What attracted them to this project? Santos admits that Atty. Divina gave him an offer that was impossible to refuse. “He really takes care of his employees, so moving forward, I also don’t want to open a restaurant anymore and not pay my people well. That was one of the most frustrating things I ever experienced,” he confesses. “(Atty. Divina) was the one who said ‘ok chef, let’s pay the team better, let’s give them profit sharing, Let’s give them equity.’ All of these things. My ears were ringing because that has been my dream ever since Your Local. I just wanted a restaurant where everyone has some stake in the business, so they really get what they deserve.”

The other condition was that he needs to be able to fulfil a promise he made to his son who, at seven years old, has a deeper sense of what his father does and is. “Coming out of the pandemic, my son told me, ‘Daddy, if you’re going to go back into cooking, can you make sure you’re one of the best?’ It’s pressure, but it gives me a sense of purpose.”

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This is why after opening Café Aurora in early February, the chefs can shift their focus to their fine dining concept, Celera—a 20-seater set to open June-July 2023 just below the cafe that is accessible through their basement parking area. This also fulfils the promise that he made to a small circle of chef friends whom he collaborated with in the past that he will open a restaurant once again. “I miss them,” chef Santos admits, “and I miss the environment of collaboration.”

He wants to infuse that same joint effort into Café Aurora where he and chef Quenee encourage the team to contribute to the menu, perhaps including some regional Filipino fare into what is slowly becoming a widely-diverse line-up. “The menu is taking some time because I want the chefs to bring in their own styles into the menu,” chef Nicco explains. “This is just a canvas, but now they’re opening up, digging a little deeper. I want it to be more collaborative, it’s lonely working alone. Quenee and I worked for a long time just the two of us (in Sambar). I’m so sick of her! (Laughs) It would be nice to learn from new people.”

Forming a new team was a challenge with many of their old crew having gone abroad or opened their own businesses during the pandemic. Both chefs are learning how to adjust to a new breed of cooks that are more self-aware and conscious of their needs— either work-related or otherwise. “Very different way of working,” Santos imparts. “What’s nice is they’re very curious. But they are more scared to make mistakes. Less jumping into action. The batch four years ago, they take risks and give suggestions. Now they’re more reserved… more observant and careful. If you rush them they make more mistakes. The key for me now is consistent gentle pressure. Gentle pressure is the new way of management.”

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Vilar adds: “ Before they did not care much about the salary. Now, it’s the first thing they will ask. What are the benefits? Days off? Healthcare?  It’s a pandemic thing. Oh, and it’s the first time I encountered the question: What’s the age group? When they’re too new, they lack experience and they don’t want that either. I felt that COVID really changed us. Work-life balance is really important now to everyone.”

The chefs were not exempted from this change, apparently, and it really showed in the food. The complex flavour profiles that they favoured in the past are now served side-by-side in Café Aurora with a refreshing panzanella salad; a salmon donburi dotted with ikura and made abundantly earthy by a shiitake sushi rice; desserts that include a kaya toast cookie and a mousse-like peanut butter and jelly cheesecake.

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The bites we had from Celera’s tasting menu were even more promising, with the likes of smoked hamachi with laksa ponzu gel and fried leek hay; cured shirodai with the textures of sigarilyas and desiccated coconut and gently seasoned with nuoc cham ice cream, and a show-stopping chicken “rice” with cauliflower purée thickened with collagen and flavoured with coriander oil. Still, what almost stole the show was the roti made in-house by their longest-staying team member Kuya Roy paired simply with three condiments- brown butter condense milk, labneh rolled in za'atar, and that perfectly balanced curry that reminded me of who helms this kitchen. 

New beginnings are rightfully frightening, even for these two seasoned chefs. But, with their tremendous talent and hunger to succeed, a partner willing to give their team the cushion of financial security, and a fan base that has waited way too long for their return—the dawn is fast approaching and the sky looks clear.

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