What We've Been Writing #04: Filipino food was always in the chat, but hello anyway!
With the Michelin Guide working on editions for Manila and Cebu, this eater shines the spotlight on the writers (and cooks) talking about Filipino food on this platform.
I was getting excited about finally having a (relatively) topical installment of What We’ve Been Writing, but then, other things happened.
But then, it’s a great opportunity to remind everyone that there’s more to us Filipinos than having elected a person who dodged responsibility for him crimes, only to find himself in a plane to the Hague. (Yes, I know a good number of us approve of his murderous “war on drugs” and support him to this day, but again, despite Western media characterizing him as wildly popular, it doesn’t mean the whole country loves him. Not everyone thinks that way.) So, let’s stick with the original topic I had planned. Let’s talk about food!
Is this our moment?
The past few weeks saw certain corners of the Philippines abuzz, and especially particular corners of Filipino Substack. It was announced that the Michelin Guide is heading to our shores. I think that makes us the eighth Asian country, and the fourth Southeast Asian country, to have an edition of the respected restaurant guide. Inevitably this triggered that part of us that crave international affirmation, but it is looking like a pretty big moment for a country whose restaurant scene has been buzzing for a while—and, more importantly, whose cuisine has been making waves around the world for a while.
is a Filipino chef based in London and a contestant on the 18th series of The Great British Menu. His publication is worth a look as he tries to navigate his heritage and culture through food, but his piece on the wider implications of the Michelin Guide entering the Philippines is where we begin.Michelin’s presence in the Philippines will shine a spotlight on our culinary landscape, but recognition alone does not define a cuisine. The more important question is who gets to shape the story of Filipino food? Will this moment highlight the full breadth of our cuisine from fine dining to the everyday soul of carinderias and turo-turo stalls or will it narrow the focus to a select few?
Filipino food has thrived through colonial history, migration, and reinvention, not because it sought external validation, but because it has always been deeply rooted in our communities. Now, as Michelin’s inspectors explore the country, we must ask: what version of Filipino cuisine will they see, and what stories will remain untold?
He does raise a very good point. In Manila, restaurant-wise, names like Toyo Eatery, Metiz and Blackbird have become must-visits for people… of a certain cachet, let’s be honest. I myself can’t help but feel that the guide would further the divide between the “worthy” and everything else—and the latter happens to include what most of us eat.
I also think of the chefs who have already put in the work establishing Filipino cuisine, or at least their take on it, around the world. My childhood habit of watching cooking shows has translated to watching culinary videos on YouTube, where I come across Filipino chefs doing very different things. Sheldon Simeon, for example, mainly taps into his Hawaiian heritage, but also dives into his Ilocano roots. On the flipside, you have Alvin Cailan, who embraced his culinary heritage much later.
The beauty journalist
recently interviewed Abi Balingit, whose mish-mash of myriad Filipino and American influences has led to a James Beard-winning cookbook. Yes, she’s the one who did the adobo chocolate chip cookies. Also, yes, the interview is about her distinctive style, but there’s also an interesting glimpse into her creative process and how she finds new nooks of her childhood and pulls them up to the surface:“The overlap that I see of what is exciting in food and what's exciting in beauty–especially fragrance–is just thinking how does this translate for me? I'll blind-buy a lot of things. Even though you can't eat it, I think the allure is imagining, and hopefully, it matches your expectations. That’s the same kind of marketing, in a way, I did in my brain with my biggest recipe, Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies. If these were just ‘Bay Leaf Brown Butter Cookies,’ no one would think anything of it. I think it’s the extra connection of oh, you’re layering information about savory food and a dessert.”
My thought was, should we demand these Filipino chefs to do Filipino food as we’ve known it, or should we change our expectations and embrace all these remixes? I recall something blogger Ivan Henares told British food critic Tom Parker-Bowles in his piece about Filipino cuisine for Esquire UK many years ago: “The problem is, we adapt easily to new places… and [we] don’t like paying to eat food we’d make better at home anyway.”
Speaking of recipe remixes,
, English-Filipino chef and one-half of the supper club The Adobros, wrote a good take on the viral—not necessarily in a complementary way, sadly—recipe that is ’s chocolate rice, something that isn’t quite outrageous if you’re Filipino.Lieu would later say that people hoped that she would die, and she has talked about the sexism and racism she often faces as a female Asian content creator. And for what? A chocolate rice dish, that draws very loosely upon champorado (Lieu has a Filipino husband) and more generally upon the many sweet rice puddings and porridges that exist around the world? People be crazy mean.
He also taps into an interesting challenge Filipino cuisine faces: how do you establish yourself in light of ragebait culture and short attention spans? It’s safe to bet that many only know us for balut, the subject of several Fear Factor challenges—remember that show? Don’t ask me about the host, though.
We’re all waving flags now
One thing I found fascinating when the Stack Natin project first came together was how many Filipino writers were on this platform to talk about food. Just goes to show how food is the easiest entry point to understanding a whole people—and considering the Philippines has over 7,000 islands and many ethnic and linguistic groups, there’s a lot to go through.
