San Diego-Born Chef To Open Wild Flour California Delicatessen In Liberty Station

Chef Phillip Esteban is a native San Diegan who has honed his craft at several top restaurants, including Michelin-starred chef David Chang’s Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City, Nine-Ten in La Jolla, The Cork and Craft in Rancho Bernardo, and most recently as the R&D chef for Consortium Holdings – the company behind such San Diego hotspots as Born & Raised, Ironside Fish & Oyster and Craft & Commerce. During the pandemic, Esteban operated a catering company called Craft Meals that donated meals to front-line workers.

Last year, the National City native launched several small-scale eateries – the White Rice Filipino comfort food and bowl stand inside Liberty Public Market, and Weapon Ramen, which has stalls in National City’s Market on 8th Food Hall and inside Liberty Public Market in Point Loma. Last month, Esteban opened the second location of his White Rice eatery on the base floor of the brand new Orchid apartment building on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. He is also working on the opening of his first full-scale restaurant Well Fed, a concept he hopes will encapsulate the Filipino-American experience.