International Celebrities And Chefs Learning More About Filipino Food
Drew Barrymore loves arroz caldo and Gwyneth Paltrow learned to cook tocino
Many raved about Filipino food, but it has always remained under the radar globally. Several Filipino chefs abroad have been working hard to promote the cuisine, and it’s now gaining popularity thanks to international personalities sharing their experiences and how they cook it.
Here are some celebrities and international chefs who’ve spoken about eating and cooking Filipino cuisine to their liking.
Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian
In 2019, chef Geoffrey Zakarian, known for his shows on the Food Network, such as Iron Chef and Chopped, shared his version of adobo. While there were mixed reactions (habanero in adobo?), Zakarian’s adobo is just one of many versions made through the years. Some even do white adobo, so it’s to their taste and cooking.
Rachel Rey, who also did her version of adobo, was scrutinized online because of the ingredients.
Chef Ming Tsai
Known for his East meets West cuisine, chef Ming Tsai created his version of sisig in an appearance on Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. Using sturgeon, Ming Tsai transformed the fish into small pieces similar to pork sisig using other traditional ingredients. The dish earned raves from judges Andrew Zimmern and Nilou Motamed.
@mayeejav My childhood hero @chefmingtsai cooked his version of sisig on Iron Chef. My Pinoy heart is screaming! 🥰 #mingtsai #eastmeetswest #ironchef #netflix #filipinofood ♬ original sound – mayee💗
Chef Gordon Ramsay
Earlier this year, Chef Gordon Ramsay was in Manila to open his restaurant and do promotions. In an interview, Ramsay shared his thoughts about Filipino cuisine, saying it had already been on his radar before visiting the country.
“ It’s got this dynamic excitement to it,” he told Manila Bulletin. “There’s something refreshing about the sort of complexity of Filipino cuisine.”
He adds that he loves the regionalism and the flavors. “Filipino food is like the Sleeping Beauty of Asia.”
One of the staple dishes in his restaurant is fish and chips. In his restaurant in Manla, he mentioned using lapu-lapu fish.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore has joined in getting to know Filipino food. In an episode on the Drew Barrymore show, Filipino chef Pilar Valdes, who contributes to the show, demonstrated arroz caldo, which the actress loved.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow runs Goop, and many of her fans read her recommendations. For Filipino food, it seems the actress is game to try things out. She recently did her version of tocino and topped it with an egg. The only difference was the rice, wherein she made cauliflower rice.
Filipino food is slowly getting recognized
With the recognition Filipino food has been getting from the international community, it’s only a matter of time before it joins in the ranks of cuisines worldwide that people are getting to know. Loving Filipino food starts within the country, and with many chefs promoting it, Filipino food will be appreciated more.
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