"Here on the Westside, I don't even really know if people knew what Filipino food was," Batiste said.
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.
"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!"