Pilya’s Kitchen is a Chef’s Playground and a Foodie’s Haven

When chef and entrepreneur Kriza Palmero started Pilya’s Kitchen in her Malabon home (then at The Grid Food Market) at the height of the pandemic in 2020, life was full of uncertainties.

It was a crazy brave move fueled by her passion for good food and her families and friends who supported her, like celebrity chef JP Anglo (who shared her Taiwanese-style Beef Noodles on Instagram, leading to more customers); Ryan and Karen David of Nacionale Bladeworks; and serial entrepreneur Charlie Paw, the man behind The Grid Food Market, Your Local, Hanamaruken Ramen, and Scout’s Honor.

“When I first started at The Grid [Food Market], it was hard because we never knew when and if there was going to be another lockdown. Since the store was relatively new, staffing and inventory was a bit of a concern,” Chef Kriza recalled.

“But as the government eased up on restrictions, we were able to slowly find our groove and grew from there. What started out as a purely food delivery service, [now] a majority of our sales comes from dine-in customers, which I am extremely happy about since the food we serve is really best eaten right away.”

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup: Hand-pulled biang biang noodles with tender chunks slow-braised beef shanks, bok choy, and flavorful five-hour broth with cilantro, celery, and onion leeks

Back then, she barely knew anything about running a business. Her previous experience focused on kitchen work, making good food that at Very Fresh Noodles at the famous Chelsea Market in New York City (which New York Times food writer Ligaya Mishan raved about in 2017).

Just a few months after she came home from the US after seven years of working there, the pandemic (and then the lockdown) started, giving her very little time to prepare for her next move. Wanting to keep going, she decided to make biang-biang noodles from her own kitchen and figure things out along the way.

“At the beginning, I had no mentor or consultant, I sort of just learned everything on my own. If I don’t know something, I solely just rely on the internet,” she explained. “I wish I could have been more versed with the business side of things.”

Vegan Dan Dan Noodles: Thin noodles served in a savory, spicy, sesame-based sauce with julienned cucumbers, onion leeks, and peanuts

Now, Pilya’s Kitchen is one of the headliners for The Grid Food Market. While it’s safe to say that Chef Kriza did a great job of growing her business, she also goes out of her way to give credit where credit is due: her hardworking staff.

“The environment inside our small kitchen is something I’m most proud of. I can say that we have created a positive and fun environment, while making other people happy – because of the food – at the same time,” she beamed. “The success of Pilya’s Kitchen really comes from my team, the people who really care about what I aspire Pilya’s Kitchen to be.”

Now that she has a firmer grasp as an entrepreneur, she gets to enjoy calling the shots.

“The best thing about owning and operating Pilya’s Kitchen is that I get to make all the decisions. Kind of a double edged sword because success and failure falls directly to me and my staff,” she said, adding that she loves the fact that some of her customers have evolved into her friends and she has the capacity to “provide jobs especially during the pandemic”.

Sichuan Chicken: Crispy bite-sized chicken pieces with Sichuan seasonings and dried red chilies

Together with her team, Chef Kriza keeps experimenting in her kitchen — creating both magic and mayhem to keep her customers excited. Always up to something deliciously mischievous, Pilya’s Kitchen never runs out of exciting offers, like their latest addition to their menu, the Scallion Pancake Chicken Wrap.

“We have not released a new dish in a while, the last one was the Scallion Pancake Chicken Wrap. But that doesn't mean that we don't try to create new dishes. As a matter of fact, if you follow our Instagram account, you'll sometimes see us post stories about R&D adventures in the kitchen,” she shared. “My favorite at the moment is our take on Chilled Sesame Noodles and Sichuan Chicken.”

As posh as The Grid may be, being in a food court means having limited storage. Two years in and they’ve already mastered the art of making their small space work.

“I think that’s one of the things we consider before we add anything on our menu,” Chef Kriza said, referring to their limited space. “Other than that, we really just try to create food based on our experiences and flavors that we like. It may not be authentic to others, but as long as it makes sense to us then we’re happy to serve it.”

Mala Fried Chicken Sandwich: Crispy boneless chicken legs seasoned with their house-made chili oil and umami dust, served between a slightly sweet siopao bun with refreshing Asian slaw and pickled cucumbers

Speaking of something new, aside from the Sichuan Chicken, Mala Crispy Shrimp, and that ingenious Mala Fried Chicken Sandwich, we also highly recommend the Beef Scallion Pancake (tender pieces of braised beef wrapped in a flakey scallion pancake with hoisin sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and marinated cucumbers; served with their house-made chili oil), Pork & Shrimp Dumplings (delicate dumplings filled with pork, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms mixed with fermented chili and served with black vinegar and sesame soy sauce), Mala Crispy Shrimp (battered shrimp fried to a golden crisp and tossed in Mala powder and dried red chilies), and Chef Kriza’s Chili Crisp – best enjoyed with noodles, steamed rice, and (as she suggested) even vanilla ice cream.

With the team busy with R&D and keeping the business running, what’s next for Pilya’s Kitchen?

“For now, I'm very happy with having the store at The Grid. I would like to focus on doing more R&D and hopefully get things organized in the kitchen so we can add more items on the menu. In relation to that, we've recently started construction for a small commissary kitchen. We definitely want to expand in the future, but I really want to be prepared and ready this time," Chef Kriza said, also hinting that they're working on a dessert offer to add to their menu.

And we’ll always be ready to try anything new from Pilya’s Kitchen!

Pilya’s Kitchen is located at Stall #11, The Grid Food Market, Power Plant Mall, Makati City. Place your orders through www.thegridfoodmarket.com, or directly at 0956-857-4286. Follow PK on on Facebook and Instagram.