- 3 hours ago
“The winner of that night was really the Philippines.” 🤩
Chef Chele Gonzalez, the DJ-turned-culinary driving force behind Gallery by Chele, could not have been happier for the Philippines. Along with several establishments, Gallery by Chele received a classic Michelin star and a green star last October for upholding gastronomic excellence and environmental integrity—a first for the country.
Chef Chele, along with sous chef Carlos Villaflor, shares his take on how “patience, hard work, and sacrifice” go a long way in the culinary industry.
Join Pia Arcangel as she not only plates meals with Michelin-starred chefs but also delves into their childhood and how they discovered their passion for cooking.
Chef Chele Gonzalez, the DJ-turned-culinary driving force behind Gallery by Chele, could not have been happier for the Philippines. Along with several establishments, Gallery by Chele received a classic Michelin star and a green star last October for upholding gastronomic excellence and environmental integrity—a first for the country.
Chef Chele, along with sous chef Carlos Villaflor, shares his take on how “patience, hard work, and sacrifice” go a long way in the culinary industry.
Join Pia Arcangel as she not only plates meals with Michelin-starred chefs but also delves into their childhood and how they discovered their passion for cooking.
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NewsTranscript
00:00and you taste like the traditional this is our innovation our creation and then you have this
00:11part of this part of Filipino culture I think cook is a action of love definitely section of
00:16love it's a joy and open a nice bottle of wine and enjoy my time with my family I love to do
00:22that that's beautiful I also believe in that that cooking is you know an act of love definitely so
00:27I tried that with my husband when we were first married and he said if you really love me you
00:30don't have to cook for me anymore it doesn't work the way I thought it would I remember I
00:36see my family I want to be kind of chef so everybody in my home is like oh my god here we go
00:42not that actually you were expecting well I was a very now I'm still disciplined super hard worker
00:50but at that time I was being a DJ going late to sleep I was very disorganized very
00:56lazy I would say I'm not lazy at all right now so I think my my family is like here we go with
01:03another or he's crazy everybody was looking at me it's not in the last even one year no
01:09and it was the most amazing decision I took in my life
01:26it has all the collagen and all the umami that you get from the chicken
01:31mmm okay I can smell that we get a nice piece of that one so we get this nice thick in the middle in
01:41the middle okay but you don't throw out the rest of it no well it looks very yummy it's an octopus who
01:46wants to be a chicken how's your Filipino vocabulary oh don't ask me but you can see
01:58Todi makulit konti lang you know that is him is the way of improvement so moving forward
02:05the gallery by Chele received the classic Michelin star and the first green star in the Philippines for
02:17culinary excellence and environmental integrity and behind the success is a formidable brigade led by Chef Chele Gonzalez
02:23by Chef Chelle Gonzalez. Join us as we dig in and discuss what it takes for a restaurant
02:28like Gallery by Chelle to achieve Michelin excellence only here on PowerTalks. Chef Chelle,
02:35thank you so much for having us here at Gallery and good afternoon to you, Chef. Good afternoon.
02:41We're so excited to be here. First of all, congratulations on your Michelin stars. And I
02:46say stars because you have one red, one green for Gallery and one red for Asador. Is that correct,
02:51Chef? Yeah, correct. We're very happy, honestly. And I think it's an achievement of hard work. This
03:02restaurant is 12 years old, but with one year pre-opening is 13 years of dedication. I don't
03:10see this place as a work. It's also a life project that is so attached to our heart. Not only me,
03:19also Chef Carlos who is around and many of the members of the team who are not having
03:24working also for 10 years. Michelin probably for Chefs is the biggest accolade. But for me,
03:29I said, you know, the stars is really the client because we do everything for make people happy.
03:35And when we see that people is happy and they are having a good experience, it's so grateful.
03:41Well, Chef, you mentioned earlier that prior to you earning your own Michelin stars, you had worked in
03:47Spain under Michelin star restaurants. Was it a childhood dream? Not really. Actually, until I was
03:57probably 12, I think 12 years old or 14, I was a very bad eater. I fight all the time with my mom to eat.
04:05Bad eater meaning you didn't want to eat your vegetables and things like that? Yes, I didn't want to eat in general.
