SAN DIEGO — Chef Tara Luansing Monsod dreams about food.
"It's definitely a lifestyle, I'm very much immersed in this craft," said Monsod.
The Animae Executive Chef is San Diego's first-ever James Beard Award finalist. She got the news in April.
"I just went 'Holy Crap! I made it to the finals.' I had no idea. It didn't occur to me I was the only one," she said.
"I kind of honestly sat there, 'Wow. They chose me. Someone who's always been underestimated,' There you go, it's happening," she added.
The Filipina-American chef moved to San Diego in 2006. She originally had plans to become a nurse. However, she realized her true passion was food. She's been working in the food industry for the past 14 years.
Monsod fuses her culture into her food. She said she takes pride in introducing people to Filipino food other than lumpia.
"Just kind of open them up and introduce them to something new in a little more fine dining aspect," said Monsod.
"We deserve a seat at the table just like every other culture doing [food] at an elevated level," she added.
Since she was named Executive Chef at Animae in 2021, she said customers have requested to meet her.
"The first month or two, I kept getting called out [of the kitchen]. A lot of people from our community saying 'Hey, I just want to meet the chef. I heard she's Filipina and she's making Filipino food, and I really enjoyed it, and I've never had this before,'" she said.
"We're just proud of our culture," said Monsod. "It's such a loving, welcoming, culture. Food, above all, it is like a language, that is like a love language. When you come to any party, it's a buffet. We hand you a plate. That's how we take care of people. It's something that's been instilled in me since I was a kid."
Monsod was born in Hollywood and raised in the Los Angeles area. Her father emigrated from the Philippines as a teenager. He worked for a sound company. Her mother emigrated from the Philippines when she was in her thirties. She worked as a seamstress in a factory.
Monsod said they worked hard to make a life for her. They spent a lot of time on the road commuting. By the time they returned home at night, there wasn't time to cook. She said they found quick meals at restaurants and food trucks.
"It's humbling," she said. "Here I am doing homework, my mom would go back home and sew some more after work."
"There was even one point they would clean my dad's office after work for extra money," she added.
She said her parents instilled that good work ethic in her.
"No matter what, you get to work. You're tired, you get to work. You're feeling under the weather, you get to work," she said. "You have people to take care of, you have responsibilities."
"No half-assing, no half-assing," she laughed.
She works long hours, sometimes sixteen hour days. Chef Monsod was also named the Executive Chef at Le Coq in La Jolla, a French steakhouse set to open in June.
But through it all, in the kitchen, and in the dining room, she's remained humble. She credits much of her success to her team and to her mentors.
"It's like knowing where you come from. Knowing all the people who have helped you, just paying respects to that," she said. "I think having that mentality keeps me humble."
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