Friday, September 30, 2016

Kitchen Lingo: Inspired by Guam’s Land and Sea

By: Nicole Tesiro
Network Program Associate
(Pacific Islands SBDC Network)

The exterior of Kitchen Lingo during dinner. 
  (Photo taken from www.facebook.com/kitchenlingo)
Chef Lingo Quichocho was raised in the village of Santa Rita. He grew up learning to cook from family and friends in the back kitchens of Southern Guam.  After high school, Lingo received his certification in Culinary Arts from National Culinary and Baking School in San Diego, California. He relocated back to Guam in 2013 after working in kitchens from Massachusetts to San Diego anxious to share his passion with the people of Guam.


With the assistance of the Guam SBDC, Denise Mendiola – Senior Business Advisor and Women in Business Program Coordinator guided Chef Lingo through the start-up process. He stated that the SBDC helped layout the groundwork for his business. Denise was very knowledgeable, resourceful, and generous with information that allowed Kitchen Lingo to be competitive in the restaurant industry. 

Kitchen Lingo is owned and operated by Chef Lingo Quichocho along with Lenny and Pika Fejeran, owners of Pika’s Café. They opened Kitchen Lingo on May 1, 2015 in the heart of Downtown Hagatna. Their mission is “To practice uncompromising commitment to quality, sourcing the best local ingredients possible, serving innovative, chef-driven and value-focused craft food and drinks in a chic, intimate atmosphere driven by our island hospitality.”

Chef Lingo finishes off plating during lunch hour. 
(Photo taken from www.facebook.com/kitchenlingo)
The menu at Kitchen Lingo takes the freshest ingredients from local vendors (Grow Guam Fresh, Farm-To-Table, and Fisherman’s Co-Op) and transforms them into unique, delicious dishes. For lunch you can find dishes such as the local fish with herb salsa, long beans, bok choy and edamame salad or the pulled duck sandwich with hoisin, cilantro pesto, and cucumber and papaya slaw. For dinner, they offer a salmon entrée with zucchini, kale, fennel, crab couscous, and soffrito. But their latest offering is the chef’s tasting. This is great if this is your first dining experience at Kitchen Lingo. Chef Lingo curates a six course prix-fixe meal giving you an opportunity to try multiple items on the menu. It is offered Monday through Wednesday for dinner only.

Kitchen Lingo is located on 153 Martyr Street Suite 101-A in the heart of Downtown Hagatna. They are open frpm Monday through Friday for lunch from 11:00am – 2:00pm and dinner from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. On Saturday, they are only open for dinner from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. For reservations, visit their website www.kitchenlingoguam.com or call 671-472-5550.