04:11I was very skinny. And I think it was interesting because I want to visit my sister who lives in
04:20Galicia. Galicia is famous because of the seafoods. I went to, because I experienced something different.
04:27I remember this dish is called Mejellones Tigger. It's like spicy croquetas, mussels. And then I love
04:35this dish and I started to cook it. I asked my mom to buy this traditional, traditional recipe book.
04:42And then I started to cook that and that became amazing natural. And I started to cook at home
04:46after that. And I started to enjoy cooking and I started to enjoy eating. But I thought it was 12,
04:5114 years old. And then I, when I have a special occasion, I always cook with my friends.
04:57And I study marketing and business where they now, it's helped me a lot in these days.
05:02Okay. So your formal studies, uh, were marketing and business?
05:06Before. Before I became a chef. Before I became a chef.
05:08Okay. And then I opened my own, and a DJ too. So I opened my own electronic music club.
05:14Wow. So I was 21 years old. In 1995, when the revolution in Europe of electronic music,
05:21it was a big, um, a big movement. Oh, electronics. So the, the beats, yeah. House, techno.
05:27Oh, so, so. Just, I think just all of that. Because I read that you used to be a DJ.
05:33I'm still a DJ. You're still a DJ. Wow. So, um, does it mean you also sometimes,
05:39like, have certain nights here where you do it professionally? I have a platform called
05:43Medium Rare, where, um, we transform sometimes these restaurants, sometimes other places in a,
05:51in a multi-sensorial experience, you know, also food. So, Medium is because, for me, my two biggest
05:57passions in life is music and food, you know? Okay. And they are all very similar. Okay? So,
06:04if you're a chef, you need to do your prep, and you need to prepare before the service.
06:09With music, you need to listen for days, for hours, music, you know, to prepare your own style,
06:14your own, you know, whatever you want to play. And then the service is, is the time you share the food
06:21to your customers. With the music is the time that you put in front of the deck, and you connect with
06:26the people. And with music is so much energy behind. It's, you know, me, I play, you know,
06:32feeling the people and giving back to them. It's, it's really special. Uh, so Medium, because it's the
06:39medium, you know, between. And rare, because I don't play, I don't play commercial music. I play
06:44underground electronic music. And my food also is, you know, you know, personal, no? I would say.
06:50So, medium rare. So, medium rare is about music, electronic music, uh, food and art, because music
07:00and food is also an art expression. So, I have that brand called medium rare, and then I create events.
07:05When you were telling me that story, I was imagining you, like, maybe at home,
07:08in your own kitchen cooking, and there has to be music. Does there have to be music when you're cooking?
07:13No, no, no. During the time I was studying marketing, I was a DJ. I opened my first bar
07:18club with 21 years old. Um, too much party. But during that time, I was able, the business,
07:26you know, allowed me to, to go to, uh, Michelin star restaurants to eat, you know, testing menus.
07:32And I really loved it. So, when I finished my, I sold the club, I, I, I got, uh, a good,
07:39good business deal. So, after, with 24 years old, I remember I see my family
07:46and I said, uh, I want to be Kanachev. So, everybody in my family was like, oh my God,
07:53here we go. Not that actually you were expecting.
07:56Well, I was a very, now I'm still disciplined, super hard worker. But at that time, I was,
08:04you know, being a DJ, going late to sleep. I was very disorganized, very lazy. I would say,
08:11I'm not lazy at all right now. I'm very hard working. So, I think my, my family is like,
08:15here we go with another, or he's crazy idea. Where is he? And I remember my friends,
08:20I have some friends who are also, you know, Michelin chefs and say, Chelle,
08:24you know what are you talking about? So, for a club owner, you know, you are handling one of the
08:30most, um, trendy bars in, in town where, you know, you are a star, you know, being a DJ. Now,
08:36you are going to go back to the kitchen from scratch. You had to clean,
08:41and you are, it's going to be hard. Are you sure? So, everybody thought, you are not going to make
08:47it. Even my family, I mean, they say, I pay for my studies because I have the money from the bar.
