Creative, determined and disciplined, Patrick Co, a 26-year-old chef and restaurateur, has already established a name for himself in the local culinary scene through his well-loved steakhouse The Fat Cow and its Asian fusion sister, the Asian Cow.
By Reggie Abang
Long before he entered the food business in 2016, Patrick Co already knew that his heart belonged to the kitchen. “When I was 13 years old, I would watch cooking shows on weekdays before asking my mom to buy the ingredients for me during the weekends. Once I had them, I would cook lunch and dinner for my family,” he tells PeopleAsia. From then on, the fire in his belly never stopped burning.
After one semester of studying Business Management at the Ateneo de Davao University, the aspiring chef went on to study Professional Culinary and Pastry Arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in 2014. Around that time, he would also find himself cooking, not just in the home kitchen, but in bigger and more complex establishments such as Marco Polo Davao, where he was a commissary chef, and Vikings, where he worked as a chef de partie.
Photo by Dix Perez / Styling by GEO PALMIANO of MGP / Grooming by EDDIE MAR CABILTES / Clothes from VAN LAACK
The Fat Cow’s Japanese wagyu striploin
Shrimp and longganisa fresh spring rolls, Thai beef salad and spicy tuna and kani salad served in Asian Cow
While thankful for the experience, Patrick admitted that working in these commercial establishments somewhat stifled his creativity and cramped his style. “I needed a place to showcase what I can do,” he shares.
With his feet finally wet, Patrick decided to take a leap of faith. Using the money his father lent him, the young chef opened the Fat Cow in April 2016. “The first four-to-six months were happy, in a sense that I’ve already opened my own restaurant. But it was also a horrible time because, as I would soon learn, there’s more to running a food business that simply being good in the kitchen,” he says.
Feeling the heat, so to speak, the then-upstart restaurateur shyly admits that he “did not even know what ‘return of investment’ meant,” at the beginning of his culinary journey.
Determined to see the restaurant through, he adopted a “fake it ‘til you make it” mindset.
He kept his ears on the ground and listened to his customers so that he would know how to further improve his brand. He also found himself consulting more senior peers in the food industry, as well as more experienced entrepreneurs, so that he could learn the ropes of the business. “It usually begins with a simple talk over a cup of coffee, and then you eventually pick up something, apply it to your business, until you are able to perfect the formula,” Patrick says.
In 2018, Patrick, who was by then more comfortable under his skin — both as a chef and a businessman — launched his second restaurant, Asian Cow.
The Fat Cow welcomes every casual diner in search of a unique gastronomic experience in Davao City
Growing & learning
Fast-forward to six years later, both Patrick and his restaurants have definitely achieved some level of success. For one, both The Fat Cow and Asian Cow were listed as two of Tatler Dining Philippines’ Top 100 Restaurants in the country in 2020 and 2022. His restaurants also enjoy mostly positive reviews on various platforms, such as TripAdvisor, which currently gives Fat Cow a 4.5-star rating out of five.
Even with his businesses now running smoothly, Patrick continues to enrich his stock by participating in industry events both here and abroad. For instance, he recently became the first Filipino chef to take part in the exclusive, by-invitation only MeatSmith Kebab Party in Singapore last September. There, he carried the Philippine flag with his lip-smacking Angus beef kebab with laing sauce and garlic pita bread. His choice of entry, he says, reflects how much he values his roots. “Through my dishes and my work as a chef, I want to showcase my heritage as a Filipino, especially on the world stage” he shares.
The chef also notes that these are exciting times for the local culinary scene, which continues to evolve, thanks to new food trends that constantly pop up and catch the public’s fancy, at least for certain periods of time. However, he also cautions aspiring chefs to “not just do something because it is trendy, but to also try to absorb every bit of knowledge that he or she could pick up along the way,” in order to create dishes and a food business that could withstand the test of time.
“It is important to listen. You have to be open. You need to be brave, bold and, of course, resilient. You have to learn and know what you want as a chef because it will set your path to where you want to go,” he concludes.
