I had the chance to listen to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay when he met with the culinary community at the Newport Performing Arts Theater recently.
The Michelin-starred chef was all praises for our cuisine and the country’s local culinary talent.
Not surprisingly, the crowd loved him and soon enough, he was all over social media.
Filipino cuisine, for him, “is the ‘Sleeping Beauty of Asia’.” “It’s high up there in Southeast Asia and can give a big kick in the ass and really become one of the frontrunners of Asia,” he said.
And while I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore foodie – although I very much love good food – I, too, was proud to hear the British chef’s appreciation of Filipino cuisine.
One post on social media, however, caught my attention because, more than Ramsay’s validation, it talked about putting a spotlight on the incredible work done by Filipino chefs.
I saw it on the Instagram page of Chef JP Anglo, whose dishes I truly enjoyed during a Philippine Airlines trip to the US some years back.
Written by Chef Budgie Montoya of Sarap London, the article titled, The Sleeping Beauty Awakes: Filipino Cuisine, Bourdain, Ramsay and Us, has been making the rounds on social media.
Here are excerpts:
“Filipino cuisine has spent decades flirting with global recognition, often heralded as the ‘next big thing’ but never quite stepping into the spotlight.
“Two powerful moments encapsulate this narrative. The first was Anthony Bourdain’s heartfelt declaration of sisig as the ‘gateway dish’ to Filipino food. A dish he predicted could ‘win the hearts and minds of the world.’ The second is Gordon Ramsay’s recent visit to the Philippines, where he described Filipino cuisine as the ‘Sleeping Beauty of Asia,’ praising its depth, diversity and untapped potential.
“Both moments sparked waves of pride and action among Filipinos. Each time, there was a collective rallying cry: This is our moment.
“Yet, while Bourdain’s and Ramsay’s endorsements are undeniably meaningful, they also reveal an uncomfortable truth: we still seem to crave validation from the West.
“We celebrate when celebrity Western chefs discover our food, but we don’t shine nearly as bright a spotlight on the incredible work being done by Filipino chefs, restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs who are already shaping the future of Filipino cuisine.”
Chef Budgie was very much on point – the real power to define and share our cuisine lies within us.
The proof?
“Look no further than the Filipinos who are breaking barriers, achieving greatness and inspiring the next generation, not because someone ‘discovered’ them, but because they believed in their craft and worked relentlessly to share it with the world.”
He was quick to say though that this isn’t about dismissing the praise of Bourdain and Ramsay.
But there’s a pattern, Chef Budgie said – someone from the west points to our food and we celebrate, only for the momentum to fade.
“Why does it feel like we’re always on the brink, stuck in a cycle of being rediscovered but never quite arriving?” he pointed out.
Filipino excellence: Breaking barriers, building legacies
“The truth is, Filipino cuisine isn’t waiting to be discovered, it’s already making waves, thanks to the hard work of Filipinos who believe in its power. Consider Kasama in Chicago, the first Filipino restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin star. Chefs Timothy Flores and Genie Kwon didn’t dilute their vision to cater to anyone; they created a tasting menu rooted in Filipino flavors, unapologetically and beautifully.
“Their success is a testament to what happens when we tell our own stories, our way,” Chef Budgie said.
I agree with Chef Budgie. We need to celebrate our own stories instead of waiting for others to celebrate for us.
Shining the spotlight on us
“There’s nothing wrong with feeling proud when someone like Ramsay or Bourdain praises our food. It’s a beautiful thing to see people appreciate what we’ve always loved. But let’s make something clear: their words shouldn’t outshine the work of Filipinos who are already putting in the effort.
“The real stars of this story are the people who keep pushing forward, even when no one is watching. The chefs opening small restaurants in neighborhoods where no one expects them to succeed. The farmers growing the ingredients that bring our dishes to life. The entrepreneurs taking the risk to bottle our flavors and share them with the world. The storytellers and influencers reminding us why our food matters.”
Indeed, we need to celebrate our very own – louder than anyone else’s voices. He cites Erwan Heussaff, who uses his influence to celebrate and document Filipino food, as a model for how we can champion our cuisine, not just for the world, but for ourselves.
Chef Budgie’s piece is just so poignant and beautiful and it hits right home. True enough, there are so many reasons to be proud of our Filipino chefs.
There’s Chef JP whose restaurants in Dubai have made Pinoys proud. I also had a gastronomic adventure at Purple Patch, one of the first Filipino restaurants in Washington and at the Gugu Room, a Filipino-Japanese izakaya located in the Lower East Side, New York.
These places make me proud.
Chef Budgie’s point also goes beyond cuisine. Often, we only start celebrating Filipino milestones when people from the West take notice.
It’s time we ourselves tell and celebrate our own stories.
After all, as Chef Budgie said, “Sleeping Beauty is indeed alive, awake and full of heart.”
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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.