The weather was cool and gloomy on the day of The Sunday Times Magazine's visit to The Cookery Place in Bonifacio Global City. But once inside, the air was warm and heavy yet welcoming. Upon closer look, moving deeper into the cozy space, the very source of the pleasant heat came into view. And it wasn't just the open stoves of an eager cluster of students raising the temperature. It was also the very person at the center of this culinary chaos, Juri Imao — or as the internet loves to call him, Jujumao — who radiated with energy and excitement.

The scene was but a microcosm of what the 27-year-old food content creator has built for almost three years: an enormous online community with whom he shares his recipes through engaging bite-sized or short-form videos. On the other hand, his millions of followers find joy in trying to recreate his recipes in their own kitchens.

Jujumao, who easily rakes in hundreds of thousands of views for every pose, was just as calm and collected amid his cooking demonstration as he is on video. And without missing a beat, he expertly answered every question fired at him with such gusto and detail, all while re-teaching one of his biggest TikTok-viral recipes, crispy calamari, that day.

As a media interview ensued, Jujumao revealed that his confident ways are simply a result of his decades-long experience in the kitchen. One that started when he helped his grandmother cook as a young boy.

"She was Kapampangan. One of the dishes we'd make a lot as a kid was the suam [corn soup with leafy vegetables and meat], and my lola would only ask me to grate the corn," he recalled.

A naturally curious child, Jujumao soon started making dishes that were unusual for home cooks his age.

"As early as nine, I was already making Hainanese chicken. I saw it on TV and tried to do it. Of course, it tasted nothing like the original, but I just really loved experimenting. I grew up in the kitchen and would cook even international dishes aside from traditional Filipino food," he continued.

Despite discovering his passion for cooking the same way as most kitchen whizzes, the following steps Jujumao took to explore where and what he could do with it, however, mirrored his character, turning out far from conventional.

A foodie first

Almost a staple in the kitchen growing up, Jujumao's parents were no longer surprised when he expressed early on his desire to study at the famous culinary school Le Cordon Bleu in France.

"I was an Ateneo scholar, but when I shared my dream of pursuing culinary arts with my parents, they sadly couldn't, even if they wanted to because we didn't have the money for it. They advised me instead to complete my business degree and said that if I did well, I might eventually be able to send myself to culinary school."

The dutiful son followed his parents' wise words and impressively earned his Bachelor of Science in Management from Ateneo de Manila University.

"That's where I got my drive. I still wanted to get back into cooking my whole college life, so I'd cry while doing accounting because cooking is always in my heart," he chuckled.

After school, Jujumao still set aside his passion to cook and initially sought a job aligned with his degree. He was employed by Seda Hotels for a desk job, but he was happily reunited with his first love at the same time.

"I asked to do cross-training in the kitchen. Originally, I was in the finance department as a business major, but I was also allowed to be a line cook."

After juggling both trainings, Jujumao proved to be a good fit for the sales team but could no longer deny his heart remained in the kitchen.

"I found myself missing cooking more and more, and I needed to do something about it."

Nothing to lose

Indeed an expert in sales, Jujumao would finish his tasks quickly and have more time on his hands than ever before. Eventually, he found himself scrolling through TikTok like everyone else these days.

"It was a platform I was already very familiar with and where I watched content, too. I wouldn't post it, but my fiancé and I actually did many dance challenges. So, even before becoming a food content creator, I had so many videos of that kind saved in my drafts. It was our bonding experience during the pandemic."

Between creating cute and silly videos and watching other content, Jujumao was captivated by the #FoodTok trend, where creators showcased their dishes.

"I was inspired by my idols in food content creation," he recalled.

The online phenomenon soon reignited his passion for cooking so that by June 2022, he posted his first-ever TikTok recipe. He demonstrated how to make Crablet Okoy and amassed over two million views.

Jujumao shared that he only had an entry-level camera when he started with some money he could spare, eager all the same, to shoot good quality videos.

"I just learned what I know about filming along the way."

Besides his trusty gear, he had no other equipment when he ventured into content creation.

"I went into this with no expectations. I was at a point in my life where I had low self-esteem and was unsure about my future. I had already proposed to my fiancé but questioned my decision because I didn't have a good income then. I approached this opportunity with the mindset that I had nothing to lose. I thought to myself, 'If I go broke doing this, at least I tried.'"

Great payoff

His courageous leap of faith proved worth it as Jujumao compellingly stood out in the competitive world of content creation.

"I guess life has a way of fixing things. I can't believe I'm where I am right now. My life made a 180-degree turn ever since that first TikTok video."

On TikTok alone, Jujumao has gathered 2.6 million followers, 61 million likes, and one video tallying almost 130 million views. He cross-posts his short-form videos, earning him an additional 1.2 million followers on Instagram, another million on Facebook, and 700,000 (and counting) on YouTube.

Serving dishes from around the world and taking his audience with him on culinary explorations proved a winning recipe. From recreating authentic global dishes to putting a unique spin on Filipino classics, Jujumao has always ensured his creativity shines.

