November 2011 The Filipino-American Story: Remil aka @Limer35 a Foodie at Heart

Rimel in front of M. Wells, New York

@Limer35 caught my eye a year ago when I was still tweeting via @buyfilipino for my former magazine publication, Filipino Classifieds in Sacramento.  He was tweeting a picture of rows and rows of puto (filipino ricecakes) that he just finished cooking!  They looked so inviting! So I started looking at his timeline and saw more and more tweets about food!

Of course I had to follow him!

I moved here in San Diego and sold the Filipino Classifieds Magazine and started the The Filipino-American Website and of course first thing I thought when I created the twitter for @thefilam was to follow my favorite tweeters and of top the list was @Limer35.

@Limer35 though has never admitted it, is a foodie at heart! 

It is about time that we get to know better the man behind this mouth watering tweets and blogs!

Do you mind telling us your name? 

My name is Remil. It’s Limer backwards.

You are currently living in LA, where you born in Manila?

I currently live in West Covina, CA. It has a very large Filipino population, so I feel very much at home. I was born in Malabon, just north of Manila. My family and I moved to California when I was 9 years old.

Your blog is called Pinoy Panda...where did it come from?

It was actually given to me by other food bloggers who have become real good friends of mine. There are several "panda" bloggers out there.

You always seem to be twitting about food, are you in the industry or is this just really a hobby or passion of yours?

I’m not in the industry, but I did however cater Filipino food for several years. I stopped about five years ago because it got to be too much. My weekends was spent just cooking & cleaning and I began to miss just spending time with family and friends.

With Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin.

Your blog and tweets have so many good pictures of food, do you always bring a good camera or do you plan your trips?

I don’t have a fancy DSLR like my food blogger friends. I just have my Sony point & shoot and my trusty new iPhone 4S.

How did your interest about food start?

It started about two years ago when I happen upon Jaden Hair’s Steamy Kitchen blog. From there, I began to discover the world of food blogging. This led to twitting and actually meeting the many bloggers who's food blogs I read on a daily basis.

When did you get the idea of blogging about it?

I really didn’t have a desire to start a food blog. But my food blogger friends kept on insisting that I start one. So I experimented with one on Posterous. I have only three blog posts and have been too busy to post more. You’ll find more of my food escapades on my Twitter feed. Eventually I will concentrate on my food blog.

Which came first blogging or the tweeting... 

Tweeting came first. Experimental blogging just started in June of this year. I do hope to post more.

If you are not in the food industry what do you do for a living?

I am a contract analyst for the second largest school district in the country. I know…boring right? It pays the bills and my foodie escapades.

When do you find time to go check out all these places, is it a daily, weekly thing or do you just randomly go?

I randomly go after work usually and on the weekends. I check tweets on what's new out there and my friends & I check them out.

Being a foodie, do you still have a favorite food?

I love all foods and it’s hard to pick just one. I’m currently discovering all things Korean food.

What is your ultimate favorite filipino dish, ultimate favorite dessert?

My favorite is actually Torta with Sayote. It’s been my favorite since I was a child when my grandmother would cook it for me. They say that that’s all that I would eat.

Are you  cooking Filipino food this thanksgiving?

Funny you ask that question really. Thanksgiving is the only holiday that I prefer that Filipino food not be served. This is my only qwirk. It (Filipino food) somehow does not match with the holiday. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, I love all the traditional Filipino foods to be served during Christmas. On our Noche Buena table, the following must be included: Jamon China, Queso de Bola, Pan de Sal, Sopas, Ube Halaya, Kutsinta and Suman.  

What are your top Filipino places to eat in your area?

Pondahan Fusion Restaurant Café & Bar in West Covina is my favorite Filipino restaurant. It’s not a “turo-turo” type restaurant. You can sit, place your order and enjoy the company of your friends and family. It’s somewhere you can bring non-Filipinos to and not have it feel like a cafeteria. If I had to go to a “turo-turo” type of restaurant, I would chose Ito Ay Atin Restaurant in West Covina. They have the best selection around and they open early at 6:45 am for that early Kare-Kare fix.

Do you still visit Philippines?

I try to visit the Philippines on a yearly basis. But with my work schedule lately, I haven’t been able to visit since 2009.

What part of being Filipino are most proud of? 

I am very proud of my Filipino heritage. Our hospitality to one another and to others is unmatched. This is the feeling I get whenever I travel back home to Manila. No matter who you encounter, their first greeting to you is “have you eaten?”

What do you like the most about being Filipino-American?

 It has definitly broaden my horizon. I am thankful of the many opportunities that I have been given.

Do you have any tips for all the food bloggers out there?

I’m new at blogging. But I feel that pictures say a thousand words. That’s what grabs me into reading any blog.--MaG
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