Netflix’s Replacing Chef Chico puts the spotlight on Filipino cuisine
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino cuisine lands a starring role in the very first Filipino Netflix Original series, Replacing Chef Chico.
Lead stars Piolo Pascual, Alessandra de Rossi, and Sam Milby, along with director Dan Villegas and showrunner Antoinette Jadaone, recently engaged in a series of promotional events — a press conference at Shangri-La Makati and a fan meet at Glorietta 4 — leading up to the global premiere on Nov. 24.
The creators believe it’s the right time to further showcase Filipino cuisine to international audiences through this eight-episode series.
Villegas shared, “I believe Filipino food is world-class. We can proudly talk about and celebrate Filipino cuisine. It’s high time for it to be recognized not just in our country but also outside.”
For Jadaone, what makes Filipino food taste even better is because it is shared with loved ones.
“That’s what you’ll see in every episode of Replacing Chef Chico. While featuring Filipino dishes like Laing, Adobo, and Kare-Kare, each episode tells a story. It’s like you’re part of the meal. You’re not just a viewer; you’re sitting at the table with the guests in the restaurant shown in the series,” she said.
In terms of preparations, the showrunners delved into kitchen preparations by immersing themselves, hiring chefs as consultants, and incorporating at least two real chefs into the cast.
According to Jadaone, they extensively interviewed chefs, gaining insights into the stress and dynamics of kitchen life, including perspectives from both female and male chefs, regardless of their roles as head chef or sous chef.
Their love for tasting menus and degustation also influenced their approach, shaping the development of Replacing Chef Chico.
“For every episode, depending on the guest, we would interview a real person. For example, there’s one episode that touches on (the topic of) Alzheimers. We had to interview a doctor,” shared Jadaone.
“Yes, it’s fictional, but it must be based on real life so we’re very diligent in doing our research and interviews with the writers, and with Dan and his team also.”
Villegas, on the other hand, acknowledged the impact of his interest in cooking videos and shows.
“Tambay din ako sa YouTube. I spend, as in, countless hours on videos on cooking, from Binging on Babish to Jamie Olivier. Before we started (on this show), we were researching kitchens and how they function, the relationship of the chef to the sous chef, and to other staff. So, (the process was somewhat) tedious na maselan,” he said.
During the presscon, the role of critics’ reviews in the restaurant business was pointed out, particularly their potential to bring about a restaurant’s success or failure. In a similar vein, the showrunners were asked about their thoughts on reviews and whether they hold importance for them.
Villegas shared, “It’s an opportunity for learning. You have to be open. Never stop learning because the moment you stop learning is the moment you stop growing in your craft.”
He revealed that he and Jadaone, his perennial partner in filmmaking and in real life, show their films to a live audience, gauging authentic reactions to ensure onscreen moments elicit the intended emotions.
Jadaone, on the other hand, expressed her reliance on a trusted group of friends for feedback, clarifying that their reviews aren’t meant to criticize but rather to improve her future projects.
“I have a trusted group of friends, and when they give reviews, it’s not to criticize me or make me feel bad, but I know that they want the next thing I do to be even better. At the same time, these are the people that, when you need someone to push you because you’re feeling really down about what you’re doing, whether it’s not turning out well or seems worthless, I also listen to the same set of trusted friends,” she said.
Meanwhile, Jadaone and Villegas, along with the main cast, shared their favorite dishes from the show.
Said Jadaone, “Nagustuhan ko yung Laing. When you look at Laing, it’s not visually appealing and appetizing, but when we were shooting the series and the guest’s story in that particular episode, nakakatakam talaga siya.”
“Mine was the Arroz Caldo because it reminded me of those rainy days as a kid when my mom would serve it to keep you and your family warm. It feels like home, exactly!” said Villegas.
Piolo also cited the Laing, stating: “I loved how it’s cooked. The way it was prepared on the show made me want to eat Laing.”
Same for Sam, who also enjoyed the Laing as well as the Kare-Kare Risotto. “I love the peanut butter, it was so good.”
Alessandra couldn’t particularly forget the taste of the Lumpia Sisig and Dinakdakan na Empanada. “Yun naluluha ako nung kinagat ko kasi tama yung combination. Buti naman, parang ganun. Yung alam mong pwede mo i-recommend sa isang guest na foreigner, yung walang alam sa Filipino food. Yung hindi sila masho-shock right away. Something familiar, at the same time, there’s something different. Then you’d say, ‘Actually, that’s pig’s cheeks,’” she shared.
According to Piolo, the show will truly serve a taste of Filipino culture.
Piolo said, “What’s nice about the series is contagious siya. You get to really feel our culture through our dishes. And working with these actors and the brains behind it, masarap ‘yong experience. So, I hope it will resonate with the audience as well when they watch it.”
When asked what was the most challenging part during filming, Sam shared, “One of the challenges is to stop not eating the props haha!”
Another challenge was shooting inside the kitchen because it was hot and humid, with limited space for movement, and they had to shoot from various angles.
“Ako nahirapan kay Alessandra,” also said Piolo, teasing his leading lady.
“Ako nahirapan with myself,” Alessandra quipped in reaction. “Because it was the first time I experienced that my name came first on a call sheet. I said that this meant I had the most scenes (among them). I thought, dun na ako sa supporting kasi mas maaga uuwi. Hindi yung pag-umpisa hanggang dulo andun ka. So why?”
“Ginusto mo ‘di ba (You asked for it, right)?” Piolo joked.
“No. You called me up,” Alessandra joked back.
But kidding aside, the actress is proud and happy to be part of yet another production that is streaming on Netflix.
Apart from Replacing Chef Chico, her other works that debuted on the international streamer are What If, Through Night and Day and her directorial debut, My Amanda, which also topbilled her with Piolo.
“I’m so international!” she quipped about her Netflix projects.
She added, “Parang I found my home really (with them). And I hope the feeling is mutual.”
Now streaming on Netflix, Replacing Chef Chico tells the story of how a sous chef, Ella (played by Alessandra), steps up and faces challenges, including a difficult consultant Raymond (Piolo), just to keep a Filipino fine dining restaurant from shutting down after the head chef Chico (Sam) falls into a coma.
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