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ORAL HISTORY

Gabriel Medina

Subo

A veteran of Tokyo’s Michelin-starred Narisawa and the acclaimed former chef de cuisine at Houston’s buzzy Kata Robata, Gabriel Medina is no stranger to fine dining. Yet, having spent many formative years in Southeast Asia, he cites street food as one of his first loves. “They’re doing it because it’s their job,” he says of the vendors he remembers. “They’re not trying to be a Michelin star chef. They’re not trying to be a James Beard. They’re really not trying to do it for accolades. They’re just wanting to make a perfect product, obviously, so they can keep working forever.” It is this spirit that Gabriel strives to honor each Saturday at Urban Harvest where he serves Filipino breakfast at his pop up Subo. “Subo means feeding others with your hands or endearingly feeding them with a nurturing way. I chose the name because I want to spoon-feed people my culture. I want to teach people more about Filipino food.” Having forged close working relationships with the farmers he’s gotten to know at the market, whose seasonal offerings provide the basis for his menu, Gabriel stresses that Subo is a group effort. “Because of my wife, I’m able to pursue my own dreams. Because of my father, I was so privileged to have a great life. Because of my family and friends who support me, I can have the confidence of opening up a pop-up stall after opening million-dollar restaurants in a farmers market in the city of Houston doing exactly what I love.”