“Bini Pradhan grew up in Kathmandu, Nepal, surrounded by the Himalayan mountains. Her mother worked as a cook for the Nepalese royal family, and her delicious food was always in the spotlight. Bini followed her mother’s passion, went to cooking school in Bombay, and got a Bachelor’s Degree in hotel management catering. She then worked for several large hotel chains, gaining valuable experience in the Nepali food industry.”
Eric Grivas’ and his brother have always wanted to do something in food together. And he always comes up with these crazy ideas, but he and his brother finally sat down one day and were like, ‘Hey, why don't we just try making Bicol Express wings, for fun?’ So, they made the full, traditional dish — coconut milk, chili peppers, ginger, onion, garlic, bagoong (shrimp paste) — and then they took the whole thing and blended it! With the meat, the vegetables, the sauce, everything! And then they slapped that on the chicken wing, and tasted it. They were like, ‘Yes this is money! This is it! We’re in business!’ Eric Grivas and his brother Glen, the mad scientists behind the Filipino wing joint PI Wings, are quintessential California kids. They still go on occasional fast food binges, and make regular references to The Karate Kid — up to and including breaking out in a videoke-worthy rendition of Joe Esposito’s ‘You’re The Best’ during prep. Complementing their relaxed nature, however, is a serious respect for the traditional Filipino flavors that they’re presenting through their chicken wings — a five flavor menu of classics like Adobo, Arrozcaldo, Bicol Express, Kare-Kare, and Pinoy-Style BBQ.