| Where were you born? |
| I was born in Centro Sur, Camalaniugan, Cagayan Valley, Philippines. |
| Who influenced you to cook? |
| You know, nobody could ever cook as well as my Uncle Jose Guillo; he was the personal chef to the late Ferdinand Marcos, former president of the Philippines. I idolized my uncle; he was an amazing chef and I wanted to be just like him. |
| What is it like working at the Lobster Pot? |
| I have worked for the Lobster Pot family in their kitchens for 12 years now. We have an extremely busy kitchen and it’s very small – sometimes tempers flare, it happens. For the most part we all get on very well. We are home to the “Singing Chefs”; we all sing in the kitchen most of the time. We like the old standards and can really belt them out. |
| Are there any tips you have for making the best panfried fish? |
| For fresh local fish, simple is best. You just need salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Cook in olive oil on a medium heat. Let it get nice and crusty. Flip it once, and don’t overcook it. You shouldn’t be intimidated by it. |
| Are there one or two hints you can give for cooking a quick meal? |
| Don’t aim too high and don’t try to make the cover of Gourmet magazine the first time out. Cook with meats that are off the bone; they are always quick-cooking. Start with things that are readily available to everybody. Anybody can make pastas, and the ingredients are very simple. |
What is your favourite thing to cook for your self, and why? |
| I love to cook Pilipino food. One of my favourite dishes is pinakbet: pork loin sautéed with fresh mixed vegetables, ginger, garlic and, of course, fish sauce. At home we grew our own vegetables and Uncle Jose made the best sautéed pork loin. This dish reminds me of when I was growing up. |
| What’s the worst thing you have ever eaten? |
| That’s funny, I pretty much like everything, but I think the worst thing would have to be offal – I know I’m a chef, but I just can’t imagine eating hearts, tripe, lungs and of course the spare eyeball. Just couldn’t do it. |
| What is the worst experience you’ve had in a kitchen? |
| I’ve been electrically shocked, I’ve cut my fingers, and I’ve burned myself and lots of other things. In the melee you sometimes just lose sight of what you’re doing. You’re trying to cook all this food in a very small kitchen with other chefs and wait-staff all around and occasionally it just gets away from you. |
| People love the Food Network. If you were an Iron Chef for a day, who would you want as your First lieutenant? |
| I would have to say Tyler Florence or Alton Brown. They explain everything so clearly; their recipes are simple, but delicious. No nonsense, common sense chefs. I would go with either of them.” |
| How would you describe yourself? |
| That’s hard! I would have to say that I am just a simple chef. I try always to be fair with my colleagues. I work hard and expect the same commitment from them. |
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