Francis Ang

Chef, Pinoy Heritage

San Francisco

Francis Ang was born in the States, but his roots run deep in the Philippines. Memories from Ang’s childhood are filled with the rich flavors and alluring aromas that were ever present in his family’s kitchen. It was with these home-cooked meals in mind that Ang made the move from Manila to San Francisco when he was 19, enrolling in the City College of San Francisco’s culinary arts and hospitality studies program. After graduation, Ang secured a position at Gary Danko, honing his skills among San Francisco’s best. Then, joining the line at Fifth Floor (now Dirty Habit), Ang’s prowess really began to shine. While there, under the guidance of David Bazirgan, Ang earned "People’s Best Pastry Chef" from Food & Wine and Zagat's 30 under 30.

By 2016, Ang and his wife decided to take a deep dive back into their roots. The couple traveled the Philippine islands for six months studying the local cuisine from origin to evolution. As a result, Pinoy Heritage was born, a Filipino pop-up manned by Ang, his wife Dian, and Chef Danica Aviles. Ang also works with Taj Campton Place Hotel manning the dessert program and serving as a consultant for its Michelin-starred restaurant. However, his main focus is bringing San Francisco together for eight courses every other Saturday plus one kamayan feast a month. In 2018, Pinoy Heritage won Eater SF’s "Pop-up of the Year" award as well as San Francisco Chronicle's Rising Star Chef. In 2019 he also won Starchef's Rising Star Chef.