A family business: Nine-month-old Lucio keeps Marise and Daniel company as they prepare orders for pickup. (All photos: Grace St. Clair)
Aug. 4, 2026—Filipino food through an Italian lens.
It sounds unexpected, but when you meet Daniel Malillos, who was born in the Philippines and attended culinary school in Italy, it makes sense.
Daniel and his wife, Marise, are the co-creators behind Osso, preparing classic Filipino dishes using Italian culinary techniques and a philosophy centered on seasonal, simple ingredients.
Daniel puts an Italian spin on Pancit, a classic Filipino noodle dish. Inspired by the classic spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino (spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, and chilis), he seasons mung bean noodles with garlic and chili, tosses them with seasonal vegetables and finishes the dish with olive oil.
Daniel worked at an “agriturismo,” an Italian farm-to-table restaurant in Parma, when he was 17. Harvesting fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden each morning shaped his philosophy of cooking, as he says, “from nature to your plate.”
Osso’s Filipino-Italian kitchen serves the dishes Daniel and Marise grew up with and still crave: (clockwise from top left) chicken inasal, fried chicken wings, Tapsilog, lumpia and Asian cabbage salad.
Around the same time, a series of family losses due to diet-related illnesses, like high blood pressure and diabetes, led Daniel to rethink the connection between food and health.
Though fully immersed in Italian culture, he never lost touch with the flavors of his home country—or with his childhood friend, Marise.
Marise grew up in the Philippines, and the two stayed in touch through Daniel’s older sister, one of Marise’s close friends. They eventually began dating long-distance, meeting in the Philippines or Italy. When the pandemic hit, they got engaged.
Marise moved to the Bay Area in 2021, Daniel immigrated to the US, and they married the following year.
“A moment that brings together Daniel’s many passions. ““Part of wellness is community,” Daniel says as he prepares a special meal for a friend competing in the CrossFit Games.
While Daniel was working at Hanloh Thai Food in Santa Cruz, Marise asked him to cook the traditional Filipino dishes she was craving.
Daniel recreated them from memory, relying on the flavors he grew up with and the techniques he learned in culinary school.
“Every time he cooked for me, I would think, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so good,’” Marise says. “It tastes Filipino.”
With little Filipino food available locally, Daniel and Marise started Osso to share the comfort food they grew up with.
Operating out of Enterprise Kitchen, a commercial kitchen in Scotts Valley, they offer online ordering for pickup. Individual servings range from $11-$19.95, with larger family-size options also available.
Recently added to the menu, Kaldereta is Osso’s interpretation of a Filipino-style beef bourguignon: slow-braised beef in a rich tomato and red wine sauce with potatoes, carrots and bell peppers.
Their chicken inasal stands out—tender and flavorful, marinated overnight with calamansi lime juice, soy, garlic, ginger and lemongrass, then oven roasted and finished on the grill. Crushed peanuts and a punchy vinegar-based sauce add depth and texture.
Tapsilog is a traditional Filipino breakfast of beef tapa (thinly sliced beef marinated in vinegar, garlic and soy) served with fried egg, rice, atsara pickles and a housemade vinegar sauce.
Their take on chicken wings, fried in beef tallow, are crispy and tender, topped with a slightly sweet fish sauce glaze, herbs and fried shallots.
The house cabbage salad is fresh, bright and tangy—crunchy rainbow ribbons of red and white cabbage, carrots, slightly tart mango and edamame, served with a pineapple dressing and topped with chopped cilantro, fried shallots and crushed peanuts–the ideal counterpoint to the richer dishes.
Osso sources local produce from farmers markets and uses low-inflammatory oils like avocado oil, olive oil and tallow for frying, avoiding seed oils.
“We’re going to keep doing it healthy,” Daniel says. “We’re going to keep doing it local.”
Marise runs Osso’s front of house and organizes orders for pickup on Wednesdays as eager customers await.
The menu now also includes macro diet-friendly meals that provide a specific amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Osso means “bone” in Italian, reflecting Daniel’s commitment to wellness and cooking.
The name also nods to his belief in building strong bones through exercise and healthy eating, his no-waste philosophy of using bones for broth, and his love of bone-in stews like Italian Osso Buco and Filipino Bulalo.
“We wouldn’t share anything that we wouldn’t eat ourselves,” Daniel says. “From our table to yours.”
Order online by midnight Monday for pickup at 100 Enterprise Way, Scotts Valley, 11am–2pm Wednesday via eatosso.com.
Grace St. Clair is a former NYC marketing maven turned longtime Santa Cruz–based food enthusiast. Follow along @bigbitesc on Instagram.
Dining and Cooking