiraya Manawari. "The idea to start my own Filipino restaurant came during the pandemic when everything was shut down and I was at home planning my next moves. That ABS-CBN show, Hiraya Manawari, was full of dreams and aspirations, and the meaning behind the name Hiraya stuck with me. The ancient Tagalog word means "the fruit of one's hopes, dreams, and aspirations."
"As a young chef or cook, your goal is always to have your own place and envision how you would want to run it. I figured if we started now, we could achieve that later down the line. We were fortunate enough to find people who believed in us, and now we're here," he says with a smile.
Filipino-themed interior of Kayu by Hiraya
Hiraya is an all-day café and occupies the ground floor of a two-story building located at 1248 H Street NE, Washington, D.C. "The setting reminds you of walking into a Filipino home that leads you straight to the kitchen. We wanted the place to evoke memories of your mom's home, your aunt's house, or your lola's house. Everything is wooden, and we have palayoks all around for decoration. It's just something fun and cool," he shares. At the cafe, they offer traditional Filipino breakfast like the silogs, complete Filipino coffee imported from the Philippines.
"I've never really seen Filipino coffee beans before. I'm so used to three-in-ones. So it's nice to kind of introduce the diners to pandan, turon, and ube lattes and champorado, kind of like our version mocha. It's just fun to show them that we're more than just the heavy rice dishes and fatty meat dishes? It's been really fun," he adds.
Kayu by Hiraya's Lobster Inasal with Papaya Atsara, Chili-Vinegar AioliÂ
Meanwhile, his other restaurant, Kayu—which means "brown" in English and is often used to describe the beautiful, sun-kissed skin of the Filipino people—operates on the second floor as a dinner-only, chef's tasting menu. Inspired by the rich heritage of the Philippines, the dishes are crafted with locally sourced ingredients, blending traditional flavors with modern culinary techniques.
Kayu by Hiraya's Hamachi Kinilaw with Green Apple, Coriander, Coconut Vinaigrette
Embracing Evolution
Dungca started his career in 2010 and he observed that there has been a shift in how Filipino diners perceive Filipino cuisine. There are still the traditionalists who want "authentic" Filipino flavors that they could connect to. But he's happy to note that many Filipino-Americans born in the U.S. have embraced the evolution of Filipino cuisine.
Kayu by Hiraya's Kaldereta Tartare with Potato Pave, Castelvetrano Olives, Smoked Potato
"I think food evolves wherever you are. And it's such a different generation now that I think we need to be a little bit more open-minded," he says. "What we do is not pay attention to the white noise because I think those are irrelevant. We're here to just really see how Filipino food can evolve within the means of being in Washington, D.C."
Kayu by Hiraya's Crabfat Doughnut with Aligue Xo, Lardo, Uni and IkuraÂ
Dungca chef is also grateful for the efforts of Filipino chefs who are advancing the promotion of Filipino cuisine. "I've learned a lot about diving into recipes and doing deeper research with Chef Tom, ensuring we honor the flavor, history, and origins of each dish," he offers. "From Chef Melissa Miranda [of Musang in Seattle], I've gained insights into community and caring for people. From Chef Tim Flores and Chef Genie Kwon [of Kasama in Chicago] we've learned about innovating with a progressive tasting menu format for Filipino cuisine. While each of us has our own interpretations [of Filipino food], we're fortunate to represent something we're truly proud of. This is a big win for us already, regardless of all the awards that we get. The fact that we get to do this on a daily basis, you can't really have it better than that," he says.
Kayu by Hiraya serves a range of wines and cocktails.
Asked about his goals, Dungca says it's just to continue doing what they love to do, to take care of their people and inspire others to want to do the same thing.
"Majority of my chef team is Filipino, and they bring a really great chemistry and knowledge to the cuisine," says the promising chef. "We're very young still, and I feel like we haven't really reached our peak and there's only room for growth for all of us. So hopefully we can continue to do this for the next five to 10 years, even more than that."
