by Lori Baltazar
It was a magazine article about a private chef who’d come back from several years abroad and decided to make Manila his home. At the bottom of the page were his contact numbers and the words, “Menus begin at P2,500 per head, minimum of 6 heads.” I remember my jaw dropping and I thought, “P2,500 per head??! Is he out of his f–ing mind??!” I snorted and tossed the magazine aside. Some months later, I actually got to meet this chef and so nice was he to me that I immediately felt bad about my previous thought. But I still believed he was out of his mind to charge so much…
…until the night I spent with two private chefs catering a dinner party in an upscale Makati condo. It’s an 11-course meal for seven people priced at P5,000/head. Good grief, it just gets worse, doesn’t it?
Cooking tonight are Chris Bautista, the executive chef at Gourdo’s, and Farah Tolentino-Ylagan, whom I consider to be Manila’s master of foie gras. Both are trained in classical French techniques from years spent studying in Paris. They jokingly call their catering company “Farah’s and Chris’ Food House,” the product of two friends whose hearts belong to cooking.
Like a dance they’ve perfected, the duo hardly talks to each other while going about their tasks. I arrive just 30 minutes after them and already pots are whistling, knives gallop on the chopping boards, and somewhere, a blender whirrs. There are two waiters, a cooking assistant, plus me all huddled in the small kitchen, as well as added competition for space from assorted tableware and flower arrangements. I try to make myself as invisible as possible, an almost-impossibility. So I hover by the door to the pantry looking, staring, absorbing.
There’s a crumpled menu taped up on a cabinet door complete with plating diagrams. Several plastic containers hold mysterious ingredients and sauces in captivating colors. Aromas waft about, tickling my nostrils. Surprisingly, I’m not hungry. There’s too much activity.
fresh oysters
poached oyster in white wine-saffron sauce and black caviar
After an appetizer of dill and salmon puff pastry sticks, the group sits down at table for their first course, oysters on a half-shell served in three ways: raw with red wine vinegar and shallot granita, another one softly poached with Pommery mustard cream and gelée. Genuine pearls (heirloom pieces from the client’s family) are scattered onto the plate, adding even more “ice” to an already luxurious dish. The last oyster appetizer is poached and dressed in black caviar with a white wine-saffron sauce dribbling sexily from the shell. I barely have time to snap a few photos before the plates are whisked away. I can’t complain ”“ I don’t want to hold up a meal.
consommé of beef with flan of foie gras, wild mushrooms and truffles
The beef consommé makes up the next course. It’ll be poured over a flan of foie gras garnished with wild mushrooms and truffles. There’s one extra flan, I eye it greedily ”“ how can I not? Two of my favorite things, eggs and foie gras together. My heart beats faster as Chris places the remaining flan onto a saucer and hands it to me with a fork. I slip some of the flan into my mouth. I hear myself groan inwardly. It tastes like sin. But one bite is all I have. It doesn’t feel right to be eating while everyone around me is working feverishly.
asparagus spears with poached egg, crispy prosciutto, browned butter, and truffle vinaigrette
As if to increase my torture, the next course is prepared, the one I’ve had my eye on: poached eggs on asparagus spears, crispy prosciutto, browned butter, and truffle vinaigrette. I have this urge to pierce one of the quivering yolks just for the glee of watching the yolk flow over.
Soon, a rhythm sets up. After a course is served, Chris and Farah assume the following tasks that make up the next dish: final cooking, prepare garnishes, plate. Oh, and since I’m here tonight, a few clicks from me, and then the dish goes out the door. In between courses, the two chefs nibble to keep their energy up ”“ Chris on some leftover Choco Knots, and Farah, who I notice likes crumbs, grabs a stray spear of asparagus and some grapes. The hot kitchen forces all of us to rehydrate often, so liquids ”“ water, Coke, Powerade — are consumed in quantity.
