Adjacent to the Office Depot parking lot sits Midland Filipino Bakery & Café, a small red and white food truck with modest overhead lettering and a canopy for visitors. Inside, Malcolm Hiponia and second chef RJ dance around each other six days a week, providing Midlanders with the unique taste of Southeast Asia.
Hiponia’s introduction to cooking started in childhood. Since his mother worked as a university principal, they lived in faculty housing. He recalls the entire house being awake by 5 a.m. ready to munch on her treat of the day. While studying culinary arts in the Philippines, the foodie finished courses focused on bakery, commercial bakery and bakery management. Next came culinary school in Virginia.
After his dad died, Hiponia’s family moved to Los Angeles, ultimately leading to a break in his culinary ways. Four years ago, Hiponia’s mother fell sick with…
