A breakfast sandwich is humble and familiar. But when chef Anthony Evan hands you one from his pop-up concept, Machette at Here&There Coffee, it is a personal look into the flavors he was raised on. Even the name Machette comes from his memories of playing with his grandfather's machete in the backyard of his home.
Chef Anthony’s breakfast sandwich is a layered experience that pays homage to his Filipino upbringing: a maple sriracha gochujang sauce that hits sweet, spicy, and a bit tangy all at once, a fluffy soufflé egg that melts into every bite (my favorite part), melted cheddar cheese, a crispy hash brown, and an option for bacon if you’re feeling up for it, all stacked on a toasted brioche bun.
At the center of it all? An all-beef longanisa patty, made entirely from scratch by Evan himself.
"Typically a longanisa patty is made of pork," he explains. "A lot of the people I know don't really eat pork, so I wanted to make a beef longanisa. I made my own marinade and started tinkering with it."
The result is a sandwich where no single ingredient overpowers the rest. The soufflé egg is light in texture. Paired with the longanisa, it creates a combination that makes for a memorable breakfast sandwich. The marinade in the longanisa brings out this juicy flavor.. The soufflé egg does not give you an overpowering “egg taste,” like a lot of breakfast sandwiches have.
If you are looking for a sandwich that is going to be messy and leave egg dripping down your hand, this is not that. The soufflé egg has a fluffy texture unlike anything I have tasted in a breakfast sandwich: soft, textured, and a plot twist for your weekend morning.
"The way I like to cook is a balance of sweet, spicy, tangy, textural. Just a whole experience," Evan says. "I play with a balance of flavors that hit different notes in the food. Temperatures, textures, and all of that."
The longanisa, a staple of Filipino heritage and home cooking, isn't just a menu item for Evan. It goes much deeper than that.
For Evan, recreating the dish in his own way evolved from a piece of family history he stumbled upon. One only learned of after his mother told him that his grandfather used to make longanisa regularly, a detail he had no memory of. Generations apart, the two are connected by the same humble tradition.
With 20 years in the food industry and eight years running his own concepts, like Culinary club.xyz, he has built a reputation on large-scale events, bringing his culinary vision to Coachella and other major festivals. Each concept is distinct and intentional, but with Machette it is different. It's smaller and a lot more engaging.
"It's more of a trial run, a platform to try different recipes out," he says. "Not just breakfast sandwiches. We're going to be doing different things."
The pop-up runs biweekly at Here&There coffee shop, with plans to eventually move to a weekly schedule depending on community response. And the community has already shown up.
"After [Sebastian Garcia], posted that video, I feel like 10 people just came literally right after he posted it," Evan recalls with a laugh. "Shout out to him. He's a great dude."
There's a reason Machette landed in La Mirada rather than a high-traffic corner in Los Angeles. Norwalk, Artesia, Cerritos, and La Mirada are what he calls a quiet culinary haven. Authentic spots, tight-knit communities, and room to actually connect with the people you're feeding, along with the ability to slow down.
"I love doing these community things that are smaller because I get to connect with people more," Evan says. "At Coachella, it's just production, people grab their food and get to the next set. Here, I can slow it down and actually connect with people who are coming out to support."
Chef Anthony Evan’s team is, in his words, “basically family.” His cousin, Justis, has been with him through festivals and pop-ups alike. Dom is newer, still learning the operations, and Evan is intentional about that mentorship.
"I was taught the game early, and I feel like I just want to continue to nurture that and pay it forward," Evan says. It's a phrase that he returns to more than once: “Pay it forward.” It is a sort of quiet engine behind everything he does.
For all the up-and-coming chefs and food entrepreneurs watching from the sidelines, just waiting to take a chance, Evan keeps it one hundred:
“Do the work. This is not easy. Do all the hard stuff and do it with pride.”
While at the grill, keeping up with orders and holding a spatula, Evan looks back and says, “Don't be afraid to collaborate, share ideas, and share resources. Build with the people you want to grow with. The food world doesn't have to be a competition; the best things are made together.”
Machette is proving that people show up for what is authentic. Pop-ups can feel like they are moving quickly and trying to get you out the door just as fast. What Chef Anthony Evan is doing sets him apart by adding that family aspect and focusing on connecting with the customer through his Filipino breakfast sandwiches.
"Your food can have mistakes, but you can never make mistakes with your customer service," he says. "People remember that. And when the food and the customer experience are both on point, that's when it elevates."
Machette operates biweekly at Here&There Coffee. The next pop-up will take place from July 10 to 12, giving you a whole weekend to arrange the trip to La Mirada and try Evan’s creations for yourself.
Machette at Here&There Coffee ~ 12740 La Mirada Blvd. La Mirada, CA 90638
