Foodstuff: The Queens of soul

Filipino Farm Greens Salad.
Katherine Roberts/Courtesy photo

Chef and reigning restaurant maven Mawa McQueen continues to stir things up, now with a “Guest Chef Summer Series” running through September at Mawa’s Kitchen in the Aspen Airport Business Center and Mawita in Snowmass Base Village. 

“I think it is important that Mama’s and Mawita continue to be a hub for cultural exploration for the community, and I want to continue to enhance the experience and this mission at my restaurants,” says McQueen.

So far, the restaurants have been home to flavors from Saigon and a Filipino Soul Food fusion, with more dynamic combinations to come. I recently attended the Roaring Fork Valley debut of Los Angeles-based Chef Tiana Gee’s multi-course menu at Mawita. It featured a family-style offering of special bites inspired by her SoulPhil pop-up restaurant currently touring the country on the heels “Chef Tee’s” run on Food Network’s “Ciao House.”

The charming Gee floated around the dining room, giving tidbits about how the flavors on the menu combined her experiences as a Black and Filipino chef. She let us in on a few secrets, like the 7UP used to tenderize the beef skewers.

Visibly excited to be in the mountains, she explained she “Met Mawa a couple of years ago. Mawa always exudes great energy. She’s full of light, and her food reflects her vibrant nature. I admire her work in bringing flavors from her heritage to Aspen. We share a similar mission in showcasing our heritage and love for our culture through food, making this collaboration a perfect fit.”

In addition to the (very tender) beef, the menu was full of variety. We started with a jerk-spiced sea scallop in a mango relish with a kick. Fried okra came next, with a side of bagoong aioli, made from Filipino shrimp paste, and a perfect umami-bomb complement to the vegetable. A “Filipino Farm Greens” salad cleansed the palate, with watermelon radish, supremed orange segments, and bright rice wine yuzu dressing.

Filipino Barbecue Beef Skewers.Katherine Roberts/Courtesy photo

The main events were a tamarind barbecue sea bass with a “hoppin’ John fried rice,” crispy and laced with black-eyed peas, as well as the Filipino beef skewers with roasted garlic and pickled cucumber on the side to combat the richness. McQueen specifically called out the skewers before our dinner.

“It’s a fun collaborative dish between Tiana and me, so there is a little bit of an African spin on them. Putting together menus like this with the guest chef is an amazing learning experience for me. It not only benefits my customers, but it also benefits me and my staff as it is an exchange of recipes, ideas, and dishes that lets us learn new techniques, styles of food, and flavors,” she said.

The fish and meat course came with a side of smashed plantains and the dessert was a revelatory Macapuno coconut corn cake with corn ice cream(!), coconut caramel, and chunks of peach.

And McQueen hopes this all comes at a palatable price as well, at just under $100 per person for all courses.

“The main purpose is to allow locals to enjoy diverse food without the high price tag that you might find at other establishments when you hear the word ‘guest chef,’” she said. “Doing this is very dear to my heart as the town is changing, and it’s important that we make room for mom-and-pop restaurants and different cultures to establish a space to share that.”

Learn more about Chef Tiana Gee on cheftianagee.com, and stay hip to SoulPhil by signing up for her newsletter at soulphil.co.

McQueen’s remaining “Guest Chef Summer Series” dinners feature Chef Shorne Benjamin on Aug. 29 at Mawita and Aug. 30 at Mawa’s as well as Chef Vicky Colas on Sept. 6 at Mawita and Sept. 7 at Mawa’s Kitchen. More information and a link for reservations can be found at mawaskitchen.com/themed-dinners-and-special-events/.

Katherine Roberts is a mid-Valley based writer and marketing professional who loves seeing more international, variety popping up at our local restaurants. She can be reached via her marketing and communications firm, Carington Creative, at katherine@caringtoncreative.com.

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