‘The Next Iron Chef’ winner Geoffrey Zakarian in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, world-class chef, restaurateur, and winner of season 4 of The Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef, will be in Manila for a one-of-a-kind event on March 20. 

The biggest frustration of Filipino fans of the enduringly successful Iron Chef series is that they can only imagine what the Iron Chef’s dishes actually taste like.  Fans of the show need wonder no more, as on March 20, Zakarian will concoct a gastronomical experience with Manila’s most hardcore food lovers as judges.

Presented by Cignal and Colours, the dinner gala, titled “Feast of Colours,” is for the benefit of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF).  Guests will enjoy a five-course dinner while being serenaded by world-class talents Isay Alvarez, Robert Seña and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Next Iron chef is unique among cooking shows. To even qualify as a contestant, one needs to be of world-class caliber. Many successful celebrity chefs and legendary restaurateurs have fallen by the wayside in their attempts to become the Next Iron Chef.

Chef Zakarian’s passion for fine cuisine started at Le Cirque, where in just a few years, he worked his way up from pastry sous chef to chef de cuisine.  He then went on to become executive chef at the legendary 21 Club.  A year later, he became executive chef of 44 at the chic Royalton Hotel.

Asked what motivates him, he shares that fashion and design provide inspiration.  He explains, “Food goes through similar style trends and redefines as fashion.  You need to know that landscape to understand how to achieve something timeless.”  Zakarian credits his staying power to his quest for timelessness and enduring love of restaurants.

“I still dream of a small restaurant I visited in Provence decades ago that taught me the balance of simple flavors and the art of heartfelt hospitality,” he said.  “Still today, I dine out all the time, first because I love it, but second because, as a chef, you need to see restaurants from the dining-room perspective, not just from the kitchen.  You have to be vigilant about every facet of the meal.”

For more information, call 911-5555.