08:52But, you know, so they know they can stop me. But, you know, everybody was looking at me,
08:56it's like, it's not going to last even one year, you know. And it was the most amazing decision I took
09:04in my life. It really gave me so much discipline that I needed. It gave me, it saved me. It was,
09:10I was a little bit lost at that time. It was, I was 24 years old, partying too much,
09:15being a party animal, and not very focused on what I wanted in my life. And the food and
09:22be a chef would give me what I needed. And give me a, you know, a really, a focus and a really,
09:31a reason to keep going. So, yeah, food and become a chef is one of the most wonderful things happening.
09:38Are you the only chef in the family?
09:39Yes.
09:40Wow. Well, they must be so proud, you know, knowing what you have accomplished already.
09:45Have they been here to the Philippines?
09:47Yes, many times, many times.
09:48Okay, so they've died here.
09:49Because they married here also, so I really know my family.
09:51Oh, okay. Well, I was actually going to ask you, what brought you to the Philippines
09:55to begin with? Was it because you had met someone already at the time, or you really just wanted to
10:00come here to the Philippines? I came for vacation to Southeast Asia and China. Do you believe sometimes
10:05that there is a voice inside you that you need to listen? So, so I used to work in a lot of fine
10:12dining restaurants. Some of them, you know, I remember working in El Bulli, a very famous restaurant,
10:17and I remember the chef one day came and say, you know, in 2008, say, you know, yesterday we were
10:23awarded the best restaurant in the world. I said, wow, I'm working in the best restaurant in the world.
10:27I have been working in three or four Michelin star restaurants, between the stage and working, and
10:35others, you know, top restaurants in the world. So I, I was a little bit tired of fine dining.
10:39I was a little bit burnt. So I wanted to come and work in a resort, in the beach, a little bit more
10:44relaxed, laid back, and I wanted to be in Asia. I didn't know in the Philippines or where exactly,
10:51and I have a vacation organized to Thailand and the Philippines, and I,
10:56and I started to apply. I didn't know anybody. So everything I, I built. Thank you very much
11:02also to my partners, the Karma, who believe and trust me. But yes, I come here with, I didn't know
11:08anybody. I, I have to come from scratch, but that is also beautiful because, you know, I come from a
11:14small town where everybody knows everybody. Sometimes, you know, it's like, you can not have your own
11:19privacy or your own life. So here is, I build the person who I want to be, you know. So it's like,
11:28the opportunity to say, okay, I, I am whoever I want to be, and I build whoever I want to be. So
11:35that is beautiful. And the Philippines have been so warm, and people have been so nice. And I always
11:42say that the Philippines made me a better person, and made me grow in a very beautiful way.
11:47Is this where you built your family as well already, your own family?
11:50Yes, yes, yes. So my family, of course, is my wife, Terri, my daughter, Ayunara. So I have a very
11:57macolette, my teeth. My God, yes, very macolette. But of course, she's three years old, so all the time she
12:05wants to play. And she, this morning, I was in the shower, you know, I like losing, every time I have
12:10opportunity to listen to music, and she can, and dance with me, and... Okay, so what, what music of
12:17yours does she like listening to? Well, she was, since she was already, Terri was pregnant, I always
12:22play, because when I have an opportunity, I always listen to music, and it's something that really
12:27relax myself. So I think it's already in her blood, you know, not choice. She loves, she loves, she can
12:34always dance with me. So she's already very artistic. Does your wife share the same passion for cooking
12:40or music? She's in the industry, so she used to work in the, in Sangrela, so she's now running together
12:48with all other of my partners, our Chele Catering. Okay. So she is also part of it. I think that's why we
12:55match well, because it's difficult to, I think, be with a chef, you know, who has long hours and all
13:01other things. Does your wife sometimes cook for you? Not very much, but not because she doesn't
13:07like it. Sometimes, actually, she said, you know, I used to cook much more before, it's because I like
13:12to cook at home. But I'm curious about, like, we, do you still get to go to Spain very often? Yes, yes,
13:17definitely. Who do you visit now in Spain? My mom, my family, I will stay with them, and then I go to eat
13:22two of the places. They're different restaurants. When you visit your mom, does she still cook for
13:27you? No, not so much. Sometimes they cook. My brother-in-law cooks for me, but I like to cook.
13:32I like to cook at home. They ask you to cook for them. I, no, I just like it. I think, um, cook is a
13:39action of love. It's definitely an action of love. So I like to go to the market, buy this beautiful
13:45fish, or things that I don't have here, or if I have here, it's really expensive, and cook for them.
