This year’s "Next in Line" competition at Family Style Fest showcased some of Los Angeles’ most promising rising culinary talents. Hosted at Los Angeles State Historic Park, the event brought together four celebrity chefs/mentors who nominated a mentee from their kitchens to compete. With a $10,000 prize and career-defining opportunities on the line, these chefs were tasked with presenting an innovative, never-before-seen dish to captivate attendees and the judging panel. Competitors included Apilada "Dee" Rodriguez of Playa Provisions (nominated by Brooke Williamson), Sugar Sungkamee of Jitlada (nominated by Jazz Singsanong), Tiffany Dela Peña of Caldo Verde and Cara Cara (nominated by Suzanne Goin), and Mireya Arellano of Scopa Italian Roots and Dama (nominated by Antonia Lofaso). Each dish was distributed to Family Style attendees, allowing the audience to experience firsthand the bold creativity and authenticity each competitor brought to the table.

The event wasn’t just about food but also about storytelling, with each contestant highlighting the unique culinary traditions and personal influences behind their creations. Dee Rodriguez presented a rich Beef Rendang, while Sugar Sungkamee impressed with her Kanom Jeen Namya. Tiffany Dela Peña's Crispy Palabok offered a modern take on a classic Filipino dish, and Mireya Arellano brought her Mini Sopa de Carne to life with an exciting “little” twist. Attendees, alongside culinary experts Ken Concepcion, Michelle Mungcal, Rebecca Roland, and Kim Prince, judged the dishes based on flavor, innovation, and narrative. The competition celebrated the craft of cooking while providing a platform for the next generation of chefs to carve out their place in Los Angeles' well-established food scene.

What first inspired you to enter the culinary world, and how has your journey shaped your unique cooking style?

DEE RODRIGUEZ: My background in interior design is what first inspired me. The skills I learned in balancing color, texture, and composition naturally carried over to food, and I love creating dishes that are not only delicious but visually appealing. This journey has shaped my cooking style to focus on both presentation and flavor, blending art and taste in every dish.

SUGAR SUNGKAMEE: I actually grew up in the restaurant industry. My dad taught me how to cook since I was a little and my dad opened up Jitlada in 2006 and I’ve been working with my dad ever since we started. In 2017, he passed away and that’s when I took over and now I’m partners with Chef Jazz, who’s my aunt, and I learned even more about southern Thai cooking from her.

TIFFANY DELA PEÑA: What actually got me into the food industry was right out of high school. I did a senior project on cooking and I fell in love with it. My mom at the time was working at San Francisco City College, and she goes, “We have a great culinary program. It’s cheap, it’s affordable – it’s not as expensive as, you know, Le Cordon Bleu.” So I went to City College and I busted my ass trying to do my culinary program, get my GEs, right out of high school. Seeing how I started from that to today, for example, there’s a lot of growth and humility that has come along the way. You see what you started with and where you are now – doing things like this, it’s an experience. You know, you build relationships with new people, your networking is growing, and it still boggles my mind even through all the stress and pressure. You still manage to see the light of why you do this job.

MIREYA ARELLANO: It’s crazy because I didn’t really like being in the kitchen. But little by little, seeing my grandma and my brother in the kitchen kind of inspired me. My culinary classes in high school helped a lot and I learned how to do stuff from scratch inspired me and made me want to learn more and do more. I went to culinary school, ended up getting a job with Chef Antonia, and from there it’s history.

Can you share a memorable moment or piece of advice you received from the person who nominated you for this competition?

DEE RODRIGUEZ: Brooke Williamson nominated me. She’s a mentor of mine and I’m very honored that she nominated me, that she believed in me to do what I am doing with her name attached to it. That’s a big thing that I appreciate. She told me, “Just do what you do. You know what to do.”

SUGAR SUNGKAMEE: My aunt, Jazz Singsanong, was the one who nominated me and she gave me so much advice because she’s very passionate about cooking and especially about southern Thai cooking. She told me to make sure that everything was hot, fresh, presented well, and that everything was really flavorful. Jitlada is known for spice, so we always serve spicy dishes. She also told me to do my best, have fun, and have a good time.

TIFFANY DELA PEÑA: The chef that nominated me was Suzanne Goin, a James Beard award winner. She’s been giving me advice every single day since I’ve met her. I’ve worked with her for the last 8-9 years, so I know her style, her flavors, her technique. So every single day I’ve learned something new from her, whether it’s working directly with her or even just indirectly when she’s giving me advice like, “You’re going to crush it.” You know, being in this industry, especially being a woman in this industry, and being a part of the LGBTQ+ community as well, you don’t get a lot of support like that. So just having someone like Suzanne is enough.

MIREYA ARELLANO: Honestly, it was all a surprise when it came to the competition. We thought it was just like, “Oh, we’re partnering with Converse and getting Converses.” Then [Chef Antonia Lofaso] told me it was a competition and I was like, “Let’s do it!” She gave me the support I needed and gave me advice when I needed advice. She was really supportive with everything.

The "Next in Line" title and $10,000 prize could open many doors. What are your plans if you win, and how do you see it impacting your career or community?

DEE RODRIGUEZ: I would put the money into savings and then go see my dad – I haven’t seen him in three years.

SUGAR SUNGKAMEE: If I won, I think that it would be a big deal for myself, my team, and the Jitlada fans. Our guests are really supportive and always want the best for us. All the people that love Jitlada come out to support us all the time and also come out to support us here in the family style.