One of them is chef Tintin Jonsson, aka
, who explores her Swedish and Filipino roots in several pop-ups across London. She recently visited Zamboanga, long a hot spot of interregional migration, and now home to Muslims and Christians and indigenous groups living together side by side, and all speaking a Spanish creole, Chavacano. Unfortunately for this Manila-born guy still working through his “imperial” mindset, all I likely know about this region is the long history of conflict, and the many canneries. But I’m growing curious about Tausug cuisine lately, and Tintin adds fuel to the fire.A lot of the dishes that I love belong to the Tausug culture. In the foreword to The Tausug cookbook by Abdulaziz Hasan Hamsain, Dr Benj. S describes the Tausug cuisine to have an ancient austronesian legacy with adopted features from the indians, malays and other asians, engendering the spicy and peppery typicality.
Another one is
, of Filipino and Welsh descent, although he’s now based in Lisbon. He wrote about his experiences launching a supper club when he was still in the UK, although now it seems he’s launching it in his new home city.I was a graphic designer working in advertising. I had no ambition to be a chef, no dream of opening a restaurant. Even getting the word out was difficult — I had no money for ads, barely any Instagram followers, nor was I part of any hot East London chef clique. In summary, my cooking skills were subpar, and I had zero clout.
Still, the good word about Filipino food needed to be spread and I had one advantage: I knew the classics. Family dishes and recipes passed down to me from as early as I can remember; Mum’s favourite Binagoongan, Lola’s early morning Pandesal, Adobo after school, Sinigang on a rainy day, Inihaw beachside, Lugaw when I was sick and Pancit on my birthday.
Armed with this inherited knowledge, I swept aside the imposter syndrome. How difficult could it be?
Of course, I have to mention Anna, aka
, one of the first to join this project. Based in Sydney, she waves the flag for Filipino cuisine through pop-ups and a cookbook project.In the past couple of weeks she’s been writing about meat-less recipes for Lent—and also providing a window into our tradition (one I honestly don’t practice myself) of giving something up for those forty days between Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday.
A ritual we practice at home since the girls were still young. I remember a time when one of them reminded me not to pack chips in their lunchbox, “I’m sacrificing chips for Lent, mum!” When they were primary to high school age, we would discuss what our Lenten sacrifice is over a meal. There were the tangible chocolates, lollies, chips, at one point hubby even gave up drinking soft drinks for 40 days. A feat for him, although these days he’s more into keffir and green juice. There was a year I completely gave up on meat for the duration of lent, and was craving lechon by the time Easter arrived.
There’s also a recipe for tortang talong, or, roughly, an eggplant omelette. With or without meat, it’s really good, especially if you have a gas stove and can really grill your aubergines.
And finally, an attempt to define
We end this month’s digest with a piece from photographer and cook
, born in the Philippines but also based in Australia. Her attempt to articulate what defines Filipino food—which, ironically, is perhaps what makes it a difficult sell to those outside of the country and the diaspora for the most part—feels pretty revelatory, even if I also knew what she was talking about.Every time someone asks, "What is Filipino food?" why do we always start dancing between— "Oh, it’s Spanish-influenced… also Chinese… maybe a little American…"
Like a bit of this and a bit of that. But when you really look at it, it is nothing like Spanish food.
Yes, there are influences. But we make it our own.
Our great doyennes of Filipino food—Doreen Fernandez, Felice Sta. Maria, Amy Besa, and many more—have proven this through their research and writing. This narrative served a purpose. It was how we explained our food to make it relatable, to gain global recognition.
But here’s the thing—we have always danced between wanting recognition and rejecting it.
Perfect example?
Gordon Ramsay calls Filipino food a "sleeping giant" and Filipinos go HELLS NO, MR. RAMSAY. WE AIN’T SLEEPING!
So, to go back full circle to the Michelin news, what is our desired end result? It will directly recognize chefs and restaurateurs, perhaps those running places we can’t even get to. (I mean, I’d love to eat at Toyo Eatery, never mind the months-long queue, but I don’t have anyone to eat with.) Some would say the trickle-down effect would be on our cuisine as a whole, which is great. But there is the risk of focusing too much on the innovators, on the boundary-pushers, without recognizing the starting points. Perhaps, in the end, that task falls to us, to help build that narrative as those who get stars build theirs.
And since Luisa mentioned it, I really wish Doreen Fernandez’s estate is on Substack. They are posting her columns on Facebook, which does reach a wider Filipino audience, but you know…
Before we wrap, a welcome to the newest additions to the directory:
, , , , , and !If you want to be part of the Stack Natin directory, you can join the list—and you can go through the whole thing if you’re itching for a new read. Preferably with some halo-halo—think bingsu, but with much more toppings—on the side.
You're a godsend, po
Niko, my favorite round up so far. Because ehem food 😍