13:50It's a joy, and open a nice bottle of wine, and enjoy my time with my family. I love to do that.
13:57That's beautiful. I also believe that, I also believe in that, that cooking is, you know,
14:01an act of love. Definitely. So I tried that with my husband when we were first married,
14:04and he said, if you really love me, you don't have to cook for me anymore.
14:08It didn't work the way I thought it would. Well, maybe he said that.
14:15Maybe after this conversation, I have new tips from you, Chef, that I can apply at home.
14:20Is cooking still something that relaxes you?
14:24At home, yes.
14:27Not in the restaurant.
14:29That's understandable.
14:30I mean, I build, I build a big name, and that comes with also consequences, you know,
14:36the consequences of keeping, you know, expectations very high. So, you know, I mean,
14:41I love what I do. I mean, honestly, galleries, it's a joy. I mean, what we have been in 13 years
14:47here is beautiful because, you know, um, for, for me, for many, for many years, I, I went home crying
14:56sometimes because I wanted to work at, you know, the Michelin, not, not, not because Michelin,
15:02but at the level of quality standards that also Michelin brings, you know, no, at that time,
15:08I, I could even not think about dreaming to have a mission in the start, but, you know,
15:14I wanted to work at that perfectionist, you know, where a kitchen, everything, it works like a machine,
15:20you know, and now it's happening, you know, it's really, you know, it's, it's a joy. Everybody's so
15:26committed. Everybody's like, they know what they have to do. So I go to the kitchen and it's like,
15:32I just need to do my part that is test the food, go be a mentor, go behind and say, oh,
15:37maybe you can do this in this way. But everybody is like, boom, boom. Everything is so consistent.
15:44Of course, we can have a bad day, I guess, but you know, I always like, oh my God, I enjoy so much.
15:49Is this really happening? You know? So it's, it's beautiful. So Gary is really a place that I,
15:55I give me so much, I give so much, but they give so much back also. So it's, it's nice to,
16:03to be here. I would think that that's actually a testament to your leadership. The fact that they
16:07can operate the kitchen on their own, run things on their own, that you're so impressed by it already,
16:11and that it's at such a high level. So I don't think that can happen if you don't have a good solid
16:17leader at the top who is, you know, willing to share knowledge. Because earlier you said that, um,
16:21sometimes your days are really just so busy that, um, you, you, you go from one activity to another.
16:27Is it like that every day? It's hard. It's hard. I mean, I love what I do. Um,
16:33I feel sometimes I'm not working, then I extremely responsible. So if I commit with something, I,
16:41or I give my word, I will never stop. And that, you know, sometimes, you know,
16:45I cannot disconnect from the phone. I think the phone sometimes is, uh, it's a double tool because,
16:52you know, it may, you connect it, but at the same time, you can sometimes not able to disconnect,
16:58especially with my mentality of be so attached to my responsibilities. So, yeah.
17:05So it works both ways.
17:08How has having the stars changed, um, the way you run things or the way, the way you operate?
17:15No, no, no, of course. I think, uh, with Michelin, um, it's always a way to improve.
17:21And of course, we want to keep growing and get, you know, hopefully more in the future.
17:25But with Michelin or without Michelin, my personality and the way my vision is always,
17:31you know, become better, better, better. And a perfectionist and a visionary and a creative.
17:37So it never stops. And I think, um, the people who is with me right now,
17:42and they are, uh, the core team who have been also with me for quite some time,
17:46they appreciate because it's always every day. And that is how I live my life. It's an opportunity
17:52to become better or to things that you did wrong or things that have a place to improve, to improve.
17:58So I don't think we do that because Michelin, we do that because it's really our personality.
18:04So we really focus and work hard, you know, to, to become better. You know, it's, it's,
18:08it's essence who we are.
18:09Mm-hmm. There was so much joy when you heard about the award, but were you, um,
18:15was there an element of surprise as well?
18:16I mean, but I'm sure it's something that every restaurant or every chef probably aims for,
18:22to have a Michelin star.
18:23Mm-hmm. Um, when I decided to move to the Philippines and made the Philippines my home,
18:29um, I, I already said, okay, I will never, as a chef, will have the opportunity to,
18:35to have a star. I never thought that in my lifetime, Michelin will come to the Philippines.
