Get acquainted with the must-try dishes and heritage ingredients of Cebu province, as told by celebrity chef Tatung Sarthou
Whether on the small screen or through the pages of his many best-selling cookbooks, chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou gets Filipinos excited about cooking Filipino cuisine. Through his personal brand, Simpol, the affable personality proves that any novice can whip up a delicious feast and that home-cooked meals never have to be boring.
A proud proponent of Filipino fare, Sarthou has also championed his advocacy on the international stage. In 2017, he spotlighted not only Philippine food but the largely underrepresented cuisines of Mindanao at Spain’s Asia Madrid Fusion. The Cebuano culinarian also played an important role in the Cebu episode of Netflix's Street Food: Asia, introducing global audiences to an eclectic snippet of our food culture.
See also: Filipino Cuisine: Do We Really Need International Recognition to Push the Industry Forward?
More recently, Sarthou has had his hands full with his regular Youtube series, the launch of his latest cookbook Baking Simpol, and gearing up to open a limited-time-only private dining experience in his very own Antipolo abode. However, it seems the chef left his heart (and stomach) in Cebu, as he continues to pine for the flavours of his youth—spoiler alert: lechon and dried mangoes didn’t make the cut. Discover a wealth of delicious Cebuano treasures, hand-picked by the Cebu native himself, below.
See also: The Culinary Capitals of the Philippines: Chef JP Anglo’s Guide to Negros Occidental