Harold Villarosa

Filipino born, and South Bronx raised, Chef Harold Villarosa received his earliest agricultural education in the bukid (rice paddies) of Iloilo. Emigrating to America at nine years old introduced Harold to a brave new world; where progressive ideas flourished, but issues like food injustice remained. Fifteen years later, he found himself with an invitation from Rene Redzepi to work at NOMA ​in Copenhagen. Rigorously trained in farm to table cuisine, he steadily ascended the culinary ladder to work for Thomas Keller's Per Se​. Harold now uses his Insurgo Project to ensure that urban youth have opportunities that embody the flavors from an international culinary movement. For the past 2 years he was based at the original hidden gem at the end of Freeman’s alley, as Executive Chef for Freeman’s restaurant. You can now find him at 4 Times Square leading the WellxDurst sustainability kitchen founded by Claus Myer. He recently launched Unkle Harold’s™️, a pop-up series volume I event marking the beginning of his new conceptual culinary initiative.