Ria combines her traditional French culinary education with the Filipino flavors of her heritage. Beginning her training in time-honored French kitchens where hard work and initiative are expected, Ria is a product of prestigious Las Vegas restaurants: The Mansion at MGM Grand, Lutece, Michael Mina and Daniel Boulud Brasserie. After moving back home to Los Angeles in 2010, Ria’s first major culinary accomplishment was opening Sqirl. Alongside her hardworking team, she propelled the unconventional brunch spot to its current status of celebrity regulars and a perpetual line of hungry guests. After Sqirl, Ria went on to launch the lunchtime pop-up WILD at Canele. At WILD she continued her playful and experimental style, incorporating fresh farmers market produce and infusing an expansion of the Filipino flavors she grew up eating. The year-long residency was a success with food critics and diners alike. She then opened the Los Feliz branch of Go Get Em Tiger then joined Sydney based Paramount Coffee Project to oversee the opening of their expanded offering at The Row in Downtown Los Angeles. At the start of 2020, she helped launch and open Petite Peso in Downtown Los Angeles, a Filipino restaurant focusing on making Filipino food with thoughtful ingredients. In May 2023, she also helped open Peso Neighborhood Resstaurant at Ward Village in Honolulu, Hawaii, serving Modern Filipino Food with a weekly Chef’s Tasting Counter. Both concepts having garnered attention from publications and events such as the L.A. Times, Eater, Timeout, Asian Journal, L.A. Taco, The Infatuation, Shoutout L.A., Frolic, Hawaii News Now, Star Chefs, Indie Chefs Week and Hawaii Food and Wine to name a few. Back home in Los Angeles, she most recently teamed up with Chef Alvin Cailan at Amboy Quality Meats in L.A. Chinatown’s Far East Plaza. She also launched Polvo Cookie in February 2024, Filipino Shortbread in a rotating range of classic and seasonal flavors such as Classic Brown Butter, Ube Crispy Crepe, Food For The Gods and Pistachio Calamansi.