18:40Mm-hmm. So I built gallery with never thinking that Michelin will be around.
18:45Mm-hmm. Um, and then when half, when, when finally it was happening, it's like, it feels very unreal.
18:51Mm-hmm. So, yes, it was a night, it was a very special night, but not because of the gallery,
18:58honestly. I think the winner of that night was really the Philippines. And I remember how Michelin
19:06was keeping saying this message all over the night, uh, of the award ceremony. It was, you know,
19:12we are really amazed of the young Filipino talents. We are really surprised of how, you know, the new
19:18generations of Filipinos are really cooking. And I think the biggest awards were there, you know.
19:24If we see, you know, most of the stars is, you know, young Filipino talents, and the special awards also
19:30was for, you know, for the Philippines. So I think, you know, the winner of that night was really the
19:35Philippines. So it was very, it was very special. That's a beautiful insight, saying that the real
19:40winner was the Filipino, because it really put, um, a spotlight on Philippine cuisine and the
19:45Philippine dining scene. Um, but I was asking you earlier, before we even started the interview,
19:50did you know that, um, Michelin was already here in the country, going around, um, trying to,
19:55you know, checking out the different restaurants? Well, um, two to three years ago, we started to listen
20:01that the DOT was really thinking to bring them in the Michelin. Actually, you know, we, we talk a
20:09lot, you know, um, um, the secretaries on the school, the chef and say, what do you think will
20:14have a good, you know, uh, what will be really putting, you know, the Philippines in the map? Because
20:22for many years, we have been hearing that, um, you know, Filipino cuisine was getting more notice
20:27around the world, especially in the UNED. I think in the U.S. is a clear example. There's a lot of
20:31Filipinos who live there, and there's a lot of young Filipino generations who are really promoting
20:38and establishing, you know, Filipino cuisine as a trend, because sometimes they do Filipino-American,
20:44Filipino-Chinese, Filipino-Mexican, and, you know, also in London, in Paris. But, uh, you know,
20:55the Philippines, yes, always he was listening and something was happening. Obviously something is
20:59happening. Um, when they came to, to, to the Philippines and we get compared with Malaysia and
21:06Vietnam, who, you know, Vietnam is so known around the world. I think it proves that, um, something I
21:11have been saying for years, that is happening like a revolution, you know. When, when Gallery was born
21:1812 years ago, and in this place, the philosophy of the restaurant was to
21:23focus on local ingredients, local flavors, and the reason it was a very simple, uh, as a foreign to
21:32come to the Philippines, and having in context that most of the Western cuisines have a big influence
21:38of Asian cuisine. Mostly, I would say probably Thai and Japanese. But for me, you know, when I came, it's like,
21:46oh, wow, even a quack quack in the street, or even, you know, like, um, Isao, or, you know, every single thing,
21:54even, you know, like calamansi. It was, everything, it was new. So, I think one of the
22:01most important aspects of a chef is curiosity. You need to be curious to really open your mind and be
22:09creative, or whatever, you know. But even if you do traditional cuisine, or whatever you do, you need
22:13to be curious. So, for me, that curiosity opened the doors to the Philippines, and the philosophy of
22:19the restaurant was built about the Philippines, and especially the local ingredients. And a lot of
22:25people at that time, I remember, didn't want to come to Gallery, because, oh, if you go to a high-end place,
22:32or you go to a fine-dining restaurant, I will expect to have important meat, you know, fish from, I remember that time it was.
22:40If they're paying a lot, they think it has to be important.
22:43At that time, at that time, I remember the sea bass from Chilean. Chilean sea bass,
22:48you have to have it in the menu. I was like, no, you know.
22:51Well, you know what I think about. Yes, they always have to indicate Chilean sea bass.
22:55You see, for the longest time, it changed now. And I said, you know, I'm living in a country that is a
23:01archipiélago. It's one of the biggest biodiversities of seas and seafoods in the world.
23:06And I think as a chef, the way I was built also with my former mentors, it makes your life a little
23:13bit more difficult. And, you know, go and look for sources, and look for ingredients that, you know,
23:20it will be out of the regular, you know, chain. So that is how we started, you know, and we wanted to
23:27bring, you know, local fishes, local seafoods, local vegetables, endemic ingredients. And that's
23:33how some people think, you are crazy. Actually, the gallery was not profitable for around four
23:39years. Oh, that's a long time, but you still kept it around. Because this restaurant, it was two.
