Dale’s passion for cooking began at a young age in his native Chicago where he learned to prepare meals alongside his mother in the kitchen. The proud son of Filipino immigrants, he grew up immersed in his family’s cultural heritage, while also enjoying the life of a typical American kid.
Dale applied this distinct Asian American experience to the menu of his eponymous restaurant, TALDE, which opened in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood in 2012. He went on to open a TALDE in Miami, Florida and in Jersey City, New Jersey. Dale debuted his first project in Manhattan with the opening of Massoni at the Arlo NoMad Hotel in November 2016. His second Manhattan restaurant called Rice & Gold opened in October 2017 at the 50 Bowery Hotel in Chinatown. In Florida, Dale also had three locations in the food hall Grandview Public Market in West Palm Beach. They were called The Corner, Clare's and Little Red Truck.
In 2018, Dale became business partners with his life partner. Dale and Agnes built foodcrushhospitality.com. They opened Goosefeather in 2019. In 2020, Esquire Magazine named Goosefeather to its Best New Restaurant List. In 2022, Dale was nominated for a James Beard Award - Best Chef in New York.
In addition to his work in the kitchen, Dale is the host of Tastemade’s “All Up In My Grill.” He was also a three-time cheftestant and judge on Bravo’s Emmy Award-winning culinary show, “Top Chef.” He competed in Season 4, “All Star” Season 8, “Top Chef Duels” and became one of the show’s most popular cast members. Dale has competed on “Chopped,” “Iron Chef America,” “Knife Fight” and was also head judge on “Knife Fight” Season 4, as well as guest judge on both “Chopped” and “Beat Bobby Flay.”
In September of 2015, Grand Central Publishing released Dale’s first cookbook, Asian American, to rave reviews.