Villa Lobos: Meet the Crew Behind the Next Dinner at Pizza Coming Soon

What started as a few teenagers from the skateboard club at King George Secondary swapping photos of food they’d cooked over a campfire during a skate trip to Whistler turned into something bigger, a real conversation about what comes next after graduation. Then came a pop-up. Then another. Each service tighter than the last, and with more bums in seats (backstory).

What we love about Villa Lobos is the architecture underneath it. The youth plan the menus, run service, and solve problems as they come. No safety net, no do-overs. The adults in the orbit open doors, drop knowledge when it’s asked for, and build the conditions for success, then get out of the way and let these kids own it. That’s a rare thing.

The third Villa Lobos dinner lands this Monday, leveled up to sixty seats and taking over Pizza Coming Soon for the night. The menu reads like a love letter to Filipino cooking: mussels and lumpia tartlets to get things moving, a sinigang that’ll reset your palate, a mid-meal Hokkaido scallop, chicken adobo, and a birthday cake to close it out because why not? A few spots are still on the table. If you want to be in a room buzzing with good energy, nice people, and tasty food, this one’s worth pulling out your wallet for (tickets are a reasonable $115). DETAILS HERE

Get to know three of the core team making it happen….

FOH Manager | David Magallanes Wu

What is Villa Lobos to you? Villa Lobos is a dinner pop-up that me, two of my closest friends, and the two dopest teachers in Vancouver curated together. Villa Lobos is a dinner to embrace new experiences and youth. We may not be Gordon Ramsay, but we definitely do our best to make sure everyone has a good time. Villa Lobos has been a blessing to me, as I get to run a restaurant with homies I’ve known since Grade 1.

Skate deck you’re currently riding Sci-Fantasy 8.175”

Favourite condiment Honey mustard from White Spot

First thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you? Eggs. I used to put them on rice with some soy sauce. Top-tier Asian struggle meal.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to figure out so far? Honestly, the support of other people has helped me with so much. Personally, the hardest thing I’ve been working on is holding myself accountable for my role and the things I’m in charge of. I want to make sure I’m not a burden, so it’s definitely one of the focuses I’m being hard on myself about.

What’s something you’re doing differently this time? Diving harder into preparing the FOH staff. At Villa Lobos, we want to elevate our service with every dinner, so making sure our service and food knowledge is tippity-top is a big focus this season.

One song from your ideal cooking-at-home playlist “Terry” – Action Bronson

Head Chef | Miguel Villalobos

“The first real thing I can properly remember is learning to make an omelette”

What is Villa Lobos to you? Villa Lobos pop-ups are a concept my friends and I came up with so that we could still make time for each other after high school. It unexpectedly became something bigger than we could imagine. I now have the opportunity to show my passion to so many others through food, while my closest friends get to do the same in their own way.

Skate deck you’re currently riding Antihero 8.5

Favourite condiment Any type of mustard

First thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you? The first thing I ever learned to cook was a grilled cheese in one of those sandwich press machines, but the first real thing I can properly remember is learning to make an omelette. I have a vivid memory from when I was 10 years old of my dad teaching me how to cook an omelette, and when the egg starts to set, you pull the egg into the middle and repeat until it’s set. So every time I make a nice omelette, I know he’d be proud.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to figure out so far? I have many ideas for different dishes I want to do. I always have my base plan, but adding all the little components that complete it as a composed dish while still keeping it true to myself is the most difficult part I’ve had to figure out.

What’s something you’re doing differently this time? In our past pop-ups, we were all enjoying it and figuring things out as we went. This time around, I want the kitchen to have more structure, putting each person on one station and having set roles so we don’t overlap. Something so simple, yet something I didn’t think about before.

One song from your ideal cooking-at-home playlist “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye

Head Bartender | Joshua Kamzelski

What is Villa Lobos to you? Villa Lobos is a pop-up restaurant started by three friends and two of the best teachers (“mom and dad”), where we get to experiment with creative food and drinks and share that experience with our community.

Skate deck you’re currently riding
A random skateboard I painted back in school in the city, one of those projects that just stuck with me.

Favourite condiment Any kind of hot sauce. I’m always down to try something new, especially if it’s got a bit of heat and personality.

First thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you? Making cookies with my mom and little brother when I was about four. One of my earliest memories in the kitchen, and probably where it all started.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to figure out so far? The hardest part of running a pop-up restaurant is dealing with the unknown. Every event is different, and you have to be ready to adapt on the fly.

What’s something you’re doing differently this time? This time around, I’m focusing a lot more on properly costing out the drinks I create so I can be more intentional and sustainable with what I’m making.

One song from your ideal cooking-at-home playlist “Seabird” – Innovations