23:46It was Basque at that time. It was tapas, focusing Basque country cuisine, and it was gallery. So Basque,
23:52actually, what we're sitting right now, our main dining room, it was a function room. We did a lot
23:57of events. So the restaurant, it was profitable. Okay. The restaurant itself, because the events and
24:03the Spanish part, but gallery itself, it was really, it was not. So slowly, slowly, you know,
24:10we decided in 2018 to only keep one restaurant and go all the way to gallery. And here we are right
24:19now with one green star and one. Yeah, and very profitable. I presume very profitable as well.
24:27Well, we are profitable. Yes, we are. It's a very healthy restaurant. But in this restaurant also,
24:35it's more than 50 people working. So we are supporting actually more than 50 families.
24:40Everybody who have been with us for years, we increase the salaries.
24:43Mm-hmm. Um, we also have three sommeliers, uh, 20 plus kitchen.
24:49Yes, three sommeliers. Wow. Three sommeliers. Okay.
24:51Okay. Uh, we also have more than, you know, 20 chefs in the kitchen.
24:55Mm-hmm. So, um, as far as you also go in the Michelin direction, but again, we don't do this
25:02because Michelin, uh, we are highly honored that Michelin appreciate what we do. Mm-hmm.
25:07Mm-hmm. Um, but you know, as, as, as you go in higher standards and higher experience,
25:14your profitability is smaller, smaller, smaller. Oh, okay. So.
25:18I'm curious about, yeah. At some point, we need to increase the price of our menus because
25:22compared with Europe, Singapore, or any other places, I think we're probably one of the cheapest
25:28testing menus in the world. But is there a certain level of pressure now that you already have
25:33your Michelin stars? Of course, it's a person. Mm-hmm. And Michelin, you know, is, is the biggest
25:38accolade, you know, and they give you and they can also remove you. Mm-hmm. So, you cannot fail.
25:43But, I mean, again, I think operate a restaurant thinking Michelin is wrong, you know, and Michelin
25:50should be, uh, extra, you know, a point. But over the years and almost 50, um, I think the first is
25:58start with a sustainable business. Mm-hmm. Okay. So, meaning that, you know, your numbers need to be
26:04positive. Your numbers need to be, you know, so you create, um, a good environment. Second, you know,
26:13define who you want to be. What is your identity? You want to be a casual restaurant? You want to be a
26:18fine dining restaurant? You want to do something deeper like we do here? And that's why I think we
26:23got the green star because we highlight local ingredients, you know, sustainable practices.
26:28We have a garden in the care and many other things. But who do you want to be? You know,
26:32and then build, build your business based on that. It's true that, you know, over the lifetime of the
26:38restaurant, things might change or you need to survive or you move things. You know, this restaurant is
26:43very different. It used to be 12 years ago because the market was very different. It was a time that we
26:48cannot even, our communication teams didn't allow to say we are a fine dining because at that time,
26:54you know, the market was looking, not looking, you know, for fine dining. It was very casual. So,
27:00I think, you know, the stars will come or the awards will come later on. What is important is that you
27:09are a sustainable, you create a very good work environment and if you decide to go for, you know,
27:14the standards that also, you know, go together with Michelin values, then you go all the way.
27:23So today, Chef, you are going to show us how you prepare some of the dishes here at the gallery,
27:29of course, with your sous-chef, Chef Carlos Villaflor. You have a deck where you grow, you grow your own
27:35ingredients. And we have an urban garden outside. And because, you know, all of this is really very
27:44much part of what is, you know, Filipino and Southeast Asian flavors. Come in.
27:53Sounds good. So, you know, octopus is always, you know, look at this.
27:58I hope that I got. Yeah. So, we want that smoky flavor as well.
28:06So, this will be a lot of freshness. We're going to cover.
28:11Give textures. Okay.
