What happens in Vegas doesn’t necessarily stay in Vegas.
Just ask Chef Marcus Twilegar, the self-taught, culinary master who started his career washing dishes and bussing tables there before transplanting to San Diego.
He came by his craft honestly by inheriting the cooking gene (and culinary ion) from both sides of his family tree — his mom’s Guamanian branch and his dad’s Filipino one that especially took root during Thanksgiving and other holiday group cooking fests.
His inspiration while growing up was his maternal grandma, Eliose. She was a dedicated cook “who put her love and care into every dish, (who) inspired me to follow that love and become a chef,” Twilegar said.
About a year ago, he landed at Palmys Pacific Beach, (which morphs into Hello Hibachi after dark for take-out orders), a sustainable and organic eatery owned by his cousins, who brought him in as head chef. This after making a few pit stops along the way, including the opening of three Tender Greens in San Diego, and honing his French culinary techniques at A.R. Valentien at La Jolla’s treasured Lodge at Torrey Pines.
Palmys exudes “a chill beach vibe serving scratch-made dishes using the finest ingredients,” Twilegar said. Specialty Produce pulls from many local, organic farms; fish is line-caught, local, and sustainable; the chicken is all natural and hormone free; the eggs cage free, while the meat from Brandt Beef ranchers comes from responsibly raised cattle, pampered with a gut-friendly, grass-fed diet.
Twilegar’s latest victory was a knock-down, drag out unanimous decision for his ancho braised (Brandt) beef short rib taco in the Blind Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice categories last November at the San Diego Bay Food and Wine Festival’s 11th annual Grand Fiesta. It is better known as the Taco TKO Competition.
The win filled the undisputed taco champ’s heart with gratitude and his wallet with $3,000.
Twilegar humbly attributes his 32 years immersed in San Diego’s authentic culinary culture as the reason for his win, along with the trio of creative cooks recruited from Palmys, who assisted in constructing the dish.
“It’s part of my culture, in the ecosystem where I live; it’s second nature to me. You’d better know how to make an award-winning taco,” he said matter-of-factly.
His sassy concoction was paired with a strolling Mariachi band playing rancheras in your mouth to create vibrant, unforgettable flavors emblematic of Mexico’s lively cuisine.
Twilegar dressed the toothsome ancho braised beef with a pomegranate salsa macha by blending sesame seeds, hazelnuts, pepitas, guajillo and arbol peppers, crispy garlic shreds and pomegranate seeds in an avocado oil base.
He then topped the lollapalooza with avocado, pickled tomatillo and crispy sunchokes (aka the Jerusalem artichoke), “an artichoke and potato cross that gives an earthy, nutty flavor,” he said.
To Twilegar, the quality and creative combination of ingredients gave his taco the winning edge.
“It was a unique taco,” he said. “You don’t really see pomegranates and sunchokes in tacos, adding a nice crunch and tartness balancing out the spice from the arbol and guajillo peppers.”
When Twilegar is not whipping up winning tacos, he’s either catching fresh fish (he’s also a commercial fisherman) to prepare delectable dishes at Palmys; cooking up a storm with his 15-year-old daughter, Melody; on the links or serving up fresh-caught delicacies from the sea offered by local fishermen parking their boats at the open-air Tuna Harbor Dockside Market by Seaport Village.
Grilled spiny lobsters dredged in clarified butter and lemon, mahi mahi and Kennebec chips with scratch-made remoulade (a tartar sauce that went to a French finishing school), and poke bowls tricked out with sea urchin, avocado, sushi rice and seaweed salad are a few of Twilegar’s favorite piscivore delights.
A gustatory minimalist, the taco champ said he believes the key to his success was the use of the best quality ingredients, “and just let them shine on their own, appreciating their simplicity. You really don’t need to do much with them.”
Dishing up his last tidbit of advice to fledgling chefs, “is to keep learning and growing, and never be complacent. We’d be a lot better off if fellow chefs shared techniques and knowledge for exciting collaborations.”
For now, Chef Twilegar will continue to roll with the punches and hone his culinary craft as he trains to become the undefeated champ for next year’s Taco TKO competition.