TIFFANY DELA PEÑA: With my community and my career moving forward, I think this is for sure going to expand my networking more – meeting new chefs, creating relationships, creating friendships. Being in this industry, in my community, you’re expanding yourself because you can’t survive in this alone. We’re all going through the same thing. At one point or another, we lean on each other, we help each other out because we all succeed at the end. This competition isn’t just about who’s better than who. We’re all in this together. We got here – we all got here. That’s a true testament to all of the competitors.

MIREYA ARELLANO: I want to save it for my future because I do hope to open something on my own. But right now, I want to maybe take a small vacation with my family because it’s something that we were hoping for if this were to happen. So I’m really excited and I’m very happy. I have a lot of emotions right now.

As a woman of color in the culinary space, what challenges have you faced, and what message would you share with aspiring chefs who look up to you?

DEE RODRIGUEZ: Being a woman in this industry is not easy, but we have to believe in ourselves and our abilities. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do just because of your gender. Stay focused, do what you need to do, and keep moving toward where you want to be.

SUGAR SUNGKAMEE: After my dad passed away, my aunt and I had to step up. Not long after my dad passed, it was the pandemic and having Regarding Her support us and bring women chefs together has been a big deal for us because it’s really hard running the restaurant. Ever since we’ve had more connections, we’ve been able to get together and become stronger. For today's Next in Line Competition we all were supporting each other. I know today is very challenging and competitive, but we came here early in the morning and we’re all helping each other out. We made sure we all had everything we needed, making sure that we’re all at ease and we’re all happy to be here.

TIFFANY DELA PEÑA: The advice that I would give is don’t be afraid to ask for help. Coming from experience, as someone who struggled with it, being in this industry that is a very male dominant industry, you’re not alone. I still have to tell myself, “You’re not alone in this, other people are feeling and going through the same thing.” It’s a village and it takes all of us.

MIREYA ARELLANO: I feel like people look down at you a lot because you’re a woman and this is a male-dominated industry but sometimes you just have to be tougher. Don’t let people see you in a different way because of your color or the person you are. You are your own person, so you have to protect that with all of your heart.

Your dish for this competition is all about innovation. How did you approach creating something truly unique while staying true to your culinary identity?

DEE RODRIGUEZ: I’m half Thai, half Malaysian and there are two parts of me that I wanted to put into one dish. We start out with a pancake, which is like a roti paratha, and then a beef rendang, which is a slow cooked beef. That’s what I would always eat on a Saturday morning with my dad – that’s the Malaysian side. On the Thai side, what I ended up doing was a Thai Papaya Salad and a spicy peanut crunch, similar to the nuts with spice you get when you go to a bar in Thailand. 

SUGAR SUNGKAMEE: Today, I brought a southern Thai curry with crab meat and rice noodles that’s one of my favorite southern Thai dishes. I really enjoy cooking because I get to be with my family. I get to cook the food that I love to eat and share southern Thai traditions, which is what I grew up with. When you step into southern Thailand, you will find dishes like what we serve. There’s all types of different types of curries that you eat with rice noodles and this is one variation that I am serving today. It’s very comforting and very much has a home-like feel. My inspiration is to make people feel like, “Oh my god, this is so good, it feels like a homemade meal, and it feels like a meal in Thailand.” 

TIFFANY DELA PEÑA: My dish was actually inspired by my parents because they are traveling in the Philippines right now and I asked them about the cool food they’ve had while they’re there. They told me about the palabok they had in the Philippines and I thought that was cool so I wanted to make a crispy palabok. I actually got nominated [for the competition] the next day and I was like, “I think that this is a sign that I have to do this dish.”

MIREYA ARELLANO: This dish was inspired by my first time in Mexico. When I first went to Mexico, I remember having a sope and that was my very first memory of trying food in Mexico. I did my version of a sope but a mini version – because I like mini stuff.

What are you most excited to see at Family Style Fest this year, both as a participant and a fan of the event?

DEE RODRIGUEZ: As a participant and a fan of Family Style Fest, I'm most excited to have fun, do my best, and represent my mentor Brooke Williamson, who nominated me. It's a great opportunity to connect with such a creative community, and I can't wait to experience all the amazing food, talent, and energy that make this event so special!

SUGAR SUNGKAMEE: This is actually my first time at Family Style. We know the founders, we love them but it is our first time here. My aunt and I still work every day in the kitchen and the front of the house. We’re a family-run small business, so we don’t get to go out often. Whenever we have events like this it’s hard because sometimes we are understaffed. Today I brought my little cousins to help me prep and serve. We’re just really excited to see what other restaurants have, what merch is out there, and just all the fun and excitement I heard about Family style. 

TIFFANY DELA PEÑA: Having my family and friends here, to be honest, having them see me do this work. I had family come from San Diego and the Bay Area and they just came here for this. They saw me do my thing.

MIREYA ARELLANO: Spending time with my family – spending time with my mom, my dad, my in-laws, my husband, my kid. I’m very happy that everybody got to be here. Thank you, Family Style. Thank you, Converse. Thank you, everybody.

In the end, Mireya Arellano emerged as this year’s "Next in Line" winner, securing the $10,000 prize with her inventive Mini Sopa de Carne. The dish captured the judges' attention for its bold flavors, thoughtful presentation, and the personal story woven into each perfect bite. Arellano’s ability to balance traditional roots with innovative techniques set her apart in a competition where authenticity and creativity were crucial. Her win not only highlights her culinary prowess but also positions her as a rising star in Los Angeles’ food scene. The competition has shone a spotlight on all the contestants, each of whom demonstrated extraordinary skill and passion, but Arellano’s victory solidifies her place among the city's most promising talents. Los Angeles will surely see more from these exceptional chefs in the future.