10 ASEAN chefs who champion Asian food to the world

MANILA, Philippines — August for Filipinos is the Buwan ng Wika or month dedicated to the love of one’s native tongue. But in the culinary world, August is also “Augastronomic Month” devoted for the love of cuisines that please the tongue.

 

In honor of the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Summit in Manila, Philstar.com has gathered a list of 10 chefs from ASEAN member countries. Be inspired by their stories and know how they, like the ASEAN nations, find identity and unity despite diversity.

“How was it working with Chef Gordon Ramsay?” Philstar.com asked Chef Noom of “Iron Chef” Thailand.

 

“It’s just like in the series!” the Singapore-based Thai chef revealed with a loud laugh. “He (Chef Gordon) has so many restaurants. As a sous and head chef, he has high standards…We were only allowed to say three words, ‘Yes chef!,’’Sorry, chef!” and “Coming, chef!’”

 

Working with the British celebrity chef and “MasterChef” TV host means waking up at 7 a.m., sleeping at 2 a.m. the next day, and working hard doing the same things every day, Chef Noom said.

 

Chef Noom spent 14 years in the United Kingdom, where he acquired his Master’s degree while working and learning European cooking techniques with renowned restaurants such as Princi, Lapetite Maison and Momo. He later participated in Thailand’s “Iron Chef” TV program and successfully won himself an accolade in modern Thai cuisine.

 

Now the Head Chef of Patara Fine Thai Cuisine, Chef Noom led Patara’s inaugural participation in the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore recently.

 

Nestled in Tanglin Mall, the 19-year-old Patara exudes the easy elegance of a world-class diner noted for its classic Thai dishes made from premium ingredients. The restaurant is managed by CreativEATeries Catering, a Winterhalter Caterer of the Year award finalist at the 2017 World Gourmet Summit Awards.

 

Authentic Thai cuisine, said Chef Noom, is not really spicy but a balance between sour, sweet, salty, bitter and spicy altogether. Even cooking methods matter, he said, as these bring out the flavor.

 

“Now, people use a lot of blender, but if you go back to Thai cooking dating back 200 years, we never had oyster sauce, all is made by hand and cooked with fire. It’s what makes it authentic – taste and freshness.”

 

Although a traditionalist, especially in keeping the original taste and flavor, Chef Noom he has to being Thai food into the modern times. “I don’t like fusion but I love the way of bringing color to the plate…Now, the world is connected. In Thailand we never had lamb and lobster, but now, things have changed.”

 

How different is reality TV from reality? “In the TV show, the set, everything, is already prepared. So, reality is much harder – people are waiting for you and they do not want to wait.”

 

“Sometimes, it’s very hard. Being famous make people think that I can cook everything perfectly,” the “Iron Chef” contender professed.

 

“Being famous and a celebrity does not mean you can cook everything as people want them to be. But I try to do everything with the best that I can do.”

 

What he loves the most from his stint in the TV series is even though the show only lasts for 30 minutes to an hour per episode, his impact on a new generation of chefs could last a lifetime. He recommends joining a cooking contest to those who wants to become internationally challenged and meet friends.

 

“To be a chef, it’s not enough that you can cook. You have to start from the ground up,” he advised aspiring chefs.

 

“Being a chef is different because the role of the chef is something you have to learn the hard way. You have to have the heart for it. Everyone can cook, but not everyone can become a chef…Do whatever is best, but tomorrow, there will be new techniques, so never stop learning!”

 

Embark on two different culinary journeys in food and travel with “The Crawl: Poblacion” hosted by Piolo Pascual and top reality cooking competition “MasterChef" now on its 8th season, with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, as they premiere on Lifestyle TV this August.

 

Take a stroll down the urban streets of Poblacion, Makati City in the third installment of “The Crawl” as Piolo sets out to experience the restaurant-hopping and pub-crawling culture around hole-in-the-wall spots and local breweries with his new Crawl buddy Robi Domingo.

 

Piolo and Robi season their palates through stopovers in American style BBQ joint, Holy Smokes, comfort food and soft served ice cream café, Bucky’s and Japanese yakitori snack house, Tambai. They also check out hip pubs and the finest beers in the city such as craft brewery Joe’s Brew, cocktail and Vinyl bar OTO, Filipino deli and pub, Alamat, bikers headquarters, Handlebar, Costa Rican reggae lounge, Pura Vida and backpackers hostel, Z-Hostel with its popular hang-out rooftop bar.

