From product sampler to dishwasher, now a successful Filipino restaurant owner in Australia

Chef Jackie Jacutin's family nearly lost everything when his father died in a ship accident in 1995. But with the strength of his mother and siblings, they kept going. From working in the Middle East to chasing his culinary dream, he’s now a chef and proud owner of a restaurant and multiple food businesses in Australia. A true story of resilience, family, and rising above life’s storms.

Meet Chef Jackie Jacutin with sons— a former product sampler from Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, and a dishwasher who pushed himself to learn and grow despite not finishing college. Now a proud owner of three businesses in the Blue Mountains, Australia, he believes that success means nothing if you can’t share it with the people you love. Credit: Chef Jackie Jacutin

Key Points

• Chef Jackie Jacutin is originally from Tablon, Cagayan de Oro City. He studied culinary arts through the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS), which led him to work in restaurants in the Middle East. In 2019, he moved to Australia, where he worked in several hatted restaurants before opening his own—Café Lurline—in 2023.
• Among the daily bestsellers on their menu are Filipino favourites like sisig, Pedro’s chicken inasal with roasted potatoes, and Dao tapsilog or Dao beef skewers.
• He and his team also recently opened a burger and taco shop in the Blue Mountains, NSW.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

From product sampler to dishwasher, now a successful Filipino restaurant owner in Australia

SBS Filipino

13:43Filipino

Cafe Lurline Credit: Chef Jackie Jacutin

Credit: Chef Jackie Jacutin

Credit: Chef Jackie Jacutin

credit: Chef Jackie Jacutin

Credit: Jackie Jacutin

Newly opened burger shop Smokey Bundits now serving in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Credit: Jackie Jacutin

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