As the only female in the Bay Area to lead the culinary program of a sports arena, Filipino Chef Kristela Mendoza continues to make history and heartwarming memories everyday from the iconic Chase Center. With a caring guidance and precise understanding of both rising food trends and the arena’s faithful audience, Chef Kristela curates rotating menus that satisfies, intrigues, and provides an inside glimpse into her passions and personality.
Beginning from the Philippines, she has had an incredibly inspiring journey that has now uplifted her to now her sophomore season at the Chase Center, and she only continues to exude confidence, daring creativity, and a caring eye in elevating typical arena fare by also incorporating and platforming other local and rising chefs through the Chase Center’s Taste Maker program.
We had an amazing opportunity to speak with Chef Kristela on what it means to be a trailblazer in food while also representing and showcasing her Filipino culture and roots.
Hello! Can you share with us your journey from being a midnight grill cook in the Philippines to becoming the first female Culinary Director of Chase Center? What inspired you to pursue a career in the culinary arts?
I didn’t actively pursue a career in Culinary; rather, it found me. Inspiration, it seems, can manifest in various ways, and for me, it resembled a return to where I truly belonged. Arriving in America during my pre-teen years with my father, I, like any adolescent, sought my place to thrive. However, it became evident that I didn’t quite fit in—I lacked familiarity with nursery rhymes, basic American history, and spoke with a strong Tagalog accent. Despite fluency in English, I hesitated to speak aloud, even enrolling in ESL classes to excuse any mispronunciations.
My first professional experience into the culinary world was as a midnight grill cook at the Marriott in Emeryville, CA. It was the only place willing to hire me, likely due to my role as the morning hostess for the hotel, while I went to California College of the Arts (CCA) in the afternoon. Yet, my earliest memories of the kitchen trace back to the preptable of our family bed and breakfast in the Ermita district in Manila, Philippines. There, I spent my time after school making polvoron—pressed into flimsy oval molds and wrapped in cellophane. I wasn’t allowed near the high BTU low cast iron burners that often had a stock pot simmering in the back and a wok on the other, oh, but I watched, talked, shared and ate. On the weekends, I’d accompany my grandmother to the wet market as she spoke to fish mongers, ate raw vegetables, asked about the farmers’ families and their harvest. During the holidays, the women in my family and the cooks from the family business would prepare spaghetti with hot dogs for those facing food
insecurities.
Fast forward to the present, serving as the first female Culinary Director of Chase Center, I’ve finally found a sense of belonging. Here, I’m no longer trying to fit in, but embracing standing out. Within Bon Appetit, diversity in hiring is emphasized, fostering an environment where our differences are celebrated.
Could you walk us through your process of selecting and curating rotating menus to enhance the fan experience? What do you hope they get out of it? Can you elaborate what these menus look like for the various premium spaces?
Menus at Chase Center follow a structured rotation: three cycles during the regular season and an additional fourth cycle for playoffs. These menus are meticulously curated for all premium spaces, including the JP Morgan and Chase Clubs, Owner’s Lounge, traditional suites, Courtside Lounges, Theater Boxes, the Modelo Cantina, media dining, and staff meals. Updates
to the Modelo Cantina restaurant and eateries menus occur each NBA season, with a revamp before the All-Star break.
Premium menus vary depending on the location. Some feature carveries such as hot smoked wild salmon with Irish whiskey and local honey or dry-aged ribeye with Lyonnaise potatoes and cowboy butter. Buffets may include Peruvian roast pork with pepper and lime salsa criolla or SF’s Evergood hotlink sausage with Louisiana-style plant-based red beans and rice. The Club Kitchen, responsible for cold production in the arena, offers locally curated cheese and charcuterie, along with citrus-caper tuna ahi crudo and yuzu scallop with shiso aguachile, this season including Filipino coconut kinilaw with spicy rice paper crackers.
Our Game Day Feature is a delightful way to welcome visiting teams through food. We research dishes representative of the visiting team’s hometown and feature those menus upon guests’ arrival. But save room for the halftime delights, always crowd-pleasers, and don’t forget there’s always our sweet tooth eatery Room 4 Dessert! Curating menus involves considerations of seasonality and fan feedback, including waste and donation tracking. With each rotation, we strive to refine our offerings to meet the expectations of the best fans in the NBA—the Warriors fans!
Do you have any particularly rewarding memories from your team or a diner about the culinary program?
I joined Chase Center during their recent NBA Championship in 2022. Throughout my tenure, I’ve led the team in embracing seasonality and sustainability, expanding Bon Appetit’s understanding of farm worker rights. I’ve implemented systems and tools for waste tracking and forged partnerships to combat food insecurity through donations with RePlate and Chefs to End Hunger.
During our inaugural off-season together, my culinary team and I dedicated the summer to engaging with local farmers, from Llano Seco to Tenbrink Family Farm. We delved into topics such as water conservation, dry farming practices, and the sourcing of USDA dry-aged beef from family-owned and operated Flannery Beef. We also assessed our environmental footprint by implementing initiatives like diverting waste away from landfills through a fully refillable oil program with EcoRefill.
One of the most rewarding aspects of our culinary program is the ongoing realization that our daily decisions have a significant impact on both the environment and our community for years to come. I’m just getting started.
How does your Filipino upbringing influence your perspectives in your career? What aspects of Filipino cuisine do you appreciate the most?
Upon my arrival in America, Filipino cuisine seemed distilled to Adobo and Lumpia for the masses. While these dishes undoubtedly hold a cherished place as staples in gatherings, our culinary heritage runs far deeper than what mainstream media has portrayed. My Filipino upbringing embodies a sense of togetherness, of communal gatherings, and nurturing—mentality rooted in island life that emphasizes uplifting the entire community. My goal is to shed light on the richness of Filipino cuisine beyond what has been traditionally highlighted.
Next season, I am thrilled to introduce the Trolley Express featured in Sarap Shop—a tribute to Bicol Express featuring crispy pork served over chili and garlic-braised coconut milk atop french fries. This innovative dish aims to showcase the diverse and vibrant flavors of Filipino food that have yet to receive the recognition they deserve.
Lastly, what is your hope for the future of Filipino cooking, both in the Bay, and in the greater American zeitgeist? What are your upcoming plans for Chase Center?
My hope for the future of Filipino cooking, both in the Bay Area and in the broader American culinary landscape, is to see a deeper appreciation and understanding of the richness and diversity of Filipino cuisine. I aim to elevate Filipino cooking beyond the limited representations of Adobo and Lumpia, showcasing the vast array of flavors, techniques, and regional specialties that make up our culinary heritage. Through initiatives like the Trolley Bicol Express or Coconut Kinilaw Ceviche, I aspire to bring more visibility to lesser-known Filipino dishes and ingredients, fostering a greater sense of pride and recognition within the Filipino community and beyond.
At Chase Center, my upcoming plans involve continuing to innovate and diversify the culinary offerings, with a focus on sustainability, seasonality, and community engagement. I will continue to collaborate with local farmers and producers to source high-quality ingredients, while also implementing initiatives to reduce waste and support food security efforts. Additionally, I will work to introduce new and exciting menu items that celebrate the unique flavors and cultures of the Bay Area, ensuring that every guest at Chase Center has a memorable and delicious experience.
Thank you for the insightful and inspiring responses, Chef Kristela! We can’t wait to see the new offerings and how you will continue to stay winning at the Chase Center.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