"I love blending traditional Filipino food with international influences," he says. "I research extensively to keep it authentic but always add my own twist."

Another standout feature of his videos is their fast-paced, visually engaging format, inspired by creators like Bayashi, Albertcancook, Owen Han, Salt Hank, and Samseats.

"Fast-paced content keeps me hooked, and I wanted to bring that style to Filipino viewers," he shared, noting that this approach works well for audiences with shorter attention spans — like his own.

In more than two years of appearing on several platforms, Jujumao takes pride in his evolution as a home cook.

"When you're a content creator, there's a certain pressure to always try to come up with new recipes and explore different ways of cooking. I've cooked many things I never would have cooked before."

He devotes a lot of time to learning new dishes to keep his followers engaged, such as those he featured in his successful "Medieval Meals" series, where he recreated dishes from nearly 700 years ago. From that series came the "Meals from the Throne," where the first episode saw him creating duck from Harrenhal, a dish inspired by the famous "Game of Thrones" TV show. It was a hit among his audience.

"I didn't know where to start since the meals there were so obscure and hard to recreate," he chuckled.

Overall, he picked up skills through content creation that he probably wouldn't have learned in culinary school.

"I learned on the job, if I may say so. I think being on TikTok [and eventually other video-sharing platforms] has definitely made me a better home cook. It actually taught me more because of the constant research. I've never done research as much as I do now!"

As Jujumao thrives in the fruits of his 'on-the-job training,' he is generous in sharing tips with other aspiring content creators.

"First is just do it. I had no idea what I was doing when I started; I just started. I think what holds people back is the thought that 'I need this or that equipment.' No, you just have to start.

"Second, never overlook the help of the community. I really have to thank my best friends Abby, Kath and Gene [fellow food content creators Abby Marquez, Kath Lim-Barcelo, and Gene Barcelo] because it was through my exposure to them that I learned how to function in the space. No matter how good you are as a food content creator, the journey probably won't be the same if you don't have like-minded people around you. My career was fast-tracked just by being with like-minded people."

Making it on his own

Amidst all of Jujumao's accomplishments, his parents, who encouraged him to follow his passion, even though it meant taking a less straightforward path, must be the proudest.

"Yes, they're super proud of me. I'm very lucky because my parents were never the type to hinder me from doing what I wanted. They're very liberal. Anything I wanted to pursue, they fully supported, although not financially, but they gave their full moral support."

So proud were they that Jujumao recalled instances when they would be out at restaurants, parading him like a celebrity.

"I feel so shy saying this but, just to show how proud they are of me, sometimes they would ask servers, 'Do you know who this is?' and would point at me. I'm just happy I could make them proud."

In hindsight, Jujumao could have easily made his parents proud pursuing not just business but art, especially with the genes his father had passed on to him.

If his surname sounds familiar, it's because the young TikToker is the grandson of National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Imao.

His father, Juan Sajid Imao, is also a multi-awarded sculptor whose works include the Statue of the Sentinel of Freedom, also known as the Lapu Lapu Monument, in Rizal Park, and the Rizal Statue at the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago, among many other famous works.

"Honestly, when I was younger, I struggled with [what I wanted to be]. You know that feeling as a kid where you either want to be like your parents, or you don't? With me, I leaned more towards not wanting to be like my dad. I wanted to be my own person," Jujumao explained.

"But eventually, I learned to embrace it. My hobbies outside cooking are still in the arts — sketching and painting from time to time — but they're really just hobbies," Jujumao continued.

Still, in forging his own path, the young creative — albeit in a different field — chose to pay homage to his heritage by bearing his family's revered surname but putting a twist on it and making it his own.

"My dad taught me that if I ever decide to pursue anything in the future, it should not be behind someone else's name. It was only later that people found my [late] lolo [grandfather] is a National Artist. There's also a sense of pride that I made it on my own, in a way."

Future plans and a mission

Looking ahead, Jujumao dreams of opening a small restaurant where he can showcase his recipes.

"I've been holding pop-up dinners in my house, purely by invitation. We've done two sessions already. It's not yet open to the public, but I think it's a start if I decide to pursue having a franchise or a restaurant or even just a small Izakaya [a Japanese-inspired watering hole].

"I also want to explore more of what Southeast Asia has to offer. If I have a favorite type of cuisine in a specific geographic region, it would be from Southeast Asia — Malaysian, Indonesian and Filipino."

But in terms of his plans as a content creator, Jujumao humbly said he is still trying to figure out where to go next.

"It's something that I'm working on right now. Me and my friends have been connecting with mentors who can help us with career building."

What he is certain of, however, is to continue his mission to inspire other home cooks to keep going.

"I want to inspire everyone to be creative in the kitchen through my content and to explore things they've never tried before. I aim to present food from around the world, including Filipino cuisine, in a creative way to encourage people to try new and different things," he ended.