pan-roasted prawn on marinated young vegetables ‘a la grecque’ with mild curry emulsion
Watching two chefs work gives me a peek into their cooking personalities. Chris tastes every dish he’s attending to, whether it’s a sauce or meat. “It’s the most important thing I learned at Ritz-Escoffier [at the Hotel Ritz],” he tells me. “How will you know if something’s good if you don’t even know what it tastes like?” Farah, on the other hand, shows me sauces she’s made ”“ “Lori, smell this,” she says, motioning to a container full of a cocoa-colored sauce ”“ “… it’s browned butter.” Later, as she readies the vegetables for the next course, she holds them up to me. “These are done ”˜a la grecque’. Taste.” A la grecque literally “in the Greek style,” consists of cooking vegetables in a liquor along with water, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. I fish out a tournéed zucchini from the mix. It’s tangy with an undertone of wine. The vegetables ”˜a la grecque’ will be served alongside pan roasted prawns dripped with a mild curry emulsion.
grilled Muscovy duck breast with spices, butternut squash gratin and glazed shallots
Being a lover of all things French, Farah sighs in content as she takes the next course out of the oven: grilled Muscovy duck breast. “Ah, canard,” she whispers almost ceremoniously in French. “My favorite meat to cook.” “You must’ve been French in your past life,” I tease. “I believe so. I was raising geese in my back yard,” she replies. I giggle. Occasionally, I hear Farah utter various French phrases of joie and wonder while she goes about her cooking. I don’t understand what she’s saying so I only smile and wish that I did.
Into the seventh course is when I begin to feel the fatigue. Of course I have no right to be complaining about this when Farah and Chris are the ones doing all the work. I’m wearing my new Crocs, a Christmas gift, which are no match to standing for almost four hours straight. “I’m a loser,” I moan to the two chefs. “I can’t do what you do.” Farah sighs contentedly and says, “Ayyy, Lori, we do this for love.” I crumple to the floor. “But sometimes love just isn’t enough,” I whimper. My feet are killing me and I smell like a hundred different ingredients.
The next course is a sight for sore eyes (and feet), a brilliant orange sorbet floating in a crushed ice pool of tangerine-hued water. Long cinnamon sticks add visual texture.
lamb loin stuffed with tapenade, charlotte of eggplant and zucchini, red pepper coulis, and lamb jus
Main meat courses come out fast, but since the guests are nearing satiation (if they haven’t already gotten there), the lull is longer in between courses. A gorgeous loin of lamb has just emerged from the oven. It has a tapenade stuffing (capers, black olives, anchovies) paired with something I’ve never seen before, a charlotte of eggplant and zucchini enclosing eggplant caviar. Ultra gourmet.
I catch Farah closing her eyes briefly. “Tired?” I ask gently. “Just sleepy,” she smiles. “I can feel the fatigue settling in.” And then she’s off like the wind to her next plating, her very own foie gras marinated in red wine and spices coupled with mango-ginger chutney. As she lays the duck liver onto the plates, she uses a hot knife to smoothen out the surfaces. I swear I can almost hear a hiss as the knife glides over that glorious fat. I want to weep that I can’t have any of it.
Chris has started on the desserts and Farah breathes a sigh of relief. “It’s Chris’ turn now,” she says. She moves into the pantry for a breather. Meantime, Chris is busy whipping some cream with a whisk. “Couldn’t you use a mixer or an immersion blender? It would be easier for you.” I’m astonished that he has the patience to whip cream the old-fashioned way. I, for one, could never do it. Chris smiles good-naturedly and shrugs. It would take a lot to ruffle this man’s feathers, he’s cool and collected — the perfect demeanor for a chef.
Dishes are piling up dangerously in the sink and the kitchen’s gotten warmer. I note that there isn’t much laughter coming from the dining room anymore. I imagine what’s replaced it is a quiet fulfillment only achieved by an exceptional meal. As the Red Globe grapes wrapped in Roquefort and chopped walnuts are served, Farah states wryly, “They’re at that point where they’re just staring at their balls.” Chris and I guffaw as we catch the double entendre.
I feel an adrenaline rush as I watch Chris preparing the dessert. Dessert never fails to make me feel this way. Large, crunchy meringues with marshmallow middles are draped with a passion fruit coulis just a gasp away from scoops of mango hugged by a tradizionale sabayon laced with aged balsamic vinegar. And in a graceful fluted glass rests a mélange of fresh fruits bathed in sugar syrup infused with lavender.
Tonight is an evening into the world of the private chef and his version of fine dining. It’s a world that I want to experience ”“ as a dinner guest next time. And I promise I won’t complain about the astronomical fee. It’s worth every centavo.