 

Meanwhile, Chef Gordon and renowned pastry chef Christina Tosi welcome American Mexican celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez into the judges’ panel for the eighth and latest season of “MasterChef.” The three celebrated food experts will test top American home cooks through a series of challenging elimination rounds in order for one culinary master to emerge.

 

The winner shall receive a quarter of a million dollars, a guaranteed spot on the next MasterChef cruise and the highly coveted MasterChef trophy. Previous MasterChef winners include American chef and food writer Whitney Miller, blind cook, writer and TV host Christine Hà and Italian chef and "The Lucky Fig" owner Luca Manfè.

 

Catch “MasterChef S8” every Thursday starting August 3 at 9 p.m. with back-to-back episodes and “The Crawl: Poblacion” on August 16 at 7:30 p.m. on Lifestyle TV, available on SkyCable and Destiny Cable channel 52 and Sky Direct channel 31. 

 

Surfing, cooking and eating mix well together as Chef JP Anglo proved it with the successful run of his first season of Hungry with Chef JP, conceptualized and produced by local film company Seabiscuit Films. This time around, Chef JP surfs up (pun intended) his show onto a higher wave of culinary discoveries. The second season hopes to explore more food adventures in the different surfing spots of the Philippines.

 

“Hungry with Chef JP” is a documentary series about rich Filipino cuisine and the active surfing community in the country. Each episode features the surfing hotspots in the Philippines as Chef JP explores the area’s unique cuisine. With Filipinos’ penchant for surfing, the show pays tribute to it and captures the essence of the surfing lifestyle. 

 

Surfing is not limited to chasing waves and the adrenaline rush that comes with it. It is about belongingness and sharing experiences with the community. 

 

“You're out in the middle of the water — waiting for sets, catching waves with your friends. You surf together and when you ride that wave and they see it, it's a bond you share and something to talk about forever,” shared by Chef JP in one of the episodes.

 

“The series combines three of the favorite leisure of every Filipino — cooking, eating and the beach,” said Chef JP, who hails from Bacolod.

 

His family used to own a restaurant in his hometown, which inspired JP’s passion for cooking. He eventually established his own Filipino restaurant Sarsa and concept food counter Liberation Shawarma.

 

Besides food, JP’s other passion is surfing. These two are combined in “Hungry with Chef JP” as the host does actual surfing in the most beautiful surf spots in the country and cook with the locals.

 

“The show aims to inspire weekend warriors, slow living learners and island life enthusiasts,” added JP.

 

The second season delves into the stories of different artisans and individuals living uniquely. It is important for the viewers to see how these people are living and to be inspired by their stories. “What makes this show different from the other shows is that it gives a glimpse of the lives of the local community within various surf spots. We wanted to feature locals making a difference either in food or in helping the community thrive. At the same time, we want to show how Chef JP shares his skills and knowledge with the people he connects with and show how he learns from their techniques and unique practices,” shared by Nicky Daez, Seabiscuit Films Content Creator and Director.

 

Tune in to CNN Philippines every Saturday, 7:30 p.m. to catch “Hungry with Chef JP” and watch the replays on Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., Friday; 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. 

 

Born out of frustration, Seabiscuit Films took upon itself to produce lifestyle videos that are not run-of-the-mill. Some of their projects are poised as mini-docu series that tackle the simple and good life of food and travel. They take pride in making videos that push for original content that will not just make their clients proud, but will also distinguish them as a world-class Filipino product company. 

 

Whenever Chef JP travels, he makes sure to bring his new travel buddy, the HSBC Gold Visa Cash Back Credit Card, a dining, shopping and travel companion that gives instant cash back.

 

“Every year we think of a product that would address the evolving needs of our consumers,” says Kris Werner, HSBC Philippines Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management. “It’s no surprise they love to dine, shop and travel. At the company, we found a way that would cater to these needs and provide a more satisfying reward.”

