Meet Ricardo Lona | Chef/Co Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ricardo Lona and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ricardo, what is the most important factor behind your success?
We feel like our ability to provide people with a great dining experience, while taking full responsibility for the quality of ingredients we source, is the backbone to our success. We are well aware of how polluted our food systems are at the moment, so we do our part by providing a cleaner option.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Flavor Lab Test Kitchen is actually a hybrid child that spawned from our 2 separate prior businesses. It was created as a space for us to explore the world of plant based food as well as express our love for aesthetics. We pride ourselves in the little details that come with feeding people including quality of product, service & overall experience. We are very big on health & we do our best to share that through our food, but in a very approachable manner.

We got to where we are today through persistence, lots of research & a burning love for what we do.

Was it easy? No. But each challenge placed in front of us prepares us for the next one. And if things start to get uncomfortable, remember that the most growth comes from uncomfortable situations.

A few things we learned while on this journey would be trust the process, be confident in what you do, and don’t be afraid to say “no”.

We want the world to know that no matter the circumstances, all it takes is a little elbow grease & the ]desire to create the life you want to live.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooo this is a great question! Here’s a list of some of our favorite spots in San Diego. We would probably just take them o all of them throughout the week!

Provecho! Coffee Popup- Quality coffee with beans roasted in house. Match with Oat or “Orange Dream”. Don’t forget your crowler of Ube Horchata.

Little Italy Farmers Market- Load up the truck with a camp stove & a cast iron skillet. Get there early to beat the traffic. Apple danish or croissant from Bon Jour upon arrival. Then pick up some cool local ingredients and make some breakfast sandwiches by the water.

Kate Sessions Park- MAJOR picnic vibes with a view of the city! Occasional free concerts.

Breweries- Harland, Modern Times, Mikkeller

Vegan Mirai- Chef Chang uses traditional techniques to create some seriously delicious plant based sushi rolls. Find him at various farmers markets throughout the city.

Uprising Pizza- BEST PIZZA IN TOWN. Don’t @ us. Funky sourdough crust, baked to order, perfect every time. Chef Ryan’s always got something delicious baking in his ovens. Find em, follow em, & never let them go.

Neighborhood- Cozy, hip spot with a great cocktail program & solid black bean burger.

Institute of Contemporary Art (north)- Beautiful space, amazing people. Be sure to check out the ceramic studio!

Donna Jean- AMAZING plant based Italian food. Fungazzi pizza, baked mac & cheese with Calabrian chili, Nashville hot shrooms to start. Then proceed to order the rest of the menu.

Callie- Oh Callie … my love. Please, just go. Of course, order the tasting menu, wine pairings if you’re feeling dangerous. Impeccable service, delicious food, classy yet laid back.

Rakitori- Solid bowl of spicy miso ramen!

Not in any order. Do some research and find out when the best time to go is. Enjoy!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We have a lot of people to thank for where we are today. First off, we would like to thank our family. Even when they thought we were a bit on the wild side for diving into entrepreneurship head first, they have always believed in our vision and supported in so many ways.

To our friends who have become family, thank you for always showing up for us. Thank you for all the support & guidance you have given us. Whether you’ve purchased our products, shared knowledge or put in work at an event with us. You all play a very important part in making this project come to life.

To the Jones family, thank you for your friendship, kindness & time. Thank you for also nurturing our children and giving them a safe space to learn and grow. We are very grateful for you!

To all of our industry friends, purveyors, & the amazing people we’ve have the pleasure of creating with. Thank you for all of the support, mentorship and opportunities you have presented us with.

Provecho! Coffee Co.
Rottweiler Clothing
Stephanie Chen
J.R. Organics Farm
Vegan Mirai
Uprising Pizza
Scratch House
ASD Catering
Tavahi Owen
Jones Tactics
Pacific Beach Farmers Marker
Spiritual Junkie

Instagram: @flavor.lab_

Image Credits
Stephanie Chen