Jordan Andino has got a lot cooking.
The Filipino-Canadian chef, restaurateur and television personality has been busy in the studio kitchen, serving as a judge on two new shows — “Halloween Bakeshop” and “Holiday Bakeshop” — that will premiere this fall on Canada’s Flavour Network. At the same time, he’s partnering with Filipino chef Francis Tolentino on Union, a buzzy new restaurant opening in Manila, Philippines, on Nov. 8.
Meanwhile, Andino remains the culinary director of Continuum wellness club, an ultraluxe gym and health retreat in NYC’s Greenwich Village. And he’s always on daddy duty, doting on his adorable 2-year-old daughter Malou with his wife of nearly four years, Erin Andino.
Of all those jobs, the gourmand says fatherhood is the most important. “I get emotional thinking about it,” he tells Alexa. “To me, it means making sure that the person that you are rearing is the best contributor to the world — so someone who is thoughtful, caring, proactive, ambitious, driven, loving and considerate.”
From a young age, his parents — Toronto chef and restaurateur Richard Andino and model and actress Joanna Garel — instilled in him an achievement mindset. And they were strict. “My dad taught me the meaning of hard work and the meaning of a dollar,” says the tastemaker. “The immigrant mentality is: Head down and work as hard as you can to do better for the next generation.”
The TV chef was born in Toronto, then moved to Manhattan Beach, Calif., with his mom when he was 9. He developed a love of surfing and skateboarding in the Golden State, and a passion for food while making pastries, pizza and hot apps in his father’s kitchens every summer. After attending Cornell University’s renowned Hotel School, he worked at top restaurants including The French Laundry, Spago and Jean-Georges. In 2015, he opened Flip Sigi, a fast-casual Filipino taqueria in Greenwich Village, later adding outposts in Chicago and Jersey City, NJ. In 2023, he unveiled Carriage House, a New American restaurant with global influences, on NYC’s West 10th Street. Over the last year, he shuttered those locations to focus on TV and other projects.
With his food world expertise, gift of gab, down-to-earth demeanor and dazzling smile, Andino is a natural on camera. He’s hosted shows including Netflix’s “Cook at All Costs” and Cooking Channel’s “Late Nite Eats,” judged on series from “Chopped” to “Worst Cooks in America” and appeared on programs like “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Rachael Ray” and Selena Gomez’s “Selena + Chef.” He also runs a busy side business catering events for brands such as Versace and Oscar de la Renta and has worked as a personal chef for celebs, including Kyrie Irving and the Kardashians. “They were actually some of the best clients I’ve ever cooked for because they’re normal,” he says of the famous family. “They eat a lot! I love them.”
His latest screen effort: baking battles. Eight contestants will compete for a $25,000 prize on the two seasonal programs, which are hosted by Canadian actor Lauren Ash and co-judged with Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman. “The shows feature some of the best bakers I’ve ever seen,” observes Andino. “They found people who have incredible attention to detail.”
Andino says that he has evolved as a judge, giving more critical feedback on these programs than in the past. In other words, he strikes a balance between sweet and salty.