Private Chefs
Farah Tolentino-Ylagan and Chris Bautista
For inquiries, (0918) 926.4671 / (632) 722.4234
Farah and Chris after cooking an 11-course dinner
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My god! The dinner, as you described it, sounds like it’s worth every cent, Lori. It’s definitely something I’ll save for. It’s great getting this review from you, as there seems to be a spate of “private chefs” nowadays. And, glad you’re back and blogging!
Private cheffing…truly a lucrative business. Hehehe! Like socky, I too, noticed that private chefs are starting to make their way into the food scene here in the philippines (anton already wrote reviews on 3 private chefs on his site) which i think is good thing especially when you’re just starting out in the food business. kung baga, pakonti-konti muna.
happy new year lori and more power to DCF!
This is a very well written review. The dinner looks and sounds fantastic!
WOW. thanks for sharing that experience with us. if i were as rich as those people (the hosts), i’d definitely have a special dinner catered by those two marvelous chefs as well. 😉
Hi Lori. Thanks so much for the wonderful write-up and photos. I just want to add something, when you asked Farah and I what is the most important thing we learned in cooking school, I was so busy with the lamb I didn’t articulate my thoughts very well, heheh. Aside from tasting what you are cooking, a point I try to reinforce with my staff at Gourdo’s everyday, I think going to Ritz Escoffier exposed me to a lot of different tastes and ingredients that I simply would not have experienced here in Manila. And the school, being located inside the Ritz Hotel, use the same purveyors as the hotel itself. So I come back home armed with the knowledge gained from experiencing the best ingredients. I hope this doesn’t sound too snooty but when I cook or anyone else for that matter, we draw from memories of past experiences- of tastes, textures and aromas. If we have nothing great to draw from, it would be extremely difficult to produce great things. That’s it from me. Thanks again Lori. =)
Everything looks great … too expensive for me at this point in my life though. Not that I wouldn’t mind being invited to a privately catered dinner … =)
wow! that was some dinner! that’s some nice review would love to be part of that dinner and he chefs looked so calm and collect in the picture i would imagine they would be haggard looking from all the heat and tension in the kitchen.
after reading you post how i wish i have that kind of money to be able to host a such event….
very nice lori… I want to try this soon 🙂
what a way to start the year! the descriptions alone got my mouth watering.
thanks lori, and happy new year!
Looking at the menu and considering all factors involved, P5000/head is “relatively” reasonable for a 9 course dinner with wine, given that there were 2 chefs, staff, and all the extra luxuries in life that come with a personal dinner. Lori, just a quick question, did the dinner hosts know that their names were going to show up on the menu you took a photo of and posted?
The relativity is based on the cost of meals overseas at certain celebrated restuarants that are now charging close to US$200 for a 3 to 4 course meal with wine.
At that price, though, the chef’s have little wiggle room for mistakes. Everything’s got to be perfect for their clients. Kudos to the chefs for that amazing menu.
hi Lori! Finally got to read this post. the first pic is my favorite. Lovely table setting, i don’t get tired looking at it.
Hats off to Chris and Farah. Now i understand what you meant when you told me about the HARD WORK that goes into what these people do…
Lori, you are bad. I have asked my friend Felicia if she could host a dinner for a few people at her house catered by these two fab private chefs. The guests pay their own plates due to the cost, of course. From your descriptions and photos, it seemed like the dinner was worth every peso. I have tried some of Farah’s goodies at a cocktail party at the apartment of her sister’s boyfriend. She’s quite a talent!
Just wondering, Will they do a private meal for a couple?
Hi Lori. Great write up. Makes me want to hire the two chefs for some important day. Hello from Vancouver!
This is a gastromonical feast worthy of Caligula. The over indulgence of food and wine by the six individuals makes me cringe knowing that this very expensive and extravagance consumption happened in one of the poorest places in the universe where millions go to sleep each night with nothing in their stomach.
Lori, there is another side that people should also be aware of.
I hope you do not delete my comment.
Joann
exactly my thought joann. but nice blog lori. god bless you.
Wow that’s extravagant.
Im disappointed with Ms. Tolentino-Ylagan though. I called her on the phone about ordering some foie gras and she was very unfriendly and cold. Obviously I didnt call back to place the order. Sad.
