Chef Rodelio Aglibot, whose multiple restaurant concepts included E+O, FireFin Poke and Yi Cuisine, died last weekend of an apparent heart attack. He was 52.
Aglibot was in Cincinnati, working on an E+O location and preparing to open two additional restaurants in Columbus. The apparent heart attack took place Friday evening.
“On Saturday morning I received the call that he was gone,” said longtime business partner Aeron Lancero. “He was doing what he loved, as he was discovered in the kitchen of his apartment preparing a meal to enjoy and showcase as he has been doing many times for his many friends and family to see. His heart gave in and now he is gone.”
Aglibot, nicknamed the “Food Buddha” for his round face and ever-present, placid smile, first appeared on the Chicago scene as the founding chef of Sunda restaurant in River North. He would go on to open or help create dozens more restaurants, including Koi in Los Angeles and Me Geisha Salerno in Rome.
As word filtered out via social media of the chef’s passing, chefs and customers alike wrote about their shock and sadness.
“My brother’s impact in the restaurant community extends beyond the four walls of any restaurant,” said Ruby Byers, Aglibot’s sister. “It’s the relationships he built, the personal touch he gave, and how he made his colleagues, team and customers feel. As I read through Facebook post after post, it was obvious to me that he made every person feel like they were indeed his very best friend. It’s that kind of legacy that we all hope to leave and he achieved it with humility, love, and the biggest smile that will not be forgotten.”
“Whether you knew him as Den, Rod, Rodelio, Lolo, Ninong, Chef, or the Food Buddha, you knew he had the most infectious laugh, an amazing talent, and the biggest heart,” she said. “In his 52 years on earth, he touched so many lives all around the world. He had the best time no matter where he went, what he was doing, or whom he was with. If you knew him, you loved him. If you knew him, I know your heart is broken too. I rest in the fact that he’s reunited with our younger brother and know I will see them both again. I have two guardian angels now, even though, honestly, I would rather have them here.”
Memorial services are pending.
“His parents are in the Philippines, and we are working on getting them back to California,” Lancero said. “The family is devastated, and I can say many people are heartbroken, as we lost not just a chef, but a kind soul that wanted to make you feel special.
More Top Picks Dog Bed
“Rodelio was my business partner, best friend and brother,” Lancero said. “His legacy lives on with all of us.”