"Here on the Westside, I don't even really know if people knew what Filipino food was," Batiste said.
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She decided to open up her own business serving the types of food that have been passed down in her family. The goal of her restaurants, Big Boi and B Sweet, was to introduce the masses to her culture through Filipino cuisine.
"I'm more proud that it's my mom's recipes that I can share with everyone that comes in," Batiste said.
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"I'm so excited to be part of that Filipino food movement, along with all the other great chefs," Batiste said. "I hope we can make a difference and teach people, giving them the knowledge about not just what a wonderful country it is. It has such great, loving people... What I love still the most is just feeding people. I can't wait to feed you!"