Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Stephen spent much of his childhood in the kitchen alongside his Filipino grandmother and enjoyed observing and helping prepare authentic home dishes like lumpia. After completing the Culinary Arts Management program at Los Angeles Mission College, he went on to earn his B.S. from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV). As a student at UNLV, Stephen won the title of the San Pellegrino’s Almost Famous Chef competition. He then worked under Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten for 10 years and opened several restaurants domestically and abroad as Corporate Chef for the group. To pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant, Chef Stephen joined Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ INTRO, for a chef-in-residence position, preparing him for his first solo venture, S.K.Y. His second restaurant, Apolonia, named after his late grandmother, who first ignited his passion for food, focuses on the Northern Mediterranean, offering a unique coastal approach to the region’s cuisine. His third restaurant, Valhalla, opened in Timeout Market in 2023 and relocated it to Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood in 2024.