Cover Chele Gonzalez
Chele Gonzalez
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Chele Gonzalez, the chef-owner of Gallery by Chele in the Philippines, takes diners on a culinary journey through Filipino cuisine and its intricacies
Venerable celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once declared the lechon as the “best pig ever” when he travelled to the Philippines some decades ago. And Filipino food continues to amaze people due to its perceptible taste, creativity and diversity. Its food is unique; drawing inspiration from various influences like Spanish, Chinese, India, and Western cuisine.
The vivacious blend of sweet and sour, salty and acidic, is what makes the cuisine moreish, flavoruful, and absolutely palatable. Overall, it has an extraordinary flavour profile which makes it a standout. In addition, Filipino cuisine is gaining recognition from top chefs, oenophiles, and restaurateurs, who are showcasing its one-of-a-kind flavours and ingredients to a global audience. As such, an immense spotlight has been cast on the cuisine, establishing it as a major player in the culinary world.
Spanish-born Chele González, the chef-owner of contemporary restaurant Gallery by Chele in the Philippines, reckons that Filipino cuisine is going to take the world by storm. “It will continue to evolve, and while it has not reached its highest potential, it still continues to garner interest.” As such, many restaurants will ride on this wave. “In terms of fine dining and a more progressive form of Filipino food, it is definitely getting there”, he adds.
Known for his whimsical and inventive approach to Spanish cuisine, González has received critical acclaim for his culinary creations, making Gallery by Chele one of the most high-profile restaurants in Asia. His popularity can also be attributed to his idiosyncratic style and his ability to craft dishes that flaunt the diversity of Spanish cuisine in an avant-garde and unconventional way. More recently, he started gravitating toward the sensory aspects of Filipino cuisine. For the chef, his interest in the cuisine stemmed from his natural inquisitiveness about indigenous cultures and people.
His culinary philosophy involves a gastronomical exploration of the territories in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia, to discover how the same ingredients could be cooked and understood in different ways. In his kitchen, he judiciously highlights the different endemic produce and anthropological aspects of the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It was there where he delved into the nuances of native Filipino food, simultaneously challenging perceptions of the cuisine, as evidenced in his imaginative offerings. As he continues to flex his culinary muscles this year, he shares his raison d'etre and reasons why Filipino cuisine is a real game-changer.
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Above Chefs Carlos Villaflor and Chele Gonzalez of Gallery by Chele
Chefs Carlos Villaflor and Chele Gonzalez of Gallery by Chele
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What are your opinions about Filipino cuisine becoming the next big thing in the culinary world?
Chele Gonzalez (CG): Filipino cuisine is not yet well known in every corner of the world. Becoming the next big thing is still a long shot, but it is on its way to getting global recognition. Dishes such as adobo, sinigang, and tinola to name a few Filipino dishes, have the potential to be popular. However, they need to become so popular that they become familiar household dishes. That will be the biggest step in achieving the goal of becoming the next big thing.
Why do you think the cuisine is gaining more traction and attention than before?
CG: It is a natural progression. There is growth in the country and by extension, the cuisine is evolving. It is not there yet, but there is certainly more focus on it now. There are good stories that will entice the people’s interest. For example, the kinilaw is one of the first ceviches that was invented even before the Peruvian ceviche! It just needed to be put out there, so that more people would be aware. The Philippines is opening up to the world: people are coming for vacation and business, and there are more good restaurants that are being established. This is how people will know more about the cuisine.
What makes indigenous Filipino ingredients unique and special? What attracts you the most about it?
CG: One of the biggest attractions is that there is a vast territory to explore, and in the Philippines, there are hundreds even thousands of traditions and ancestral cultures from different regions in the country to learn, and with it, endemic produce that is unique. And it is one of the few countries in the world to have a diverse culture and heritage within one country. It is very important to discover and understand the uniqueness and personality of endemic Filipino ingredients, because there is always something magical and surprising to discover in every island that you visit.
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The Filipino-inspired interior design at Gallery by Chele
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Your approach towards cuisine has been described as anthropological. Can you elaborate more on what this means? How do you allow your customers to discover local culture using your food?
