Inside Animae in downtown San Diego, executive chef Tara Luansing Monsod creates a masterpiece.
“It's comforting, it's warm, it's satisfying,” she said, while cooking her signature Short Rib Kare Kare dish.
With a balance between creativity and care, Luansing Monsod prepares and plates the peanut-forward offering. She explained what makes it so special to her.
“Kare Kare is a very Filipino dish that was one of the first Filipino items I put on the menu. And the reason it's a big deal is because you don't see Filipino food like this in a setting like this very often,” she said of the high-end restaurant.
That menu item and many others she’s cooked and curated have helped her become the first-ever San Diego finalist for the prestigious 2024 James Beard Award, Best Chef: California.
The rankings began in 1990 and are like the Academy Awards in the culinary industry.
“I was overwhelmed, honestly. I didn't know how to describe how to feel,” Luansing Monsod said of the news, which was announced in early April. “With kind of my mentality, I'm never satisfied — or maybe I have imposter syndrome, like how the hell did I get it?”
How she got here hasn't been a straightforward journey.
The 40-year-old originally pursued a nursing career until she switched paths in her late 20s to follow her true calling.
“Once I went to culinary school and I took my first class, I knew I was in the right place,” Luansing Monsod said.
After culinary school, it was a lot of long days and nights working multiple restaurant jobs, but she persevered.
She drew inspiration from her father’s artistry, mother’s work ethic and most importantly, Filipino roots.
Luansing Monsod proudly displays her identity on her arms, with a mix of tattoos representing love for her culture’s food.
“To be great at it, you kind of have to live, breathe it. It does take up a certain part of your brain that doesn't ever go away. Like I think about food all day everyday. I watch food at home. It's kind of ridiculous,” she said.
Since 2021, she’s served as executive chef at Animae, an upscale Asian fusion restaurant. Now she is headed for a new adventure: executive chef at La Jolla’s soon-to-open French steakhouse Le Coq.
There, Luansing Monsod plans to keep trusting her gut and bringing to life the flavors she imagines in her mind.
“How do I build a dish? I can taste it. I can see it in my brain,” Luansing Monsod said. “I used to draw when I was a kid. I guess I'm just like my dad in that way, except my medium is food.”
She has a lot on her plate right now, but the chef is taking it in stride and keeping true to her kind, humble self.
“I'm so honored. And to be in the category with all these other talented people, it's like, wow, all this hard work is actually paying off. Granted I wouldn’t have any of this attention or any of this if I didn't have the right team,” Luansing Monsod said.
There are four other finalists for the James Beard 2024 Best Chef: California award. The winner will be announced June 10 in Chicago.
Luansing Monsod plans to go and wants to bring her biggest inspirations: her mom and dad.
“My mom’s going. My dad might go. My dad’s a little more stubborn. He's like, ‘I got to watch the dogs,’” she said while laughing. “But he's like, ‘I'm going to watch you, I'm going to support you still.’”
As for the Short Rib Kare Kare, it tastes just like the chef envisioned: filled with love, out-of-the-ordinary and like a home away from home.