28:16And you taste like the traditional. So, this is not really, this is our innovation,
28:21our creation. And then you have this part of this part of Filipino culture. That's why we never say
28:26in here that we do Filipino dishes. But this is inspiring a Filipino dish. It's so yummy. Actually,
28:32yeah, it does taste like, you know, something you'll find up north or down south. And now we get both
28:41together. Oh, okay. And then now the final dish is ready to be complete. So, step by step and then together.
28:51And now you, you can feel what the chef wants to do. So good. It's harmony in the... Yeah,
28:58it is harmony. It's like everything in your mouth, it all just goes together. So, there are aromas
29:05and there are flavors. So, the aromas allow you to complex, you know, and, you know, finalize,
29:12you know, the whole, uh, artwork. So, chef, this is what we were grilling earlier. Yes. So, this is the
29:25finished product. So, this is the octopus that we were boiling. And then after we marinate it with
29:30Innesia marination, we're going to start to put the octopus here on the plate. Pickled ubud that we will
29:38slightly tear apart. And then we're going to put it on top of the plate. But also what we wanted to
29:45highlight also is level of texture.
29:47It looks very yummy. It's an octopus who wants to be a chicken.
30:05Well, chef, now that you're here, no, um, you're, you're the sous chef here at Gallery. How long have
30:10you been working with, um, Gallery and with Chef Chelle? Uh, we've been working for, um, 12, 13 years.
30:17Oh, that's a long time. So, almost from the very beginning. From the start, yes. So, when, actually, when
30:22this is still under construction, we were already doing a lot of, like, um, food tasting here. So, we
30:30were doing, like, a couple of experimentation and everything. So, is it true, chef, that you've been, um,
30:35you've been cooking since you were 10? Not exactly. But, um, I started the love of eating
30:41first. Okay. I started the love of eating first. So, um, by that, it developed to a curiosity of how
30:49is the food made. And then we had this subject, I think, on Grade 6 is home economics, where
30:54you would do a part where carpentry or you can do cooking and something. And then when we were in the
30:58section of cooking, that was the time where I was fascinated how cooking. So, before I went to high
31:05school, I already know, like, what I wanted to do. To do. So, I applied, uh, for college. And then,
31:12after that, I started cooking when I was, I started professionally cooking when I was 17.
31:1717? Well, that's a very young age to begin a professional career. And you haven't looked back
31:23since. Not really. I mean, like, this is, uh, something that you always, uh, enjoy doing. I think
31:30that's very important because in this industry, it's not only hardware but also passion leads to
31:36me here. We mentioned that you're the sous chef here. What does it mean when you're the sous chef?
31:41I'm the second-in-command for Chef Chelle. So, we run the kitchen together. And at the same time,
31:47we manage everything that goes around in the restaurant. And so, it's a huge responsibility. I mean,
31:52of course, because Chef Chelle also goes around from one restaurant to another. It is. It is. So,
31:58starting from sourcing of ingredients, to food costs, to, uh, food development, to organization
32:03of the kitchen. And also, but of course, it's not just me. So, we have an amazing team here in
32:08Gallery. So, we have also the head chef. We have chef to party or, uh, also in the kitchen right now. So,
32:14it's actually a collaborative effort. So, everyone here plays a vital role, um, to make this restaurant
32:22run smoothly. We have young listeners and young viewers also who aspire, um, you know, to, to be
32:29chefs like you one day. Well, what kind of advice would you give them? Never give up. That's it. This
32:35industry is very fulfilling. But at the same time, it requires a lot of patience, hard work, and sacrifice.
32:42So, just when you're about to, uh, some, uh, do something good, it will require a lot out of you. So,
32:50trust the process, and also, just keep on going.
32:54Parang nung sinabi mo na, uh, never give up, may hugot na kasama siya.
32:57Mayhingya sa ilong.
33:00Ibig sabihin, mahirap kasi yung pinagdadaanan na isang siya.
33:03It's true. I mean, like, it's no joke, like, um, standing 14, 16 hours a day.
33:08Mm-hmm. And then sometimes, you know, like, not only the work, but also you feel there's, there's a lot of pressure.
33:14Mm-hmm.
33:15There's a lot of pressure every day. There's a lot of, like, um, expectation as well. And of course, there's,
33:21every day you're a problem solver. There's no such thing as a perfect day, but it's your responsibility
33:26to make sure that it's perfect. So, that is a beautiful thing about this career, because you, you never stop learning.
