It’s one thing to be executive chef for a restaurant or heck, even a restaurant group. But being at the helm of a stadium and sports venue is in a league of its own. Petco Park in San Diego is a microcosm - and Chef Philip Dumlao is running its vast culinary world.
This is beyond mere multitasking and culinary talent. Chef Phillip is creating a world of memorable food experiences on an exponential scale day after day. Overseeing hundreds of chefs,kitchen staff, numerous vendors and partners, a long list of diverse menus, not to mention thousands of guests - Phillip is master chef of his domain.
We sat down with Phillip for Spiceology’s Periodically Inspired interview series that dives deep into a chef’s psyche to talk about inspiration, challenges, juggling an entire stadium’s F&B program, favorite things, and a lot more. Read the full interview and get to know him below:
Walk me through what a typical day for you during baseball season looks like.
“I get in around 10 a.m. and do a download with my chefs, see if there are any red alerts and solve for those. I’m making sure products are being received and loaded - we partner with around 200 vendors, so things are very, very dynamic. We’re using large and small vendors - from Sysco to local vendors like Gabriel Tortilleria.
On a game day I’m checking that everything is ready to execute for a successful game, so I’m walking the kitchens checking on quality while the staff is producing for service, and then I sneak away to knock out some office work.
Here at Petco Park we partner with 20+ local restaurants, chefs and partners to serve their own food alongside concessions. I work with their chefs to ensure my team is correctly executing menu items to the brand standard.
Pre-gates, I walk locations, make sure everything is set - sometimes I’ll need to break away to do media with the general manager or meet with podcasters or bloggers.
Once the game starts, I do another break away to manage run-of-business, then checking visuals and food coming out hot. I’m walking the floor, if we have a chef table reservation I’ll pop in for a meet and greet, explain and plate some courses for the guest. Then you can catch me walking suite locations, the owner’s box, premium areas, making sure everything is flowing like a symphony.
Half way during the game, I’m back at the office and start prepping for future games. Then at the end of the game a quick turnaround begins. Yeah, I walk 11-13 miles a day (laughs).”
When did you first find a love of cooking?
“Growing up I watched my parents and grandparents cook in the kitchen. With a Filipino Hispanic heritage, there were lots of bold flavors when I grew up. But I fell in love with cooking once I was actually working in the industry. I started as a prep cook, then went to sous, then exec sous. I was working events and seeing that satisfaction of guests - that’s when I started writing my own menus and really found that love.”
People around you, music, books, travel, research - where do you find inspiration when you create new dishes?
“Really from other chefs and traveling. Working for a company like Delaware North, I work with other chefs who run similar food programs at a large scale like I do. When I travel, I get to see what they're doing in their region and what flavors are speaking to that crowd. I’m looking at their techniques and then come back home and try them out with my own twist.
I’m also on social media, I feel like it’s at its peak right now. When I’m on Insta and TikTok, I see what’s out there - places, techniques, who is using what. I’m also a big book collector, especially books by other chefs on their techniques.”
What’s your dish ideation and creation process?
“I’m creating dishes in my mind. I have all different types of audiences who come to an event, and when creating a dish, I aim for my audience. I’m thinking about the vessel - is it hand held? Would this dish work better if the guest was seated?
Then I start sourcing flavors and components. I’m building the dish and collabing with the team - but the dish, plateware, location, ingredients - if it’s in a food truck or a special event - it always comes down to the specific audience we’re catering to. And with so many different types of food venues at Petco Park, the dish concepts are always super versatile.”
Where are places you visit or what are things you do if you’re ever in a creative block?
“That happens all the time here because I’m constantly needing to make new menus. When I hit that block, I’ll go out to eat with my wife and family and see what other restaurants and chefs are doing and what’s trending locally.”
What advice would you give a chef just starting out?
“Don't get discouraged, never give up and don’t be afraid. Ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to put in the hard work and be very hands on or jump in the dish pit. Get out of your comfort zone - we learn from each other every single day.
And know that this job can require sacrifice. My role and dynamics requires a lot of sacrifice - just the hours I put in every day during baseball season. If you’re putting great results for yourself and guests first - it demands a lot of your time.”
What was some of your favorite ballpark food growing up?
“Of course the hot dog. I worked at Jack Murphy back in the day, and of all the concessions, the garlic fries were one of my favorites. They also had a carving station at some of their clubs there, and that’s where it clicked like, ‘oh wow they offer high-end food here, too’.”
Do you feel competitive with other chefs?
“Of course. We all have to stay on our toes and this industry is so cut throat. With multiple accounts doing the same operations, I’m looking at what they're doing at Dodger Stadium - is their new menu getting reviewed by the press? San Diego gets overlooked and is underrated, and we need to shine with the flavors. We’re getting there.”
What flavor trends are you seeing in event menus?
“I’m seeing sweet and hot flavor profiles - hot honeys and bold spicy flavors. Our Hot Hen Chicken Sandwich uses the Hot Hen spice blend I developed with Spiceology to get that hot and sweet profile.”
What’s one of your favorite ingredients to cook with and why?
“Garlic. It’s just universal, so many cultures and cuisines use it. It has so many applications - minced, roasted, whipped. It has health benefits - it’s my go-to.”
What’s a technique or trick you learned along the way that even home cooks could use?
“Safety first - when you’re cutting an onion, use the claw technique and keep fingers tucked in. I have a staff of 200 cooks, and there is so much knife work - safety first!”
What do you consider a chef’s role to be within the community?
“A leader, giver and teacher. At Petco Park we work with a lot of programs that support underserved local communities, plus employment programs to get people back on track. We just had dinner on the diamond - a 3-course plated event with 600 guests where more than $1 million was raised and all proceeds benefit homeless shelters in San Diego.”
Favorite dish to cook for yourself?
“I’m a big griller - that Filipino Hispanic upbringing comes out - so steaks. The other night I just did smoked Korean BBQ ribs with garlic and a pomegranate soy reduction.”
Favorite dish to cook for friends and family?
“I'll be outside by the grill or open fire pit doing steaks or seafood, or pizza in the pizza oven."
What are your breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant recs when in San Diego?
“For breakfast hit up Great Maple, they have so much on the menu that you can mix it up. Come to Petco Park for lunch and watch a day game - have the Hot Hen Chicken Sandwich. Save room for dinner at Rare Society - Chef Brad Wise is doing amazing things. Then any local taco shop of your choice for late night grub.”