MANILA, Philippines — Riding high on the success of his book, "Simpol Dishkarte," which was released early this year, Chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou has just received an international award for his book.
"Simpol Dishkarte" was named “Best Celebrity Chef Book in the World” at the 29th World Gourmand Awards during the awarding rites held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last November 28.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I was aware that I had a chance of winning the award because I was already shortlisted for the award and was informed of the awarding ceremony, but I could not make it to Riyadh,” said Chef Tatung.
Chef Tatung was only able to confirm the good news when Clang Garcia, a known advocate of Philippine culinary heritage tourism, posted about it on Facebook.
Garcia was at the awarding rites in Riyadh for her own book, "Philippine Food Holidays." She accepted Chef Tatung’s award on his behalf.
“I’m really proud of this book because it is part of my advocacy to teach Filipinos how to cook. This recognition shows that sometimes making a bold move really pays off. My entire team is so happy about this win,” the chef said.
He added: “I love what I do, and I want to show people that one can achieve great things by hard work and dedication.”
"Simpol Dishkarte" is not a typical cookbook with just loads of recipes. It is a comprehensive guide to Pinoy cooking that will make kitchen time more enjoyable and stress-free. It provides readers with much-needed kitchen basics, hacks, tips and tricks, before it starts sharing easy-to-follow recipes, step-by-step photos and illustrations to make the cooking experience more pleasant and rewarding.
It is the fouth book under his own Vertikal Books, produced by his Vertikal Kreatives family.
“I dedicate this book to all non-English speaking Filipinos who want to get culinary education, especially those in the countryside. You are the reason why I wrote this book in conversational Filipino,” Chef Tatung said.
Cheers, and here’s to more book projects, Chef Tatung!
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