 

The Gold Visa Cash Back Credit Card offers the following: five percent cash back on dining transactions; 0.5 percent cash back on all other transactions (shopping, travelling, etc.); no minimum spend required; automatic crediting of rebates every calendar month; cash back cap of P1,200 monthly; three percent fuel rebate at participating Caltex stations and first meal free (worth up to P2,500).

 

The company aims to address the growing need and demand for a card that offers customers an immediate cash rebate through its latest product. The new credit card allows the company to complete its product suite and remain competitive in the market by offering a relevant and simple rewards program in the form of a cash back credit card.

 

The card enables Chef JP to be a practical and sensible consumer, offering the best rebate for things that matter. 

 

Besides being the location of Hollywood blockbusters “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” Ambassador of New Zealand to the Philippines David Strachan said that “New Zealand prides itself for preserving its land and sea for future generations.”

 

“Its quiet, fertile soil, its pristine ocean make it ideal to produce a diverse range of food and beverages,” he enthused during a recent exclusive one-day trade show, Food Connection Manila, where the Philippines’ top food and beverage professionals sampled some of the freshest produce and premium food products from New Zealand. 

 

According to Strachan, there are around 60,000 Filipinos in New Zealand, comprising about 1.5 percent of the population. Among them is Chef Leo Fernandez, who, the ambassador said, has introduced Filipino cuisine to Kiwis when Chef Leo placed second in “Master Chef” New Zealand in 2015.

 

Since winning in the reality TV show, his life went from “MasterChef” to “master shift,” Leo told Philstar.com in an interview during his Food Connection Manila cooking demo.

 

From being a dairy and pig farmer in New Zealand, he said his participation in the show opened doors for him and paved way to his first modern Filipino restaurant in Auckland, Azon.

 

So far, he said Filipino cuisine has been well-received in Auckland. “Filipino cuisine is an unchartered territory in New Zealand, so it’s a challenge for us to introduce it the proper way. We tweaked it to comply with the local palate,” explained Chef Leo, who began cooking for necessity as he used to live alone in New Zealand.

 

“Thanks to Leo, Asian and Filipino cuisine will continue to grow,” Strachan enthused.

 

Husband and wife restaurateurs Roland and Jackie Laudico were among the guests during New Zealand’s recent Food Connection Manila fair hosted by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). The trade show featured award-winning wines from Babich Wine and Brumms Quality Wines, naturally-harvested Greenshell Mussels from Kono and quality chocolates from Whittaker’s, to name a few.

 

“New Zealand products are known for their distinctive taste and quality and this is a great opportunity to showcase them to Filipinos,” said Hernando Banal, New Zealand Trade Commissioner to the Philippines.

 

New Zealand’s pristine environment, moderate climate and clean air allow food producers to deliver the highest quality products for business purchasers and consumers alike. 

 

For Chefs Jackie and Roland, New Zealand is “the cleanest place on Earth.” As such, they spent their honeymoon there, backpacking for a month from north to south.

 

“Fresh ingredients and fantastic produce. The wines are out of this world!” Chef Roland said of New Zealand food. “Their lamb is cheaper than chicken, so if you like lamb, you go to New Zealand.”

 

Likewise, Chef Jackie said food in New Zealand is very simple. She recommends trying the country’s berries, fish and chips and grilled lamb.

 

The Filipino couple is now doing a series of videos on easy-to-cook meals, so foodies all over the world can appreciate Filipinos’ takes on fresh ingredients from New Zealand.

 

Whether it is in fine dining restaurants or in a fast food chains, Filipinos love to eat. And now, more and more Pinoys are starting to love cooking as well even though their time is limited.

 

Preparing meals is even more pleasurable if they are equipped with kitchen appliances that are well made and dependable. The most important tool in the kitchen is the stove, where the culinary magic really takes place.

 

In an event held at his restaurant in San Juan, Chef Roland wants his stove that produces consistent heat or flame can do wonders to one’s cooking and must reliable and can withstand the test of time and constant grind of the modern Pinoy kitchen. “I want my stove to last for as long as possible.”

 

Chef Laudico also added he wants the stove body to become long lasting metals and do not rust easily. Thus, the chef bought a LaGermania for their catering business 17 years ago, and up to now the stove is still alive.

 

“The only thing that I have to change is the switches and the handles,” he said.

