top of page

O.C. chefs, restaurants team up to serve wildfire relief

Staff Writer 


Bracken’s Kitchen in Garden Grove has partnered with World Central Kitchen to feed people affected by the fires in L.A. (Courtesy of Bracken’s Kitchen)
Bracken’s Kitchen in Garden Grove has partnered with World Central Kitchen to feed people affected by the fires in L.A. (Courtesy of Bracken’s Kitchen)

Beginning on Friday afternoon and late into the night, donations for Los Angeles wildfire victims poured in at Kaizen Fusion Shabu Shabu in Santa Ana. Cases of bottled water were stacked high and trash bags filled with gently used clothing were piled in the corner of the restaurant space next door.


“We haven’t started construction in the new space yet, it is just a full-on empty space, so I told my friend let’s put it use,” said owner Lamson Nguyen of the location she recently acquired.


More than 12,000 structures have been damaged or completely destroyed since Tuesday, when flames first blazed through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena leaving many residents displaced. In the days that followed, Orange County restaurants, chefs and other industry professionals have mobilized to provided support to L.A. neighbors affected by the fires.


Nguyen’s friend Maynard Manalac was organizing a donation drive, and Nguyen offered the space as a drop-off location. Nguyen put together a flier for Kaizen’s social media outlets with a call for water, toiletries, feminine care products, pet food, flashlights, batteries and more. On Friday and Saturday from noon until 11 p.m. people came through with donations, and the team ended up collecting enough cases of water to fill a trailer and enough food to fill four trucks.


“On Sunday we realized we had such an influx of donations, we made it a priority to deliver the perishables first,” said Nguyen.


Nguyen and Manalac partnered with friend Ricky Ortigoza, who provided trucks to transport the donations to Santa Anita Park’s massive donation site. On Monday, they rented a U-haul truck to transport the remaining clothing and other nonperishable items to Monrovia High School’s donation site.


“It has been amazing to see,” said Nguyen.


In Garden Grove, Bill Bracken of Bracken’s Kitchen also jumped in to action when news of the fires spread, utilizing his resources to partner with World Central Kitchen.

“We were watching the news, and we are not naturally a disaster response organization, World Central Kitchen are the godfathers of it,” said Bracken. “They do it so well.”


Bracken’s Kitchen is a local nonprofit combating food insecurity through food rescue, a culinary training program and its food truck feeding program. World Central Kitchen is an organization founded by Spanish American chef/restaurateur José Andrés to provide food relief in disaster areas. A sous chef with Bracken’s Kitchen was contacted by Word Central Kitchen about the need for volunteers, and Bracken offered his services.


“On Friday at about 9:30 at night WCK called and said they need help in Sylmar where a whole bunch of seniors that needed care had been evacuated to a facility,” Bracken said.


Bracken’s Kitchen prepared roasted chicken in Carolina-style BBQ sauce over Spanish stir fried rice to be distributed to those in need after Los Angeles wildfires.
Bracken’s Kitchen prepared roasted chicken in Carolina-style BBQ sauce over Spanish stir fried rice to be distributed to those in need after Los Angeles wildfires.

Bracken’s team put out a call for volunteers via social media, but by Saturday night, they had more volunteer applicants than they could ever use.


“I think we all know somebody, somewhere who is affected by this, so it has become very personal for everybody about how we can help,” said Bracken. “Our heart just goes out to all of these people.”


Over the weekend Bracken’s Kitchen assembled meals like roasted chicken in Carolina-style BBQ sauce over stir-fried rice before loading up to distribute the meals wherever World Central Kitchen sent them.


While Bracken’s Kitchen doesn’t have experience feeding people during disaster response, Bracken said they are well versed in sharing food with people in a vulnerable state. The response from the Orange County restaurant industry doesn’t surprise him.


“There really isn’t a more giving business than the hospitality business,” said Bracken.


Patrick and Kim Newett load up supplies at Bracken’s Kitchen in Garden Grove.
Patrick and Kim Newett load up supplies at Bracken’s Kitchen in Garden Grove.

The efforts of the O.C. restaurant community will continue this week with nearly 90 restaurants coming together to raise funds in support of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.


On Tuesday, Jan. 14, all participating restaurants will donate 20% of all sales to the food bank.


43 views

Comments


bottom of page