Cover Chef Bettina Arguelles (Photo: Patrick Diokno)
Chef Bettina Arguelles (Photo: Patrick Diokno)
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Chef Bettina Arguelles recounts her favourite food memories, the first dish she learned how to make, and the book that ignited her love for food
Fresh off her stint in Singapore as Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay’s executive head chef, Bettina Arguelles returned to the Philippines to helm the kitchens of Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Here, Arguelles broke records as the first Filipina executive chef of a five-star hotel in the Philippines and later became its director of culinary operations.
During these four years at Sofitel, the tenacious chef ushered in a new era of innovation for the hotel—from highly-anticipated collaborations with chefs Miko Calo and Rhea Rizzo to exclusive wine and sake dinners, Arguelles revitalised Sofitel as a fashionable destination for gourmet dining experiences.
With the regretful closure of the property earlier this July, this coveted chef-at-large bides her time enjoying a much-needed vacation as she gears up for all the exciting opportunities still ahead of her. Get to know chef Bettina Arguelles and the flavours of her youth, below:
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Above Chef Bettina Arguelles (Photo: courtesy of Bettina Arguelles)
Chef Bettina Arguelles (Photo: courtesy of Bettina Arguelles)
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What was your go-to comfort food growing up?
I grew up in my paternal lola’s house. Being the first apo on both sides, it was my birthright to be fought over by both sides of the family! My lola was a widowed mother of eight and our food was very humble. My favourite was the giniling omelette. My tita and I would cook this unbelievably simple dish of minced beef, cooked in caramelised sweet onions, seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper, cooked in the egg where the edges are crisp and nicely browned, served over a steaming plate of white rice. Looking back, it is reminiscent of oyakodon, but dry, and with the richer, fuller flavour of beef.
What would you say is the one dish that ignited your love for food?
I can’t say there was one dish per se that ignited my love for food. However, there was one book: Cooking it Up with Nora Daza. I remember as a child we would cook in the kitchen with my titas with a very worn and very loved copy of this cookbook. We would almost try out every single recipe. To this day I have my own copy, which I took with me to Japan as a young housewife and cooked for my brand new hubby and children with this same book. That book has food debris and sauce splatters and I believe this was the early beginning of my love for food.
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Above Photo: courtesy of Bettina Arguelles
Photo: courtesy of Bettina Arguelles
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What was the first dish you learned how to cook?
Baked macaroni! Elbow macaroni, bolognese sauce, bechamel, and lots of cheese. My lola used to have a small stall in the canteen of St Scholastica’s College Manila where she sold this every day. I can cook this with my eyes closed. I had this for my baon nearly every single day and survived by trading it with classmates for theirs!
What is one dish or ingredient that you couldn’t stomach growing up? How do you feel about it now?
Ampalaya! As my palate developed as a chef, I grew to appreciate and enjoy bitterness—it allows us to better appreciate and enjoy sweetness.
What is your favourite food memory from your childhood? Why is it so special?
From my maternal grandmother’s side, there is this dish cooked only by my Bicolano uncle, tito Joel, called tinutungan. It is carabao meat and kangkong, slowly braised in charred coconut milk, seasoned with bird’s eye chilli and calamansi. He used to char aged niyog over hot coals until they turned black. He would them grate them and squeeze that smoky gata by hand. These are my memories of slow food cooked with so much patience and intention. I loved the tedious steps and process…the smells and sounds that would fill the house until it was ready to eat, among other Bicolano recipes have developed my fascination for cooking.
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Photo: courtesy of Bettina Arguelles
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What is a childhood breakfast you loved?
I cherish my breakfast with my lola Paring. We would have freshly baked pandesal purchased from the neighbourhood panaderia, still warm in the brown paper bag. Since I was young (about six or seven), I wanted to have it like she would, spread with butter and sugar, and dipped in coffee. What she would make for me though was a sweet milk with some coffee. I loved how when I was nearing the end of my coffee, it would be so sweet and buttery from dipping the butter-laden pandesal.
What is a childhood after-school merienda you loved?
I remember we would eat fried saba bananas, on the verge of being overripe, and dipped in powdered milk.
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Above Photo: courtesy of Bettina Arguelles
Photo: courtesy of Bettina Arguelles
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Is there a particular person, friend or family, that you associated with food and eating while growing up?
I was surrounded by people who loved to cook and eat. I remember in my maternal grandmother’s house, we used to have Sunday lunches and never stand up from the dining table all through to merienda and even dinner. Plates would just be cleared and replaced with more food as we sat and told stories all day long. We would leave and fall asleep in the car, debilitated by a food coma.
What is the one dish you miss the most from your childhood—something you used to always eat while growing up but don’t have so much of nowadays?
A good pastel de lengua. This used to be a staple for special occasions and Christmas. But as a chef, I am never there, weekends and festive seasons being our peak season. It’s ironic how the traditions that have inspired me to cook took me away from those celebrations. I take pleasure in knowing though that I become part of other people’s traditions and celebrations… and it is a privilege to cook for them.
About
Lauren’s love for food came much later in life than one would expect— an obsession awakened in the streets of Melbourne’s multicultural dining scene. Armed with this newfound passion, she returned to the Philippines determined to discover the best eats in her home country, with a personal advocacy to champion local cuisines and homegrown talent. Nothing is off-limits; if it’s delicious, it’s worth celebrating.
Work
As Tatler Dining associate editor, Lauren covers all things food and drink, from listing the latest openings in our monthly Dining Radar to interviewing chefs and bartenders about the biggest obstacles crippling the industry today. Beyond the digital space, she also organises Tatler Dining’s tentpole events, including Off Menu and Tatler Dining Kitchen, as well as the annual Tatler Best Philippines awards night and guide launch, detailing the best restaurants in the country.
For leads and event invites, contact her via lauren@tatlerphilippines.com or follow her on Instagram at @laurengolangco.
Photo: Ralph Mendo