 

Apart from toughness, Chef Roland suggested a cooking enthusiast should choose a stove that is safe enough and uses high quality materials that do not breakdown easily. “Its durability must be unquestionable,” he added.

 

La Germania has an array of cookers and ovens that suit the demands of all kinds of culinary needs. Its wide assortment of products from its five-gas burner range ovens to single burner tabletop gas and electric stoves can also fit any budding cook’s budget.

 

In a hawker center in Crawford Lane, Singapore, a stall draws people from all over the world, and they do not mind lining up for an hour just for a bowl of soup.

 

The stall, Tai Hwa Eating House in Block 466, Crawford Lane #01-12, is one of the first two street food locations in the world to be awarded a star in the Michelin Guide in 2016. The other one is a chicken rice house in Maxwell Complex, China Town, Singapore.

 

Founded in the 1930s, Tai Hwa Eating House is world-known for its Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, a family recipe from Guangdong brought to Singapore by the diner’s owner, Chef Tang Chay Seng.

 

Tai Hwa means “Big Chinese” and this Southern Chinese-influenced dish is composed of noodles with a vinegar-based soup, eaten with condiments such as flakes of flat fish and dumplings.

 

Seng wakes at 5 a.m. every day to prepare this dish and its side dishes: pork Pot Balls and Rojak, which is Malay for “mix together.” Rojak is a side dish of mixed cucumber, pineapple, apple, singkamas and tofu fritters seasoned with prawn paste, salt and sugar. 

 

Every meal at Tai Hwa is finished with either Te’o, tea with no milk, but has a little sugar and pandan leaves; or Te’si, which is tea with evaporated milk.

 

Howard

The Filipino Corporate Executive Chef for The Village Tavern is the only female head chef for the group of restaurants, so far. 

 

“It’s very rewarding to become a chef abroad. There’s a lot of work, but your hard work pays off,” shared Chef Grace, who is married to an American and is now based in the United States.

 

Since she started as a corporate chef for the Bistro Group’s Italianni’s at 23 years old, opening The Village Tavern in the US is like coming home for her. 

 

From working pro bono or with little pay in the Big Apple, she rose in the ranks by always telling herself, “Just work harder than anyone else because you’re representing the Filipinos.”

 

“Filipinos here are very warm. We’re more like a family. There’s malasakit,” she said in a recent interview with Philstar.com.

 

At first, she was scared of breaking state laws because in the United States, there are a lot of strict rules. But her motto has always been “always be good and be kind, so you’ll live a full circle.”

 

“Do it ethically and be honest,” she advised those who also want to make it in America. “Discrimination is something you can overcome as a woman in the workplace and when you’re a minority, raise your standards, raise the company standards and you’ll succeed.”

 

As a chef, her philosophy is “use the best ingredients and make them delicious,” even if that means putting soy sauce into spaghetti as she does.

 

“I always study so I can bring what I learn to the brand,” said the chef, who recently also learned lobster fishing. 

 

She tries different restaurants to check out new ingredients, dishes and structures. She has worked with many decorated chefs, including Anthony Bourdain in an international food fest and he loves Filipinos’ sisig, she said.

“I always tell the young to not complain. It’s more of the kindness that you give people that they’ll remember.”

 

Chef Sharwin Tee's Pulled Pork Adobo Nachos using Casillero del Diablo Merlot.

Casillero del Diablo, a premium brand of Chilean wine, has recently signed chef-host Sharwin Tee as its newest ambassador. Highly acclaimed after gaining his culinary fame for being the first-ever winner of Lifestyle Network’s reality cooking show “Clash of the Toque-en Ones” and a host of his own show, “Curiosity got the Chef,” Chef Sharwin likes to experiment with recipes of hearty Filipino dishes that are deliciously familiar and easy to pair with any side dishes whether paired with a hot cup of coffee or a glass of wine. 

 

“A Filipino dish isn’t the one that pops up into our mind when we think about wine and food pairing because they are not classically served with wine, but with Casillero del Diablo’s wide array of wines, this isn’t the case. The brand, with its wide selection of wine varietals, gives you an opportunity to experiment and know which wine will really suit and should be paired with the taste of a Filipino food,” Chef Sharwin shared. 