CG: Ever since we opened, we have been immersing ourselves in history. We have worked with so many extraordinary individuals, historians included, and we have done research about ancestral cuisines from different geographic locations and traditions. We also take into consideration the history of the “Galleon Trade”, the relationship and influence between Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish cuisine. We want to understand the origin of food cultures and where they are headed, because we believe that there can be no innovation without tradition.
What do you hope your guests will take away after each meal?
CG: Our travels around the country and some parts of Southeast Asia are reflected in the menus that we create. We want to offer an experience and to take a journey around the country and Southeast Asia through every plate that we offer because we want our guests to be inspired, to give more value to culture, and heritage, and to give more value to what is sustainable in terms of food. We want them to travel, have a journey with us and experience what we have experienced.
How would you describe your culinary philosophy?
CG: It involves the many different cultural aspects in this beautiful country and beyond, together with our drive with respect to the natural world. We want to see things from a different perspective, open new ways, and push boundaries, and create something new from ancestral, traditional cooking and from traditions.
Above Fired! Pulpo
Fired! Pulpo
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What is one of your signature dishes that best describes you and your personality?
CG: We evolve the menu constantly, there have been many dishes that we have created that truly reflects who we are as a restaurant. There is the “Fired! Pulpo” which is an octopus with the marination of the inasal, a popular local dish with flavours of ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and the smokiness of grilled. The octopus represents me and my journey, and the flavour represents my immersion in the local Filipino culture.
How do you incorporate your love for nature into your kitchen?
CG: I think in each of the dishes that we create, the love for nature is very clear. We try to respect the ingredients as much as we can, and we try to shape them in a natural way. And we consider our cuisine a very natural and essentialist cuisine. Every single detail is engaged with nature.
How about the way you source for ingredients? How has that changed?
CG: We have always sourced locally and we make sure that they are from responsible sources. Though the challenging thing in the Philippines is that there are not many logistic companies in a country with over 7,000 islands. So, moving things around is very difficult. Also taking into consideration the tropical weather the country gets at least 20 times a year. We really take an effort to find unique and endemic local produce and in turn, assist communities and farmers in their livelihood even those from the most remote corners of the country.
Above Gallery by Chele culinary team
Gallery by Chele culinary team
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You are quite an avid traveller. Tell us more about some of your dishes that were inspired by your travels.
CG: Travelling around is very much part of the Gallery by Chele and myself. I am an adventurer. I ventured and arrived in the Philippines looking just for a job, without knowing anybody, because I really wanted to be in Asia. So, adventure has always been a part of my journey. When I’m travelling, I discover something new, and I get inspired and sometimes emotional. Those feelings that I get from anything that I try, from the dishes to the ingredients, and even in the tradition of a community, allows me to create a concept and translate them into dishes.
Your dishes represent a taste memory from your personal experiences. What were some of the most powerful memories that influenced your cooking?
CG: Each dish represents a memory, something that really touches my heart and soul. I believe the most memorable dishes that we have created and developed in Gallery by Chele are connected with these special moments. We always say we tell the stories of the people we meet and the ingredients and dishes we have been trying from communities and many other people. So for example I was in Mindanao and I went to a karinderia. It’s a small street food shop, and I ate this kinilaw, a Filipino ceviche, that was very smoky. I asked them how it was created. They said they took the pork, smoked it, put it in coconut milk and then mixed it with fresh raw fish.
So that’s why we created a dish called “Tiradito”. It is a tuna tiradito cut slice that we smoked in coconut milk. It is one of the signature dishes. There are so many more, such as the “Bistek Tagalog” with our Sour Ribs and the “Chicken Inasal” with our Fired!Pulpo. All of these have become our best signature dishes. Memories and experiences are a really powerful thing for me.
What are some future plans for the restaurant and yourself? Do you see any upcoming collaborations or is there anyone you wish to do a collaboration with?
CG: Gallery by Chele is my home, my passion, and my dream. I have given so much of my life and soul to the restaurant together with the people who work here. The team is very much important to the restaurant. The restaurant is like a child that we help raise together as a community. And this year we are celebrating our 10-year anniversary. I think we will keep evolving and growing. And through it all, we want to make sure that every person who comes and sits at our table will be happy, satisfied, and inspired, without compromising our creativity, freedom, and innovation.
Credits
Images: Gallery by Chele
