The chef and owner of Tropa Modern Filipino and The Hideout Kitchen on cooking the food he grew up with in Manila and helping independent chefs and operators control costs, grow revenue and build celebrated restaurants
Quick summary: JB Balingit, chef-owner of Tropa Modern Filipino and The Hideout Kitchen in Lafayette, California, joins SpotOn as Chef in Residence. In his new role, he helps Bay Area owners and operators control costs, grow revenue, and build businesses that last.
A reviewer once asked me why I decided to cook Filipino food at this point in my career. I paused and gave him the only answer I had: "It was time."
It took me 18 years to get there. I worked as a line cook, opened my own restaurant, washed my own dishes, and learned most of what I know about this business on the job. Now, as Chef in Residence at SpotOn, a leading restaurant technology provider, I get to pass that on to owners who are just starting out.
How I got my start in restaurants
I grew up in Manila, and that's where I first fell for cooking. When I moved to the U.S., I started as a dishwasher and worked my way through every station with long shifts, a lot of burns, and close attention to how the best operators ran their kitchens.
What I found was the most successful operators were the ones who focused on value: consistent food, sincere hospitality and memorable experiences.
What running The Hideout taught me about ownership
In 2015, I opened The Hideout Kitchen & Cafe in Lafayette. I was the chef, the dishwasher, the carpenter, and whatever else the day needed. We served the hearty American food the neighborhood wanted: steaks, fried chicken, and burgers. That restaurant taught me how to manage costs, grow the business, and keep regulars coming back.
It also taught me how much an owner carries alone. When the walk-in goes down at 7 p.m. on a Friday, it's on you. When labor creeps up or a vendor raises prices, it's on you. Every independent operator knows that feeling.
Why I opened Tropa Modern Filipino
In August 2025, I opened Tropa Modern Filipino (in The Hideout's original space). Tropa is my love letter to my upbringing in Manila. The room reflects the city I remember and my ancestral home. The cocktails are named for Filipino heroes, mythical creatures, and nostalgic places. The menu has the dishes I care most about, made the way I want to make them now: adobo sticky ribs, kilawin with coconut milk, oxtail kare-kare, and chicken inasal with calamansi and lemongrass.
Why Filipino restaurants still face a harder road
Filipino food is still hard to find in this country. Only 1% of Asian restaurants in the U.S. serve Filipino food, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. That's despite Filipino Americans being the third-largest Asian group in the country, according to AAPI Data. Fewer than 10% of U.S. counties have a Filipino restaurant at all.
It's a big opportunity, and it comes with a real challenge. When guests don't know your food yet, you have to cook well and teach them what's on the plate, all while running a tight business on thin margins. Owners cooking Filipino, Thai, Ethiopian, Oaxacan, and many other cuisines have to balance this every day.
What a Chef in Residence does at SpotOn
I've run my restaurants on SpotOn since 2020. I also sit on SpotOn's strategic advisory group where operators like me help shape the product roadmap.
Joining SpotOn lets me take what I've learned running my own restaurants and share it on a bigger scale. As Chef in Residence, I lead sales strategies, business development, and partnerships in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Now I get to help other independent operators serving the food they love keep costs in check, bring in more revenue, and run a business that's built to last. In practice, that looks like:
- Controlling labor costs with scheduling tools that use real POS sales data to match staffing to how busy you are
- Knowing your numbers with profitability analysis that scans your P&L for overspending, waste and errors
- Reaching new guests through online ordering and marketing that brings guests back
- Filling tables with reservations and waitlist tools that make booking easy
The right technology takes some of the weight off, so you have more time and money for the parts of the job you love.
Where to find me this October
I'm cooking the Kamayan dinner on October 14, 2026 at Abacá's Masters of Filipino Flavors series in San Francisco, alongside Nikko Cagalanan, Anton Dayrit, and Jade Cunningham. SpotOn is partnering with Chef Francis Ang on the series. Tickets are on OpenTable.
Talk shop with me
Food heritage matters. When a family recipe makes it onto a menu and finds its audience, the whole dining scene gets better. My job is to help more of those restaurants stay open long enough to find their people.
If you run a restaurant in the Bay Area, I'd love to hear what's working and what's eating into your margins.
Frequently asked questions
Who is JB Balingit? JB Balingit is the chef and owner of Tropa Modern Filipino and The Hideout Kitchen in Lafayette, California, and Chef in Residence at SpotOn. He has 18 years of experience as a chef, owner, and operator.
What does SpotOn's Chef in Residence do? SpotOn's Chef in Residence leads sales, business development, and partnerships in the San Francisco Bay Area. The role focuses on helping independent restaurant owners and operators control costs, grow revenue, and run more profitable businesses.
Where is Tropa Modern Filipino? Tropa Modern Filipino is on Mt. Diablo Boulevard in Lafayette, California. It opened in August 2025 and serves modern Filipino dishes inspired by JB Balingit's childhood in Manila.
How common are Filipino restaurants in the U.S.? Filipino restaurants make up about 1% of Asian restaurants in the U.S., according to a 2023 Pew Research Center analysis. Fewer than 10% of U.S. counties have one.
