Before the coronavirus crisis hit, local chef Phillip Esteban (CH Projects, The Cork & Craft) was well on his way to launching a number of projects including Wordsmith, a boutique culinary store in the new Market on 8th food hall as well as his first independent restaurant, Well Fed, in his hometown of National City.

With those projects delayed, Esteban and his creative group Open Gym have changed course, developing a new food delivery service which extends its reach to the general public starting today. In collaboration with chef Marcus Twilegar, Esteban and his team have been providing pre-packaged meals to companies and institutions, including hospitals, but the public can now place home orders via the Craft Meals SD Instagram page for delivery between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. every day. The menu, based on classic Filipino dishes, features bowls of garlic fried rice with toppings that range from crispy pork belly to grilled chicken skewers served with pickled vegetables and a sous vide egg.

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