Melvin Trinidad(301)
Portland, OR
BIO
Barkada PDX is my culinary point-of-view. Barkada, in tagalog, means a group of best friends. I take my casual, modern take on cuisine from the Philippines and share it with you! And When I cook for you, you are in my Barkada. I treasure very guest at my dining table.
I started cooking when I started my family. We moved to Oregon in 2000 and now with a family to feed, I taught myself how to cook so I could show them my love through food -- food that my parents shared with me. That necessity turned into a passion, maybe even an obsession. For 18 years, I have been relentless in my pursuit of culinary education through books, TV, chefs, anyway and anyhow. My passion took me to places I never thought I would go.
It took me to a small town in Finland where I cooked at Cafe Pispala under a best friend to hone my skills in the professional world. I then returned home where I studied under some of the best chefs in Portland. My passion could no longer be contained in the kitchen! I ventured into TV. I auditioned for the hit TV show Masterchef where, out of a pool of over 50,000 home cooks, I made it to the top 80. I competed on Food Network's Cooks vs. Cons. Now, I currently appear monthly on “KATU Afternoon Live” where I beam my love for cooking throughout homes in Portland and beyond!
I look forward to you joining my Barkada!
I started cooking when I started my family. We moved to Oregon in 2000 and now with a family to feed, I taught myself how to cook so I could show them my love through food -- food that my parents shared with me. That necessity turned into a passion, maybe even an obsession. For 18 years, I have been relentless in my pursuit of culinary education through books, TV, chefs, anyway and anyhow. My passion took me to places I never thought I would go.
It took me to a small town in Finland where I cooked at Cafe Pispala under a best friend to hone my skills in the professional world. I then returned home where I studied under some of the best chefs in Portland. My passion could no longer be contained in the kitchen! I ventured into TV. I auditioned for the hit TV show Masterchef where, out of a pool of over 50,000 home cooks, I made it to the top 80. I competed on Food Network's Cooks vs. Cons. Now, I currently appear monthly on “KATU Afternoon Live” where I beam my love for cooking throughout homes in Portland and beyond!
I look forward to you joining my Barkada!