“The hardest part of the whole process was finding teammates,” chef Spencer Hunter recalls of the lead-up to his turn in the Food Network program The Great Food Truck Race, the show that launched the Lia’s Lumpia food truck and restaurant. But he identified his first kitchen co-star right away: his mom.
This week’s Happy Half Hour features mother-and-son duo Lia and Spencer Hunter of Lia’s Lumpia. Their come-up story is a fascinating blend of family tradition, cultural preservation, and innovative culinary fusion that began long before the Hunters’ foray into food competition TV.
In addition to working at Brian Malarkey–owned restaurants in San Diego, Spencer spent time in the Panamanian rainforest as part of his studies in sustainable tourism. Living without common amenities found in the United States, Spencer learned to cook using local ingredients and traditional methods. This deepened his appreciation for his cultural roots and inspired him to fuse his Filipino heritage with his Black American background, leading to unique creations like mac-and-cheese lumpia.
Speaking of lumpia, Spencer learned how to roll the thumb-sized, Filipino, fried-and-stuffed rolls from his mom, who learned from her mother. Spencer’s grandmother opened the first Filipino restaurant in National City, San-Loy’s Lumpia and Food To Go (it was at 24 East 24th Street). Spencer’s brother, who learned in a similar fashion, also turned out to be a natural roller—but he opted not to toss lumpia for a living and became a professional cannabis joint roller at local dispensary Urbn Leaf instead.
After Spencer and Lia’s second-place finish on the food truck show, they decided to open a real truck back home in San Diego, and Lia’s Lumpia was born. As at their forebear’s San-Loy, the menu features a burger (a generational coincidence). Spencer’s version is a smashburger with calamansi mayo. About a year ago, he and Lia also launched a brick-and-mortar spot in Barrio Logan, co-branded as Milagro’s Modern Filipino.
As well as hearing more tales from the Hunters, we covered the news: 25-year-old Terra American Bistro is switching from restaurant service to takeout; Brewery X is launching a new brewpub at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel + Marina; Blanco Cocina + Cantina opened in Coronado; the La Jolla Art & Wine Festival returns September 28 and 29 with 160 artists, wine, and music (proceeds go to San Diego Unified); Ember & Rye is hosting two dinners in collaboration with Richard Blais (BBQ with Blais on Sunday, July 14, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and A Taste of Ember & Rye on Thursday, July 18, from 6-9 p.m.); Asian snack superstore Juewei is coming to Convoy; Marisi earned Wine Spectator’s 2024 Award of Excellence for prioritizing wine selection, service, and knowledge; and the San Diego Brewers Guild’s annual Craft Beer Conference is headed to MiraCosta College on August 13.
