In this special San Diego Design Week episode, Tara Monsod, executive chef of ANIMAE, joins me to continue our exploration of inspiration and the senses with the sense of taste. Tara shares how she leads with taste to design beautiful dishes and describes just how intensive the process can be to bring an idea to the plate. She also walks us through her journey to becoming a chef, describing how her culture has greatly influenced her both personally and professionally. Tara’s desire to collaborate and share inspires others to step out of their comfort zone and try something new.

Guest Bio

In her first executive chef role, Tara Monsod brings over a decade of kitchen experience, a lifetime of passion, and a culinary perspective shaped by her upbringing as a Filipino-American to Puffer Malarkey Collective’s ANIMAE. Her culinary journey has placed her in some of San Diego’s most prominent restaurants, including Richard Blais’ Juniper & Ivy, Brian Malarkey’s Herringbone and Burlap, and Nancy Silverton’s Mozza. Studying under Nate Appleman as Executive Sous Chef at ANIMAE, she continued to hone her fine-dining craft while also experimenting with pushing forward the Filipino flavors she’s always known.

Now working alongside Celebrated Chef Brian Malarkey as Executive Chef, Tara’s interpretation of ANIMAE gives diners a chance to experiment with new dishes, like the Tuna Kinilaw, the Caviar Shrimp Toast, and the Kare Kare Short Ribs with bagoong peanut oil. Mirroring Malarkey’s emphasis on hospitality and generosity, Tara can be seen walking the dining room on any given night, greeting guests, engaging and educating them on a particular spice or cooking technique.

Sharing her cuisine motivates and moves her, and her hope is to become a culinary ambassador and mentor to the legions of Asian American and Pacific Islander cooks who are looking to break into the restaurant industry.

Featured in this episode

Featured candle: Beeswax candle from Mithras Candle

Featured brew: Lemongrass Tea from Paru Tea Bar

Featured Tarot deck: Rider-Waite Colman Smith Tarot

Connect with Tara and ANIMAE

Links:

ANIMAE Website

ANIMAE Instagram

Tara’s Instagram

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