 

For him, food and wine pairing with Filipino food is a tough job – but since Filipino dishes is one of his specialties, he spiced up the wine and food pairing by cooking his recipe with the wine itself. “We all know that Filipino dishes have already a very distinct and strong flavor - but I’ve decided to spice it up with wine. By adding the value of the wine, everyone can perfectly enjoy wines both in and with Pinoy dishes."

 

The top Chilean wine brand believes that pairing wine with your day to day Filipino dishes is one of the most successful ways to introduce this Chilean legend to the casual Filipino wine drinker. Available in Merlot, Chardonnay, Shiraz Tinto, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chile’s famous Carmenere and the best seller Cabernet Sauvignon, the brand is also meant for those who seek identifiable flavors and blends but have taken their wine drinking passion to the next level.

 

Daza

Learn Filipino, Japanese and Spanish recipes from Chef Sandy Daza at the comfort of your home from the all-new episodes of “Casa Daza” on Lifestyle TV.

 

“Casa Daza” showcases recipes that are inspired by Chef Sandy’s own family favorites. He shares easy-to-follow steps, from preparation to plating, while revealing interesting stories behind each recipe. Newbies and seasoned cooks will delight in the dishes that will encourage viewers to cook, eat and celebrate with the whole family.

 

Chef Sandy features Binondo staples such as noodle recipe pancit sotanghon guisado, popular meat entrée pata asado and the classic Binondo fried chicken. Japanese cuisine takes center stage as the kitchen master features easy-to-cook Japanese restaurant bestsellers like chicken kara-age, sukiyaki and tonkatsu.

 

Get to know some of the Dazas' favorite classic Filipino recipes such as kare-kare with bagoong alamang guisado, bistek Tagalog and Sandy’s famous chicken and pork adobo. Discover how to prepare Spanish tapas perfect for hosting dinners and get-togethers with the chef’s easy-to-follow steps on making patatas bravas with spicy aioli sauce, bacalao ala viscayna and the fresh fruit wine cocktail sangria.

 

Lifestyle TV, a pioneer in local lifestyle programming, serves as a TV guide with a wealth of relevant and insightful content for the multi-faceted Filipino women. It balances a mix of acquired and locally produced programs that bare the ever-changing wellness, living and entertainment craves of its viewers. Catch “Casa Daza” every Monday at 9 p.m. on Lifestyle TV, available on SkyCable and Destiny Cable channel 52, and Sky Direct channel 31. 

 

Sarthou, Philstar.com/File

Chef Tatung’s ode to Philippine cuisine, “Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter” by ABS-CBN Publishing, was named "Best TV Chef Book Outside Europe” by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards held recently in Yantai, China.

 

“This is the first book, and certainly not the last of the celebrity chef. It is really good, interesting, useful and practical,” Edouard Cointreau, President of the Jury for the Gourmand Awards, earlier said of Chef Tatung’s book in a 2016 press release.

 

As one of the Philippines’ most sought after chefs, well known for his passion for Philippine cuisine and his many social and culinary advocacies, Chef Tatung also appears on the cooking segment of the ABS-CBN morning show “Umagang Kay Ganda” and was the host of the Lifestyle TV special “The Food That We Are.”

 

In “Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter,” Chef Tatung delves into the heart of his native cuisine by showing how to cook Filipino through ten fascinating chapters. He teaches basic cooking methods — steaming, grilling, sautéing, frying, curing, among many techniques — as a way for readers to understand Philippine cuisine’s historical roots, and as a way to learn to cook it at home.

 

Featured are 71 recipes perfected from Chef Tatung’s many years of research around the country. These include basics like tinolang manok, kare-kare, adobong pusit, as well as more unusual fare like bulanglang, piyanggang at pinaupong manok sa asin. Throughout, he explores important ingredients like vinegar, coconut, rice, as well as traditional kitchen tools like the palayok or claypot and bamboo tubes used for boiling. Chef Tatung frames his book with his own memories of cooking with his mother and grandmother, including a touching anecdote about how adobo saved his family during World War II.

 

In this book, Chef Tatung believes that in order to cook Filipino, one must cook out of love, honestly and simply, without pretension. With its sleek design by multi-awarded book designer Ige Ramos and captivating photography by Paulo Valenzuela, “Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter” is more than just a cookbook. It is a heartfelt guide to helping readers discover their own love for cooking Filipino.