Joann, there are so many intellectually challenged Filipinos as well, with only a few years of schooling. How dare you show off your superior intelligence! I gather you must be well read, spending a lot of time, if not money, on books- reading about Caligula and his tyrannical excesses- while out there, millions of people cannot read or even write their own names. How scandalous.
There are rarely just two sides to anything Joann, life is more complicated than that. Unfortunately, some people are willing see only one side.
I have to agree with joann. That is just a weee bit over the top. Great food need not be that outragrous. But to each his own, and we all have that right. But wonderful writing as usual, Lori.
I’ve been told by many that similar or first class gourmet dinner can be had in any home in Metro Manila for a third of the cost cited here. You can even walk into a Metro Manila 5 Star Hotel and ask the F&B Director to prepare for you an elegant dinner for 6 in the presidential suite for maybe half the price. If you ask MarketMan to cater for you, he’ll probably save you 90%. But again, he’s not French-trained.
Ms Delarossa, how dare you accuse those six (actually, seven) individuals of over-indulgent and extravagant behavior, without even knowing who they are or what they’re like? What makes you jump to the conclusion that they’re heartless Caligula clones devoid of a social conscience?
Have you ever considered that this might actually be a once-in-a-lifetime extravagance, something they’ve saved up for? Perhaps a 50th wedding anniversary; a quiet and private dinner treat as an alternative to those flashy second weddings celebrated in jeweled ballrooms with rigodons and dance instructors?
How can you assume that these seven diners do not, at other hours of the day, think of the needy and hungry? They could be huge benefactors to various charities, scholarships and foundations; or perhaps these diners have helped put up schools or hospitals for the poor. Just because they treat themselves to an extravagant dinner for one night, does not mean they think less of others or do not give to those in need.
Or perhaps, it could be that these seven dinner patrons are simply, food lovers. Ultimately, you can’t fault people for what they choose to spend their money on. Is it a waste? Nope. That money goes round — it pays people who need it for their mortgage, kids’ education and basic living expenses. And for all you know, perhaps those chefs may have even donated the benefits to charity. So there! So quit the opinionated moral judging and just enjoy Lori’s blog for what it is — a gastronomical feast for the eyes.
The dinner was NOT extravagant and the food was NOT plentiful. IMO, the price was exhorbitant (for Manila anyway). Like a 1000% markup. I maybe in the wrong business. Is it time to get training and experience in foreign countries like physicians do in order to command a higher price and attract a “money is not an issue clientel”?
Oh my! Such crab mentality. How sad. We should be proud that there are finally Filipinos stepping up and having enough courage to command a price commensurate to what expatriates get for the same expertise. So wake up, smell the flowers. I have seen too many talented Filipinos pack up their bags and leave for places where they get their due.
Holy mother of God… what a post…
Farah and I are surprised that what we do can elicit such negativity. We were debating whether to address these comments directly or not. The easiest thing to do would be to ignore them but we do acknowledge that each person’s opinion is valid whether we agree with them or not. I am therefore posting this just to correct some misconceptions some people may have on this dinner and not to debate the merits of the comments themselves.
On the issue of morality- I guess all I can say is that when we depart this world, we will face God, not Joann dela Rossa. Heheh, but joking aside, morality is a very delicate issue and I do not pretend to be an expert on it. One thing is for sure though; the gentleman who commissioned this dinner is one of the most generous persons I know not only to his guests, but to his employees as well. I am not talking about money here, but rather love, concern and just plain thoughtfulness. He truly has a big heart. In the end, isn’t that what matters? Moreover, he is a self-made man, he worked hard for his money and he can damn well choose how he wants to spend it.
On the issue of price- While it may seem excessive to some, we do not charge a 1000% markup. A dinner like this involves days of preparation. The work you see us do on Lori’s blog is just the tip of the iceberg. Nevertheless, standard food service accounting is still applied. And neither do we charge for the French training. What the client pays for are: the best ingredients one can find in Manila, the attention to detail, the worry-free convenience, the time and effort spent on devising the menu and executing it. The French training and experience, and the knowledge gained from it, are all too precious to put a price on and is therefore shared, not sold.
On quantity, I guess apple pie is correct. The food was not plentiful nor was it extravagant. And that was intentional. The focus here is on quality, not quantity. What we wanted to convey was a civilized, relaxed dinner experience not a Roman gastronomic orgy worthy of Caligula.
