OWNER / OPERATIONS Paul King is one of the co-founders of Oi Asian Fusion. Born and raised in a small town south of Manila, Philippines. Him and Eric are childhood friends and even attended the same school. As a kid, Paul would volunteer to man his mom's "sari sari store" in exchange for a few pesos to buy snacks (from Eric dela Cruz) or for a new shirt. At a very young age, he learned the basics of how to run a store, even for a few hours a day while his mom ran errands or stepped away from the store. After high school, he moved to Manila where he lived by himself. That was when he first learned how to cook his own food. It was nothing fancy, just basic stuff like fried eggs or marinated meat but nonetheless, delicious. In 2003, he moved to the US and a few years later joined the US Navy. He was a Logistics Specialist working in the supply department of an Amphibious Assault Ship USS Wasp supporting 1,500 Sailors and Marines onboard. He served in the US Navy for almost 10 years. His years in the Navy gave him the opportunity to travel the world, experience different cultures and taste different cuisines from South America, Spain and the Middle East. After his enlistment in the military, he came back to Los Angeles and reconnected with his buddy Eric dela Cruz. They eventually started throwing underground dinner events which led to the birth of the first Oi Asian Fusion in Reseda, CA.
OWNER / CHEF Eric dela Cruz is one of the founders and the Executive Chef of Oi Asian Fusion. His first entrepreneurial venture was a juice stand in front of his home in the Philippines when he was 8 years old. After which, he moved on to selling Filipino BBQ skewers on the streets. He would also make his own snacks and bring it to school to sell -- business diversification in mind. Eric came to the United States of America at the age of 18. He eventually got into the corporate world. Although he loved his job, he eventually realized that it was not for him. He was a mortgage analyst for 7 years prior to finding his true passion in cooking. Though he's always been interested in the food industry, his passion for cooking did not come around until the year 2011. He, then, started cooking more for his family and friends. With help from family and friends, he eventually moved on to underground dinner parties for 80-100 people in his parents backyard in Canoga Park, CA. In search for a great quality and better represented Filipino food in Los Angeles, he decided to start his own. Equipped only with passion for cooking and entrepreneurial excitement, with his two buddies and business partners, he opened the original Oi Asian fusion in Reseda, CA in March of 2013.
Location San Diego 1985 National Ave. Ste 1133 San Diego, CA 92113 (619) 228-9857 HOURS Open Everyday 11am — 10pm