Fresno is often seen as that small farming community with nothing to offer but fresh produce, livestock, and the air pollution inherited from the “big cities” that are often so quick to cast judgment. Fresno has constantly lived in the shadow of its neighbors to the north and south. Because of its rich farming industry, Fresno has always attracted the new Americans searching for a start to begin their chance at the American dream. These citizens not only bring much needed labor and industry to the community, they also bring their rich traditions and cultures with them. This unique blending of cultures has led to the vibrant and often overlooked exciting restaurant scene.

Just around the Fresno City College campus, is a place where students can escape for a meal and enjoy everything from comfortable micro brewery to Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, and other endless choices. These places are by no means that of a fine dining establishment, and may seem insignificant to the magnificence of a five star restaurant headed by a celebrity chef.

Being a self-proclaimed “foodie”, I wondered how long it would be before Fresno would be able to attract young, talented, and ambitious chefs to our town. It started in 2005 when Malachi Harland, the son of local chef Roy Harland, made his way back to his hometown to open his first restaurant “The Chef’s Table”. Malachi started working in his father’s restaurant when he was 12, and at 19 left for the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. He headed the XYZ restaurant in the W hotel of San Francisco and the same year earned the honor of being named one of San Francisco Chronicle’s “Up and Coming Chef’s”. Though “The Chef’s Table” may be out of the budget of most Fresno City College students, it can be found at Fig Garden Village conjoined with the Elbow Room. Prices range from $17 to $26 for main courses.

Last December, he also made way to another SF Chronicle’s “Up and Coming Chefs”. Located on Blackstone Ave. next to Hooter’s, Castillo brings the unique cuisine of Peruvian food to Fresno, bringing another unique and exciting cuisine to Fresno. Castillo emigrated from Lima, Peru to the US in 1988. He spoke almost no English but was able to find a job bussing tables in San Francisco, he later convinced his family to follow. He opened his first restaurant, Limon, in San Francisco in 2003. He opened his restaurant in Fresno just in time for the New Year, bringing the city its own Limon. The prices remain competitive with the surrounding chain restaurants in the area.

Chef Zhongyi Liu came to Fresno earlier in 2008, bringing a classically trained and renowned chef in Chinese cuisine. Liu was trained at the Grand Hotel Beijing School, and would later serve as the executive chef at The Grand Hotel Beijing from 1993 to 1999. Chef Liu has earned many awards for his excellence in culinary techniques. Not only has he had the opportunity to head a well renowned restaurant, but has also cooked for a number of foreign leaders. He can be found cooking his authentic Chinese cuisine at The Hunan Restaurant located in the Cedar Tree Village shopping center, with reasonable prices almost identical to the already popular Chinese restaurants in town.

Fans of great food should embrace talented chefs to show the state that Fresnans are not just that small farming community with nothing to offer. Instead, a beautiful community with wonderful cuisines and cultures to share.

Thanks to these chefs Fresno we may obtain some positive spotlight for its growing restaurant scene as something that must be recognized within the state.