Miko Calo’s Culinary tale

MANILA, Philippines - Growing up in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Miko Calo’s concept of stars would be those pinned on primary students’ uniforms for a job well done, the artistas she would catch on television occasionally and the celestial bodies twinkled and shone in the nighttime provincial sky. Little did she know she would one day strive to work under the gentleman critically acclaimed to have the most Michelin stars in the world – a whopping 28 as of last count.

But that’s getting ahead of our story. Let’s go back to where it all began.

“At an early age, I already had an affinity for food. My most treasured childhood memories include helping my aunt make tablea from scratch, and helping my grandmother cook several batches of adobo to be packed and sent to different relatives in Manila,” the promising chef narrated.

While those experiences weren’t exactly enough to ignite her passion, it all clicked down one fateful day when Miko and her Mom returned home from the local market for their weekly routine. “She taught me how to treat chunks of pork, slices of beef, cuts of poultry, piles of seafood and mounds of shells. In fact, earlier I had managed to slaughter a chicken and clean a fish.”

“One day, I made mini burger patties all by myself, and used peculiar herbs and spices for the first time. Though I truly went overboard on oregano, my family insisted they loved it!” she exclaims. “Looking back, if they had spat it out or had a good laugh, it might have curbed my enthusiasm.”

“But I was so proud of myself at that moment. And from then on, I knew I would enjoy cooking,” she shares.

As a teen, Miko moved to Manila under the tutelage of her aunt, the lover of the good life, the late Susan Calo-Medina, one of Philippine tourism’s pillars and the host of the iconic, long-running travel show Travel Time, which showcased the country’s best destinations, with essential segments that highlighted regional gastronomical treats.

“Blame it all on my late aunt, who introduced me to a whole new world of food and flavors, colors and combinations, aromas and sight, taste and tang, which I never ever knew existed,” Miko recalls. “She also encouraged me to delve deeper into the field of culinary arts.”

A graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management from the St. Scholastica’s College Manila, Miko took an internship at the Tivoli of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to expose herself to French culinary techniques. She then moved to the Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, where she was stationed for nearly three years.

“I value working with other professionals. Getting their input is an additional blessing. There are always skills and techniques to hone, or tips and tricks to adopt. Just leave your ego at home and never think you’re better than everyone else,” she warns.

“Randomly, my Tita Susan showed me a magazine article on where the young French study how to cook. It featured a red brick school with students who donned white jackets and hats. It instantly made me wish I was there,” Miko narrates.

“I soon realized my restlessness to improve myself. Within a few years, my parents challenged me to apply for an institute abroad,” she shares.

“I searched for days until I came across an invitation to an online Chef’s Forum. I noticed a familiar photo of a brick building! They had just started their international program, I applied, got accepted and my career got the jumpstart it needed,” she continues.

Yearning for more exposure to discover the classic way of cooking, she went on a self-imposed mission to advance that led her to L’Ecole Francaise de Gastronomie – Ferrandi Paris’ Intensive Professional Program for French Techniques. “I craved to live and breathe it. I now had additional incentive – Paris,” she smiles.

Armed with her favorite tools – the sharp chef’s knife as her weapon and her trusty ruler for precise cuts – she soon built up a career at the critically acclaimed multiple-Michelin star awarded L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon restaurant empire, owned and managed by Joël Robuchon himself.

“I was given my stage at La Table Joël Robuchon in Paris, moved to London as a commis at La Cuisine de Joël Robuchon, and then as a junior sous chef at the Restaurant de Joël Robuchon in Singapore.”

“You could say I am a Joël Robuchon soldier. I believe in his philosophy, in his respect for ingredients to taste natural. The discipline and restraint is what I live by,” she says.

“Mr. Robuchon once told me he liked my pate en croute. He kept on eating it after evening service. That felt great!” she shares with justifiable pride.

Miko, whose favorite comfort food is carbonara, found it difficult to master quail stuffed with foie gras. “There are so many details in such a simple dish. It’s amazing! But it took me a long time get the hang of it,” she admits.

The kitchen is a stressful place – as countless episodes of Hell’s Kitchen would show. But Miko has a motto which keeps her going: “When your chef bullies you, don’t get mad. Take that energy and concentrate on what you’re doing. Once you get mad, you lose your attention and make mistakes – he wins! Never let bullies win.”

For relaxation, she walks around the city, visits secondhand bookstores and rummages through antique markets.

The chef also aspires to collaborate and work in the kitchens of groundbreaking individuals such as Michelin star awardees Pascal Barbot, Gregory Marchland, Helen Daorroze, Ferran Adria and several other meilleur ourvier de France craftsmen.

Now, she’s back in the country as she prepares sumptuous meals for her extended family and friends – and her creations are piquant and luscious all at the same time – just heavenly. “I love to cook for people who love to eat, because I love to eat!” she laughs.

“We had one item in my personal degustation menu which became a hit – pan seared foie gras and maple-glazed croissant sandwich with bacon jam and caramelized bell peppers,” she informs. “It is so good, that it has become a mainstay in our seven-course menu.”   

When asked about her dreams and aspirations one day, her face lights up. “I would be so honored to represent my hometown, and Mindanao for that matter, in the largest food congresses in the world. Binutaan, or crab stuffed with buko meat and other aromatics then simmered in coconut milk, has the potential to be a winner.”

Eventually, she would like to open her own restaurant, as she explores new ingredients, flavors and cuisines.

After all these years, her favorites remain to be her dad’s pork barbecue and ribs and garlic chicken, Tita Susan’s fabada, Tita Bebot’s durian cheesecake and Valrhona chocolate cake, and Tita Margie’s cookie monster cake, simply because “they represent all that I am!”

For beginners who want to pursue a life in the kitchen, she wishes to share some practical advice.

“When I am working, it’s the complexity of recipes and cooking techniques, plus the rush of a busy service, where emotions run high and everything is a controlled chaos – all that gets me going. I thrive under the intensity, to make quick and definite decisions,” she opines.

“Prepare yourself for a whole lot of stress – physically and mentally. Prepare to sacrifice your time, your sleep and even your weekends. Never take shortcuts. Never try to move up the kitchen hierarchy too fast – your position should come naturally with acquired knowledge and mastered skill,” she concludes with a knowing grin.