Growing up in the Philippines, Ruby Felix loved watching her grandmother cook. But when it came to preparing food in the kitchen, Felix was often shooed away.
“I never cooked anything that I didn’t burn,” says Felix.
“So when I told my mother I was leaving nursing school and going to culinary school she was floored. ‘You can’t even cook rice’ was her reaction.”
But Felix — who had been interested in food since the days of watching her grandmother cook — persisted. Later when she met and married her husband, her passion for food was further ignited.
“My husband inspired me to go into the cooking industry because he’s the one who introduced me to so many cuisines,” says Felix. The more I learned, the more curious I got, she says.
That culinary curiosity led her to the French Culinary Institute; where upon graduation, she secured a place on the team of Chef Dan Silverman at the Standard Grill. In 2014, Felix joined the Talde team, first serving as a line cook at Carrino Provisions (now closed) and then promoted to executive chef at Talde Jersey City.
“I’ve been here since the very beginning,” says Felix.
As executive chef at Talde, Felix and her team of cooks are responsible for everything that comes out of the restaurant’s kitchen. Including Talde’s newly revamped spring menu.
Taylor Ham, Egg & Cheese Sandwich (Photo: Talde)
A healthy menu that packs flavor
“For the new menu, we focused on veggies and healthy eating,” says Felix.
“I’m not vegetarian, but I grew up in a part of the Philippines where people rely a lot on fish and vegetables.”
That influence can be seen in dishes such as the Korean Fried Cauliflower (KFC). It’s our version of tempura, but with a gochujang glaze, says Felix, who is a fan of Korean food.
“The Angry Pancit is one of our best sellers right now,” she says. “Pancit is our name for anything that’s noodles.” Here, we played around with the sauce — a Singapore curry — and added rice noodles and fried tofu, she says.
“Keep it fresh, keep it relevant — that’s my mantra.”
Talde’s new brunch menu offers a similar fusion of Filipino-inspired dishes along with some labor-intensive dishes such as the Roti & Everything Lox. The salmon in that dish is smoked by us, says Felix. We cure it in-house and then we smoke it overnight. It’s a three day process for us, but worth it when you try it, she says.
“People have been very supportive of the changes we’ve made,” says Felix, who explains that most of the new menu is food she loves to eat.
Bramble On
Drawing inspiration from Jersey City
Felix moved to Jersey City from the Philippines at the age of 19. And just like Talde is her home, so too is Jersey City.
“I think it’s a cool thing what’s happening to Jersey City right now because it let’s people experience what downtown is all about,” she says. It also inspires her in the kitchen.
“Jersey City is a diverse community so we have to make our food more palatable for everyone,” says Felix. “We change our menu to cater to everyone, to be relevant,” she says.
When Felix isn’t helming the kitchen at Talde, she’s at home raising her 10-year old daughter.
“It’s my dream that one day when she’s old she’ll call me and say, ‘hey, mom, can I get that meatball recipe so that I can make it for my family,'” says Felix.
As for her grandmother, Felix admits she’s a bit shy when it comes to cooking for her. But when I see her enjoying the food I make, it humbles me, she says.
In the meantime, Felix continues serving hit after hit at Talde. Next on her list is a new dessert menu, which she says will feature a new halo-halo.
“Keep it fresh, keep it relevant — that’s my mantra.”
Congratulations to our chef, ate RJ. We are so proud of you.
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