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MANILA, Philippines - Who is the Japanese American celebrity chef who has wowed diners with his flavorful culinary creations in restaurants like Clement and Asiate?
The son of a first-generation Japanese-American father and a fourth generation Japanese mother, he was born into a melting pot of culinary traditions.
Both his parents were great cooks — his father would make a traditional Japanese breakfast every morning, while his mother’s cooking was more diverse — who instilled an appreciation for good trips for good food and drink in him at an early age.
Growing up in the patchwork ethic diversity in Los Angeles, his cultural and culinary perspectives were widened when he was growing up.
Whether he was tasking his mother’s freeform experiments with Italian and Mexican cuisines, savoring his Irish neighbor’s traditional Shepherd’s Pie, or helping his father with his meticulous preparations of nostalgic Japanese comfort food, he quickly discovered how far the horizons of cuisine stretched.
In 2001, the aspiring chef brought this savor for diversity to the Culinary Institute of America, where he harnessed a hunger for variety with discipline, technique, and a focus he learned from his father.
After graduating, he moved back to the warmer shores of Los Angeles, where he perfected his craft at some of the city’s top restaurants such as L’Orangerie. From there, he returned to New York to work at the legendary Lutece before joining the opening team at Asiate.
It was in Asiate that he perfected his culinary expressions in signature dishes like buckwheat and eggs, butter poached lobster with polenta, hon shimeji mushrooms and kaffir emulsion, marrying diverse flavors with a grace of execution — broadening culinary horizons in his own right.
He then joined the Smorgas Chef Restaurant Group as executive chef, where he had the opportunity to dedicate much of his time at the group’s upstate eco farm Blenheim Hill Farm, and develop a strong understanding for farm to table cuisine.
Here, he learned in detail the genetics of animals and the importance of what they eat throughout their life cycle. With this knowledge, he now sources his meat and fish quite differently than before.
More recently, he became chef de cuisine of Clement, the new restaurant at The Peninsula in New York. Since its opening, it has wowed diners with his flavorful culinary creations which utilize locally sourced ingredients from the Northeast.
He has said that the Northeast region’s four seasons and very large farms make it possible to offer the very best and most beautiful livestock and produce available.
In addition to the main menu, Clement’s serves a light menu of Asian inspired tapas as a nod to the hotel company’s Asian heritage.
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Last week’s Question: Who is the James Beard award-winning American chef who was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Council for Physical Fitness?
Answer: Dan Barber
Winner: Erwin Salmorin from Binan, Laguna
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Text your answer to 0905-3471998 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1943. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.
