THE RETURN OF THE CHEFS.....

An Ongoing Competition At The Professional Level.....






Chef Bruce Lim As He Prepares His Workstation.....






Preparing His First Dish.....






About To Lay It On The Table.....






Preparing The Second Dish.....






The First Dish.....






The Second Dish.....





As far as I can recall, I have always loved eating good food, a certified foodie. And good food to me does not necessarily mean steaks, although I love a good steak and all those posh entrees at Michelin star restaurants. Hmmm Michelin star? Does Manila actually have one? Going back, good food can be as simple as tuyo with champorado or even the typical burgers and fries from any of the fast food chains that the city has. And the locale of these places range from the malls to the neighborhood hole in the wall eateries.

But part of eating is also knowing how to cook good food since dining out can burn a hole in one's pocket most of the time. Hence I always try to remember the flavors in a certain dish that I really love, allowing me to come up with a version close to what I experienced in a restaurant before whenever I cook.

Both of my parents are good cooks. And my mother always made me prepare the ingredients as I helped her cook when I was younger. Talk about junior master chef, that was me. As I grew up, my mother would ask me every now and then to cook the family meal. My travels overseas have broaden my palate that whenever I cook a dish nowadays, my mom would comment para akong kumakain sa restaurant.

This love for food has also led me to the world of cooking shows. Stephen Yan's Wok With Yan was the first cooking show that I have ever watched. He obviously specialized in Chinese cooking and his easy demeanor, wit (which can be viewed as embroidered sayings on his apron) and charm made me follow his show as it aired weekly. The BBC in London has a lifestyle channel and it airs cooking shows most of the time. I now am a fan of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay as a result of my exposure to this channel.

Here in the Philippines, Nora Daza and Sylvia Reynoso-Gala are the women who used to have their own cooking shows. Heny Sison soon starred in her own show and then other up and coming cooks and chefs followed. Some of Daza's and Reynoso-Gala's children got in the act too. It just proves that cooking is hereditary and also a way for parents and children to bond together.

A yearly event that showcased the talents of our local and also international chefs titled "Chefs on Parade" was soon started. From the adverts being shown on television, it mentioned that the event "was back". What was not clear to me was the year when this event was scrapped and just how many years was it not held. It did mention though that the event was 35 years old.

I checked the event out on its last day as I wanted to get into one of the free lectures on food photography. To my shock, the seminar area was packed full! I then decided to roam around the exhibit hall to see the other activities. Indeed, the hospitality business is thriving. Gone were the days when being a cook was considered a job which equals that of a housemaid in rank. Cooks are now called "chefs" and many seem to view this occupation as glamorous! I was able to check out a free cooking demo by Chef Bruce Lim, he of "Tablescapes" his cooking show at Studio 23. I didn't line up to taste his dishes though, as I had to go check the stalls selling some wares. But based from the photos I took of the dishes, it looks appetizing enough.

People might get curious and ask me the names and recipes for the two entrees. I do have the names and the recipe for each dish but as of this writing, I can't find it. I shall update this blog and post the recipes once I find it, Sorry! My bad!