“Comfort food means food that brings you back—not just to a place, but to a feeling.”
— Chef Jonas Ng
In the bustling kitchen of James & Daughters, Chef Jonas Ng isn’t barking orders or pacing the line. He’s laughing with his team, quietly plating kinilaw, and swapping stories between prep tasks. This is no ordinary brigade—it’s a family forged in trust, humor, and shared purpose.
Raised between his mother’s home kitchen and his father’s restaurant, Jonas grew up steeped in hospitality. What began as a way to honor his parents has since transformed into something deeper. “Cooking is my tool to connect people, stories, values, and solutions. It’s no longer just about technique. It’s about meaning.”
From Spotlight to Soul Work
Known to many for his stint on the television show Chef Next Door, Jonas eventually stepped away.
“It felt inauthentic. It took me away from the people and projects that mattered.”
He poured his energy into James & Daughters—a restaurant where joy, respect, and purpose set the tone. At James & Daughters, there’s no shouting. Mistakes are seen as learning curves.“We treat our team like adults. We want work to be a safe space to grow. Life is already stressful enough.”
A new hire once burned a sauce batch during prep. Instead of scolding, Jonas handed them a spoon. “Taste it. Let’s talk about what went wrong.” It became a ritual: mistakes turned into teaching moments, not trauma.
What Comfort Tastes Like
Jonas’ cooking philosophy is anchored in what he calls no-borders cuisine. But don’t mistake it for trendy fusion.“We make comfort food from around the world, using mostly local produce, made from scratch, no preservatives. It’s food for everyone.”
His dishes tell stories: Kinilaw na Tuna as a love letter to General Santos. The signature Suman a la Hasset—a three-layered homage to the late pastry chef Hasset Go—blends suman, ube halaya, and leche flan.“Guests pause when we serve it. Then they smile. It’s a memory, not just dessert.”
The Long Road to Trust
Jonas doesn’t just source ingredients—he builds relationships.“Most producers are wary of over-promising chefs from Manila. You have to show up.”
In Benguet, he once climbed muddy trails to reach upland growers. There, he cooked sinigang over a portable burner in a basketball court. Karaoke blared in the background.“Trust starts with presence. With listening. And sometimes, with karaoke.”
That consistency—over years, not weeks—has built a sourcing network of producers who know they’re valued beyond the transaction.
Work as a Safe Space
In Manila’s competitive dining scene, Jonas took a different lane.
“If we can’t outspend them, we’ll out-collaborate them.”
His kitchen thrives on guest chef pop-ups and secret menus. One night, New York bartender Francis Balbarin turned the restaurant into a temporary speakeasy, serving tuna tartare, squid ink pasta with taba ng talangka, and tamarind-glazed duck. It’s a space where creativity thrives without hierarchy.“We take our work seriously—but never ourselves. Our guests are house guests. This is our home.”
Feeding with Feeling
The pandemic forced a reckoning. Jonas let go of what no longer served: projects, partnerships, even outdated personal beliefs.
“It’s not about growth for the sake of growth anymore. It’s about how many lives I’ve touched. It’s about improving the industry.”
To his younger self—or to any cook starting out—he repeats what Anthony Bourdain once told him backstage after an event:“Stay curious. Learn. Make mistakes. But most of all, have the balls to try.”
A Kitchen That Connects
Today, Chef Jonas Ng isn’t just serving food. He’s building a better kind of restaurant—one where food, purpose, and people intersect with honesty and care. Where every plate is a story, and every mistake is a lesson.“I want diners to feel loved. Seen. Like they’re part of something bigger—even just for a moment.”
More Stories from the Kitchen:
From Manila to MICHELIN: How Filipina Chef Frances Tariga Is Changing the Game in New York — a bold journey from Sampaloc to New York and back again, with a homecoming that’s unapologetically Filipino.
Chef Jackie Ang Po: Found Her Sweet Spot—In the Kitchen and at Home — a warm, candid portrait of a mom-chef mastering balance with humor and accessible baking.
