Photo courtesy of Carlito’s Catering
Leilani Marcelino prepares meals the same way her Filipino-Chinese family has for generations, from the big woks of her grandmother to the kitchen of Carlito’s Catering
Every Sunday at her grandmother’s house, all aunts, uncles, and cousins would gather together for dinner. “Guama would cook at least two big woks of lumpia enough to feed 15 people,” Leilani shares. Now running her own business, Leilani serves the same Chinese lumpia, which she says has become a signature at Carlito’s Catering. She manages the business with her husband, Martin, and daughter, Maxine.
Although Leilani graduated with a degree in mathematics and did not have any formal culinary training, her sensibilities around food developed naturally. She would wake up to her grandmother experimenting on different dishes and would often join her parents on their dining excursions in the ’80s.
Maxine fondly recalls her childhood being filled with the warmth of food. She would wake up early to tag along her mom to the farmer’s market and take up an apron to cook different meals. Most special to her were the lunches her mom would pack during elementary school. “Imagine, I would have a little tiger container and inside were amazing food like lamb chops. My teachers and classmates would always be impressed,” she shares.
Turning her love for food into a business, Leilani began making food trays at home. She began cooking in their dirty kitchen and quickly spilled over their garage as more orders came in. She named the business after her dad, Carlito, who was not a cook, but her biggest supporter when she was starting the business.
The family’s strong bond is one of the reasons why Carlito’s continues to be a success. Leilani leads the kitchen, Martin handles back-end operations, while Maxine drives the brand’s creative direction and strategy. Her daughter Maxine, who already runs her own string of businesses, still chooses to work with her parents. “While some in the Filipino-Chinese community tend to steer clear of the family business, I leaned in,” Maxine shares, “There’s mutual respect—and we listen to one another.”
Leilani’s passion for cooking deepened when she met her husband Martin, whom she won over with her hearty meals. “The old saying is very much true… The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” she jokes. As their family grew with their daughter Maxine, Leilani continued to express her love through food.
Carlito’s has grown since its establishment in 2003, evolving from simple food trays to a full-service catering business. Their menu now ranges from classic Chinese favorites like kiampung to staple meals like baked salmon with spinach cream. They also introduced Caja boxed meals, which started during the pandemic when Zoom gatherings became a way for people to gather and celebrate.
Even celebrity patrons have taken notice, with Leilani sharing how the brand has become their go-to for tapings to larger events. Looking forward, Carlito’s will soon expand their business and is aiming to offer more comforting meals to their customers.
At the center of it all is Leilani, who strives to serve “elevated comfort food” reminiscent of her loving home. “The heart and soul of the brand is the family. There’s no Carlito’s without it,” Maxine says, “When you’re working with people you love, it doesn’t feel like work. Of course, there were challenging days, but when I look back, it just flew by. What fuels us is love, respect, and the desire to keep going.”
