Interview Jimmy Madla, Coobah

Jimmy Madla got his nickname—“Tasty J”—thanks to his flair for cooking. Madla (just “Tasty” to his friends) has combined his knowledge of music, food, and his Filipino heritage in his restaurant, Coobah. Traditional items like pancit noodles and lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) dot the menu, and the restaurant’s dark colors, background sounds, and loungy vibe play to Madla’s musical side. No stranger to either industry, Madla graduated from Chicago culinary school Kendall College and played drums in the alterna-rock group Veruca Salt. Madla spoke to The A.V. Club about the perks of being a chef and a musician, the connections between entrées on Coobah’s diverse menu, and the finer points of serving 40s in a restaurant.

The A.V. Club: Why two Os?

Jimmy Madla: My business partner came up with the name. When anyone of Latin decent pronounces “Cuba,” it sounds similar to that. So that influenced us, but basically it is a bastardized spelling of Cuba.

AVC: How did you end up at Coobah?

JM: I opened this restaurant with a friend. We talked about [opening Coobah] maybe five to seven years before we actually opened the doors, so it was something we always wanted to do. I met him through my band; we used to practice in his basement.

AVC: Veruca Salt, right?

JM: Yes, I played drums.

AVC: Any chance Coobah would pop in “Seether” one night?

JM: No, possibly at Horseshoe. We usually don’t play that type of music.

AVC: Who gets better groupies: chefs or drummers?

JM: Chef groupies are a little older, and they tend to be dudes. It’s nothing like rock groupies, nothing. I appreciate the support from both groupies.

AVC: What first made you decide to become a chef?

JM: Probably my dad. He used to do a lot of cooking. I’m Filipino, so he used to cook that style a lot.

AVC: What is Filipino cuisine like?

JM: Filipino food is a mixture. The language, culture, and food are all influenced by Spain, so it’s not a typical Asian cuisine. They use a lot of coconut milk, vinegars, and cooking methods that help preserve food, because the weather gets so hot there.

AVC: Your menu blends styles from Spain, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, and the Philippines. Why such a wide focus?

JM: It’s actually pretty much an equal blend of all those cuisines, but they are all linked from the Spanish conquistadors. When they left Spain, they went to Cuba, to Mexico in the Puerto Vallarta area, and Manila. The Spanish galleons traded livestock, spices, and herbs with all of those people. They basically created a direct trade route from Manila to Spain. So we’re not trying to combine styles that don’t go together, like Swedish and Japanese. All these are very, very linked.

AVC: Coobah transitions from restaurant to lounge almost every night. What’s the best drink to get there?

JM: I like the Bud Light or vodka. Most of the people here drink mojitos.

AVC: Not the 40-ounce Schlitz?

JM: We don’t serve those any more, because no one was cool enough to buy them. We even had the presentation, the brown bag and everything. I’d like to bring it back, but this time the server should do the whole presentation and pour it out like wine, and the customer can smell and taste it.