Vask chef Chele Gonzalez: The false simplicity of truly complex dishes

Nestled in the fifth floor of a boldly designed building, in an up and coming part of the Fort, surrounded by half constructed buildings and the large swooping arms of cranes all partaking in the forward dance of development is Vask. An equally avant gardely designed restaurant, with food that is just as conceptual but not out of the layman’s grasp. Dishes like Pulpo ala Gallega with a perfectly cooked octopus, whipped potato and crispy paprika — the flavors are traditional, the food has bite and yet the textures are excitingly new. Or even more interesting — a plain old chicken breast and carrots elevated to “gourmetdom” with sophisticated techniques that enhances its simple natural beauty. Helmed by chef Jose Luis “Chele” Gonzalez, the food — if you manage to find even just a bar stool to sit on — is a wonderful collision of good old Spanish favorites and re-invented classics with the right touch of whimsy. Get to know this kind hearted, mad scientist looking, Spanish chef, who – which most people don’t know – has been in the Philippines for quite sometime grabbing a foothold at the Sofitel’s old Fever Luxe Lounge and now, with Vask as his own personal playground-cum-laboratory — promises to be one of the country’s fast rising culinary conquistadors.

PHILIPPINE STAR:  What made you stay in Manila after ending your stint in Sofitel? Why here?

CHEF JOSE LUIS “CHELE” GONZALEZ: Sofitel was a transitional period in my culinary career.  I have always been working with big, famous chefs in atmospheres that were creative but very intense.  I reached the point where I was burned out from fine dining.  My time at Sofitel allowed me to breathe and renew myself — to create signature dishes that represented myself.  It was a transitional time that allowed me to recover my passion again.  At the same time, it opened the door for me to be in Asia and the Philippines.  Although it was a transitional time, I felt it was the beginning of something great.  I started understanding the Filipino mentality, became comfortable in the city, started having friends and a life here so I knew it was not the time to leave.  After Sofitel I had the opportunity to work for Shangri-La.  I realized at that point that I definitely wasn’t a hotel chef.  I need to touch everything…create signature dishes in a restaurant that can show my passion and creativity.

Explain what Vask is about. Your cuisine is really quite forward. Is there a market for this here?

After being fully booked everyday, it looks like Manila’s market was ready for something like this.  The response and feedback has been very positive.  This show’s what is happening in many countries with cuisine right now. The whole concept of Vask is freshness, modern, traditional, quality, fun, tapas, lounge, fine dining. 

Have you had to rework certain dishes to adapt to the local taste?

I think that is a very important question.  Instead of adapting recipes and changing flavors to the Philippines, I chose dishes that I think Filipinos would like more, keeping the real recipe and the essence of the real dish.  Sometimes it’s difficult to put a common Filipino dish like callos, fabada and others because people cook those dishes differently here than they do in Spain.

I’m a history buff and love the concept of new and old tapas. Tell me a little more. Why this style of food?

The first thing that a chef has to learn is how to cook basic things — traditional and classic cuisine.  This is just for their basic knowledge.  Then, slowly, he can create his own dishes and his own world.  I love traditional food as much as I love modern food. For me, they compliment each other — but modern food without traditional food cannot exist. 

One of my philosophies in life is balance — yin and yang — equilibrium.  So I try to balance our menu in the dining room between traditional and modern because in a comfort food restaurant not everything can be modern.

Traditional tapas in Vask comes from the Basque country and Northern Spain.  I chose my favorite dishes that I thought Filipinos would like and understand.  Modern tapas in Vask are always the basic traditional flavors and ingredients but presented in a new, sophisticated way with textures and techniques. 

Are any of the dishes from your childhood? Can you share your fondest childhood memory?

Since I was young I was very interested in food.  The first dish I cooked when I was around 12 years old was mejillones tigre.  I liked it so much that I wanted to learn how to do it.  I asked my mom for a basic traditional Spanish cookbook which I used for many years to create homecooked meals.  The name of the book was 1080 Recetas de Cocina de Simone Ortega.  I always invite guests to try our mejillones tigre at Vask. There is a lot of love there.  It’s like a croquet with béchamel, bell pepper, and mussels.  It’s a bit spicy for Spaniards, which is why we call it tigre.  In Spain, dishes aren’t as spicy as here in the Philippines.

What are the biggest challenges that you face in creating this level of cuisine in Manila?

The biggest challenges have been logistics, finding the right products, letting the team understand my vision and what I’m trying to do, teaching them properly, and enhancing their lives with discipline.  But with the right passion and motivation nothing is impossible.

If you could work with any ingredients in the whole world on a daily basis what would it be? Price season and geography doesn’t matter

I would work with fresh artichoke, guisantes lagimas, baby green peas from Basque country, lima beans.  I miss certain vegetables from Spain.  I love barnacles and sea urchin from my hometown.  I love seafood from my hometown actually.  I would work with fresh mushrooms and fungus like boletus and perrechicos.  One of my favorite products is baby lamb sweetbread. 

You’ll be castaway on a deserted island and you can take five ingredients. What would they be?

Onion, potato, chicken, tuna, and eggs.  With that you can survive for a long time and not get tired of your food. 

If you could eat any dish or meal right now what would it be and who would cook it? It can be anyone from anywhere from anytime in history.

Any inspiration from Andoni Luiz Aduriz will fulfill my soul.

What is your vision for Vask? Where do you go from here?

Right now Vask is only operating the “Dining Room,” which is comfort food and tapas.  My heart wants so badly to open the “Gallery,” the fine dining room, but we aren’t ready yet.  Hopefully in a month and a half or so we’ll open.  I want to give a gastronomic culinary experience to Manila and make people feel the way I feel about food and provide the experiences I have had in fine dining restaurants.  Making people happy makes a chef happy.  It’s not all about the food it’s the entire experience from beginning to end.  It’s all about providing something for their souls. 

The Vask team wants to open new concepts of restaurants in Manila; maybe other pintxos and comfort food restaurants where people can enjoy a glass of wine and pintxos after work and have a good time.  But there will be only one “Gallery.”  Who knows what will happen in the future.