Eat Good, Do Good

Growing up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Brooklyn, I learned a lot from my community. Fragrant spices and fresh vegetables were always coming through my house. An interest in all things food was sparked in me ever since. 
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My name is Chef Lulu and I am the head chef and owner of Casa Borinqueña. After moving to the Bay from New York City, I noticed the lack of Puerto Rican representation in food. Inspired to bring many of the recipes I grew up with to life, I created Casa Borinqueña with the help of my family.
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My family has always been the most important part of my life. When we decided to dive into this new venture, I was confident we would succeed because of how much trust and support we had. With all of our food, we strive to cook like we're cooking for each other. The amount of special attention and love to every ingredient shows with each meal. 
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Casa Borinqueña has become my outlet to share an abundance of the delicious recipes our family comes up with. Puerto Rican food is often known for things like pork and shrimp, but at Casa Borinqueña we boast not only the best vegan Puerto Rican food in the bay but the best Puerto Rican food period!

 

My culinary journey is a never-ending quest to make our traditional foods accessible to everyone. This year alone I spent 
​weeks learning the art and technique of pasteles from my older cousin. She has an immense talent for pasteles and has been making them for as long as I can remember. Being able to learn her recipe and adapt it to a vegan community has meant so much to me and to my family. I would like to give a special thanks to my cousin elí for being so patient with me in this teaching process and supporting our dream of becoming the best restaurant in California!

 
I am immensely blessed and honored to have been able to serve so many in the Bay Area community and hope to continue to do so in the future!