33:34Beautifully said, Chef. Thank you so much.
33:40You know, Chef, you mentioned that every day is like, you know, I imagine it's like, um,
33:44every, uh, every minute plant to the dot. So, um, and I know that you're very busy, so you're
33:49used to, like, things being quick in the kitchen, right? I mean, things happen very fast in the kitchen.
33:53So, we have, um, prepared something for you. These are quick-fire questions. The way things are fast
33:59in the kitchen, we have rapid-fire questions for you. So, the first answer that comes to mind is, um,
34:05what you just have to tell us. All right. So, my first question is, what is your favorite Filipino food?
34:10Inasal.
34:12Ah, not adobo. People usually say adobo.
34:14I like adobo. Inasal.
34:16But inasal?
34:17I like inasal, kinilaw. I like tinola.
34:20Ah, tinola.
34:21I feel very interesting, but maybe not that comforting, uh, sinigan.
34:26Because ondice is punjet, but I think that it's the most interesting Filipino for me.
34:30How's your Filipino vocabulary?
34:32Oh, don't ask me.
34:33But you can say makulit.
34:36Conti lang, you know?
34:37Conti lang.
34:38That, I've seen, is a way of improvement. So, moving forward.
34:44Do you eat junk food?
34:46Uh, very little.
34:48Okay. How about fast food? Or is fast food junk food for you?
34:51Uh, both. I, um, I am very particular. I like clean food.
34:56Okay.
34:57Um, so, sometimes, you know, my food is gonna be omelet or a piece of fish, panfisher.
35:02Um, of course, you know, maybe once a month you have.
35:04But then, I don't like burgers too much. I, um, now, pizza, a little bit more,
35:08but it's not part of my daily food. I, it's not my thing.
35:12Wow.
35:12What's your favorite Filipino ingredient?
35:15Uh, I can use a few, but calamansi, one of them.
35:18Mm-hmm.
35:19Calamansi?
35:20Yeah, I cannot leave it without calamansi.
35:23Do you have calamansi in the farm?
35:25Yes, you know, it's really endemic from the Philippines.
35:29Who is the greatest influence in your cooking?
35:34Okay, my two mentors, Andoni Luis Aduriz from Mugariz, Jose and Alija from Nerua in Spain.
35:42Those probably are the ones who really influence my cuisine the most.
35:45And, um, you worked with them in the restaurants?
35:48Yes, in the restaurant before.
35:49How about in your family? Is there anybody from your family who had any sort of influence?
35:53Because I remember in S&R you have the, the flan of your grandmother.
35:56Of course, my mom used to cook sometimes.
35:58And at some point influenced a few things.
36:00Yeah, my mom, yeah, my mom mostly, yeah.
36:03Uh, we just have one last question because the show is called Power Talks.
36:06It's about, you know, featuring, um, people in, uh, key positions of influence and power and all that.
36:12Um, for you, what, what, what does power really mean for you?
36:15Oh, power.
36:17Probably, I think, I agree that it's influence, you know.
36:21Um, power, power could be the most, the, the weakness of our humanity.
36:27Because I think sometimes people get attached to the power, or, and then they, I think they lose their mind.
36:34Uh, so I think that power is, is, is weakness.
36:38I, I think, you know, um, I don't, I don't do anything because I try to get power.
36:45So, I, I do things because I want to be a good leader.
36:51And I want to influence my team in a positive way.
36:54I want to go to sleep feeling good with myself also.
37:00So, um, I think that is what I spend a lot of time to create a good work environment,
37:06to also make, you know, the business profitable, you know.
37:08So everybody who benefits, like I mentioned before, be a sustainable business.
37:12So I think it's responsibility.
37:14I know what we do can influence.
37:16And I think we know that we can influence and I hope we do it positively.
37:20So, yes, it's also a responsibility.
37:22But I think, no power.
37:24All right, Chef, beautifully said.
37:26Thank you so much.
37:27Thank you, Chef.
37:30Don't forget to like, subscribe, and download PowerTalks with PR Cagel on Spotify,
37:34Apple Podcasts, GMA Integrated News streaming platforms, or wherever you listen.
37:40Till the next episode.
37:50I'll see you in the next episode.
38:09Bye.
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