Sonoma Chef Brings Traditional Asian Street Food to Wine Country

After many years in the food industry and a decade of international culinary exploration, consulting and helping others’ restaurant dreams come true, Bay Area chef Jessy Manuel felt it was her time to shine.

She launched Halénia Street Food Cart, her brand as a mobile chef, bringing Malaysian street food to Wine Country and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Manuel’s traditional Southeast Asian street food can be enjoyed in an immersive food and wine pairing experience on July 27 at Songbird Parlour in Glen Ellen.

Manuel, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, first embarked on a culinary journey that took her around the world, working as a chef and consultant, bringing diverse foods and cultures to different regions. By 2019, she was ready to realize her own vision and bring authentic Malaysian street food to the San Francisco Bay Area.

As Manuel was about to launch Halénia, a traditional street food restaurant served on a cart made of reclaimed wood, his life suddenly changed. His father died suddenly and everything stopped.

“Losing my father was very difficult. He raised me alone since I was 5 years old, and my parents had me when they were quite young. So he was 25 years old and had a 5-year-old daughter,” Manuel said.

“Then he passed away suddenly. It really changed my life. And it was at that time, in 2019, that I launched Halénia, the street food concept.”

After the devastating death of her father, Manuel’s life was turned upside down again by the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn’t until 2023 that she was ready to start over and organize her first Halénia event.

“I was finding my feet, picking up where I left off. But I’ve picked up with a bang. It’s like rising from the ashes,” she said.

Manuel didn’t want his father’s death anniversary to be filled with only dark emotions and thought it would be brave to do something different. As a tribute to his father and his personal and professional growth, Manuel brought Halénia to life on the anniversary of his father’s death.

As a mobile chef, Manuel brings Asian street food to various locations, cooking and serving authentic dishes from his handcrafted cart.

She launched her business on the streets of San Francisco with no marketing or support – just a chef, her cart and a traditional Malaysian dish from the island of Bornio.

“Once I set up the cart, the broth sells for me, it sells itself. I sold it in two hours, 300 bowls of soup by myself,” she says. “It’s really fun to bring something new to this space. I’ve never done anything as a chef for myself until now. And you don’t really find anything like what I do around here.”

Manuel makes laksa in her cart. This Southeast Asian noodle soup takes days to prepare. The spicy dish, rich in herbs and flavors, is her homemade recipe, right down to the chili paste and broth. She makes the paste and soup for each batch, and the broth itself simmers for 72 hours.

As the smell of Manuel’s delicious creation wafted through the streets of San Francisco, customers flocked to try the laksa.

“I’ve met a lot of people who say, ‘I’ve never tasted anything like this before.’ And then they do it and they’re just blown away,” Manuel said. “And then I have people who say, ‘I’ve been looking for laksa since I left home. Thank you so much for this.’ And both are equally special.”

In wine country, Manuel said, “I’ve done events at the Songbird Parlor, pretty quietly, but the last event was sold out.”

In partnership with Songbird Parlor, she hosts events in the elegant historic Jack London Village structure, which includes an event space, an open kitchen and a small garden near a large terrace along Sonoma Creek.

On July 27, Manuel will transform Songbird Parlour into a Mayan street food paradise for the day as she prepares a multi-course wine pairing featuring wines from Amapola Creek Vineyards.

The event will feature four courses, each created to showcase the diverse flavours and craftsmanship that define Malaysian street food culture.

Manuel said she was excited to merge the charm and uniqueness of her street food with the sophistication and elegance of wine country.

“Pairing this dish with wine can be difficult because of the heat, flavors and spices,” she said.

Manuel was thrilled to partner with Amapola Creek Vineyards, a local winery founded by winemaker Richard Arrowood. She said the winery was excited to take on the challenge of pairing Malaysian cuisine with Sonoma Valley wines.

On the menu, Sabudana Vada, Red Curry Laksa, Beef Rendang and Sticky Rice, Cendol and the chef’s version of a Chardonnay and cheese pairing.

Each dish tells the story of Manuel’s culinary journey as a globetrotting chef, showcasing foods from the bustling streets of Southeast Asia, immersed in tradition and flavor.

Manuel has worked in gastronomy and travel as a chef and consultant, helping to introduce foods from different ethnic cultures to new parts of the world. His first major consulting project in 2012 started in Bangalore and brought Mexican cuisine to India.

“My intention was not to be a chef; I wanted to be behind the camera, telling people’s stories,” she said.

Manuel’s father, also named Jesse Manuel, was a great cook, Manuel said. He and other mentors over the years inspired her to become a cook. Her first job in the industry was at a Thai restaurant when she was 14, and that’s where she found a mentor in one of the chefs.

“She was an incredible cook. She said to me, ‘Jessy, do you like cooking? You should cook. It would be good for you.’”

Feeding others good food is what Manuel loves most about being a chef, and she never serves anything she wouldn’t eat herself.

“What I love most about food is the relationship it has with the land. In turn, it feeds you, and then you can extend that relationship by feeding people,” she said. “If you ask me personally, I think feeding someone is one of the most intimate things you can do.”

“And the vulnerability of trusting that whatever I give you is not only going to be delicious, but it’s also going to be safe,” she said. “And then there’s the energy that comes from creating something, and I believe in that transference, too. I love the intimate connection that comes from feeding people.”

Songbird Parlour is located at 14301 Arnold Drive, #3, in Glen Ellen. The July 27 event will feature two sittings at 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.songbirdparlour.com/featured-events.

To learn more about the chef, visit https://jessymanuel.com/.

You can contact editor Emma Molloy at emma.molloy@sonomanews.com.

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