MANILA, Philippines - When it is fiery passion that drives a chef and his kitchen crew to do what they do best, only great things happen.
After taking his culinary courses in De La Salle College of St. Benilde and The Art Institute of Vancouver, chef Miguel Pacheco first trained in a French bistro in Kitsilano, a neighborhood in Vancouver (known locally as “Kits”), before becoming chef de partie at the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Kitchen at Eastwood Mall. This stint was followed by a golden opportunity in the tropical island of Bermuda, under the tutelage of one of Canada’s top 20 chefs, Bradley Clease. Chef Miguel worked as chef de partie in the island’s oldest fine-dining restaurant, Harry’s Bar, which was awarded “Best Organic Restaurant.”
Chef Miguel was always passionate about putting up his own restaurant. After Bermuda, he decided to move back to Manila for good and got his start by catering for small private functions and board meetings. Ultimately, his experience prepared him to open his own restaurant, Open Kitchen, a French-inspired eatery focused on fresh sustainable food to produce simple and straightforward flavors.
Open Kitchen makes everything from scratch, from its mayonnaise and various sauces to ice cream. All the herbs they use come from their herb garden right beside the restaurant, which customers can see and dine beside al fresco if they so desire. Only virgin olive oil is used and all ingredients are guaranteed fresh.
A philosophy of constant change is what underlies their food. They serve daily specials that are complemented by a wide variety of Australian wines, curated by wine connoisseur Chris Urbano. They also serve fantastic coffee and excellent cocktails.
One unique service of Open Kitchen is preparing one’s “dream dish.” If your taste buds need to satiate a certain craving, chef Miguel and his team can make this a reality as long as orders are made at least a day in advance. But if it is just some special diet or a spontaneous desire for something different that is not on the menu, one can just tell chef Miguel, who will gladly oblige.
When you pair this chef’s experience in French and Caribbean cuisine with a country full of abundant herbs and spices, the results can only be magical.
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Open Kitchen is at 71-B East Capitol Drive, Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig City. For reservations, call 738-0102, SMS 0917-636-3573 or visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/openkitchen48.