DEANNA SISON

Deanna Sison is a culinary trailblazer, a custodian of Filipino tradition, and an influential force in San Francisco’s hospitality scene. Sison’s passion for authentic flavors and top-notch hospitality has been heavily influenced by her Filipino roots, European upbringing, and time spent in the kitchen alongside her mother. Deanna brings more than a decade of excellence to Little Skillet, the wildly successful lunch spot that's been serving up homespun Southern classics and comfort dishes in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood since 2008. Her craft cocktail bar, Victory Hall, opened in 2013 as a gathering place and cornerstone of the community with handcrafted seasonal cocktails and fresh takes on bar fare favorites.

Deanna’s latest project is a relaunch of her wildly popular “street eats'' restaurant Mestiza Taqueria. The new venture, simply called MESTIZA, embodies a philosophy of remixing flavors, building community, and sharing food traditions across cultures. 

With all of her restaurants located in San Francisco’s Filipino Heritage District (aka SoMa Pilipinas), Deanna is passionate about exploring her cultural roots and serving the local community through her own unique brand of hospitality. Deanna believes in the power of bringing people together around food in a nourishing and nurturing environment, and her enthusiasm for fostering genuine human connection is evident in all that she does.

CHEF SYL MISLANG

Chef Syl Mislang is an expert plant-based chef, with years of experience in a variety of kitchens and a wide range of cuisines. Chef Mislang’s culinary upbringing was highly influenced by both of her parent’s backgrounds, Filipino on her father’s side and Mexican on her mother’s. Her career in food began at the Sacramento Co-Op, where, throughout her 12-year tenure, she developed a passion for sustainable cooking and seasonal ingredients. Known as the farm-to-table capital, Sacramento was the ideal location to learn about the importance of seasonality and to develop a deep knowledge of sustainable cooking.

In 2014, Mislang embarked on her own culinary venture called The Roaming Spoon, a pop-up concept focused on unexpected vegan cuisine. Widely popular in Sacramento and beyond, The Roaming Spoon showcased Chef Mislang’s masterful technical prowess and ability to create incredible plant-based dishes. In 2017, Mislang joined the team at Miyoko’s Creamery as their executive corporate chef. This opportunity provided her with a platform to elevate plant-based cuisine while staying true to her commitment to high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. Now, as the Mestiza chef, Mislang is excited to maintain her commitment to hyperlocal and hyper-seasonal foods, while cooking dishes inspired by the flavors of Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Her approach involves reimagining traditional dishes with a focus on whole foods and innovative techniques, all while emphasizing the importance of trust between chef and diner.