I hope this puts to rest any misconceptions some people may have had. Thanks again to Lori for this forum and to everyone who left a comment. Sharing of opinions is always a good thing.
And 1 last thing, for the marketmanila EB, I did a menu that was around 500 per person. I can’t say i turned off the french training for that one to be able to charge less. Get the drift? It’s just that there is a world of diffrence between doing a buffet for 75 people and doing a multi-course sit-down dinner for 7. For the dinner featured here, there were 5 of us serving 7 people, or a ratio of 1 : 1.4 No hotel or restaurant can give you that level of service.
Have to say I just “love” how Filipinos can sometimes be sooooo judgemental without even knowing enough details to make informed judgements. I have grown to love this country because I live here now, but sometimes the narrow-mindedness really irritates me. It’s something I will refuse to accept no matter how long I live here. It’s also what keeps us Filipinos behind many other Asian countries. How people spend their hard-earned money is their business, not yours. It only becomes your business if it’s stolen money and not earned by the sweat of their brow. They are not answerable to you in the end, only to their Maker when they meet them. Don’t worry about it. Watch your own money, not theirs. It’s not your problem! One more thing, “cold and unfriendly” on the phone. Well, I appear very standoffish and cold when you first meet me. When people get to know me, I’m exactly the opposite. You can’t really pretend to know she’s “cold and unfriendly” from one phone call. Maybe she’s just busineslike and professional, not the normal “used car salesman” chatty……
to the chef…….marrryyyy meeee!!
from
girl-who-wants-her-own-private-chef-24-7
What’s this thing about private chefs?
It’s nothing new. We have one working for us 24/7/335 days a year. She makes breakfast, lunch, dinner, merienda and whatever we desire to eat. She is as as meticulous, detailed and loves to cook. She does the marketing and knows where to get the fresh meat, poultry or seafood. She even travels with us to the provinces, on picnics, or to the beach or whenever we need her to be around.
We love the food she prepares and she is pretty adept with cooking all kinds of dishes from roast beef to pasta to baking cakes and pastries. She never trained in a foreign country nor speaks a foreign language.
And the best part if that she is happy with less than P5000 a month with free board and lodging.
Ok ok, you say what we have is just a cook. But basically aren’t they all? She satisfies our daily needs.
BTW, our chef is also married to our chauffeur. Life is good.
To each his own, really… what lori featured was as chef chris said ‘a civilized, relaxed dinner’…take it as it is. It is good to have choices.
If what makes you happy is plentiful, ‘extravagant’then there would be restaurants that could offer that… go there. If your cook at home satisfies you day in day out 24/7, then good. You can have just that.
Variety is always good. Otherwise, this world would be BORING. If it is the price tag that bothers you, then it is your choice to not patronize these chefs… plain simple.
US$100 is equal to a lot of things= donation to charity= a pair of mid-priced shoes= 1/15 of an Hermes scarf
So you are free to take your pick.
Lori, I think what distinguishes your post is that it is a real story, in the sense that you don’t make a snooty “I’m-so-privileged-to-be-eating-this-food-eat-your-heart-out” tone that many food writers (the worst offenders are the Manila Bulletin Taste writers, they are so pretentious and almost impossible to understand) take. Food is meant to be enjoyed, whether on a personal or communal level, and so when I saw that snotty ‘don’t remove my post” comment from Joann, I saw someone desperate for attention from you, a person who is successful and content. Anyway other posters have fried the person to a crisp, so hey. What I loved was how you wrote about the dinner and made it a treat you experienced and shared with your readers. Please keep it up and stay grounded, stay real. Thank you for a wonderful blog.
I have met Chris and he’s anything but snooty. Yes, he did serve a superb meal at P500.00 per head. You can eat in a hotel and pay P2,000.00 but maybe that’s just for salad, main course, dessert,and wine. Really depends where you eat. More than the money I think is these 2 young chef’s love and passion for what they do. They are not any different from pianists, violinists, etc. who were trained abroad and are now sharing with us what they learned out there. We all know how hard it is to cook so I think this profession should be given the dignity it deserves…as much respect as I would for my kitchen angels who serve me good food everyday. Salute!