Anya Resort Tagaytay’s Samira by Chele Gonzales became the recent venue of the first-ever collaboration between Chef Chele and Chef Rhea Rizzo of Mrs. Saldo’s. The 10-course degustation dinner may be the first of its kind as far as the two are concerned, but it won’t be the last as Chele is set to collaborate with other chefs in the months to come.
By Alex Y. Vergara
It was another East-meets-West encounter, this time on the dining table, as Samira by Chele Gonzalez, Anya Resort Tagaytay’s signature restaurant, recently hosted a one-night-only event featuring a 10-course tasting menu featuring dishes by two of the area’s celebrated chefs: Chele and Rhea Rizzo.
Apart from Samira, Chef Chele, of course, is the man behind the multi-awarded restaurant in BGC called Gallery by Chele, while Chef Rhea calls the shots at nearby Mrs. Saldo’s. While both chefs are classically trained in the Western way of cooking, particularly French, the Spanish Chele is known for his signature Iberian take on his dishes. Rhea, on the other hand, is more at home with Asian-style cooking, particularly Southeast Asian dishes.
Upon Chele’s invitation, Rhea and her team left the confines of Mrs. Saldo’s in Silang for one night to set up operations at Samira’s open kitchen. Apart from presenting their signature dishes, the two chefs, in keeping with the event’s reason for being, also collaborated on a number of creations such as Tuna Tarlet, Fresh Coconut Ceviche and Iberico Secreto BBQ Skewer.
The two chefs also went to town with their respective dishes such as Rhea’s Thai Fish Curry and Chele’s Wagyu Beff Cheeks Pichi Pichi. For dessert, Chele and his team served not one but two best-selling desserts on Anya’s menu: Rosemary Ice Cream, which consists of Earl Grey Caramel and Lemon Crumble; and Buko Pie in Textures, Café Anya’s reimagined take on the classic Tagaytay buko pie. Hamachi Crudo, Potato & Caviar Takoyaki, and Hokkaido Scallops Black Ink Rice complete the lineup of featured dishes.
Another thing going for each dish was the use of the freshest ingredients, which was evident, for instance, in the hamachi, from its juice down to its texture. And like a symphony of flavors, each dish, regardless of who originated it, complemented instead of overpowered one another without losing their character.
Before the collaboration, the two chefs have never worked before. Now that they have, they only have good words for each other.
“She’s very alive and such a fun person,” says Chele of Rhea. “She’s very easy to work with.”
That they’re likely competitors serving the same community of diners wasn’t an issue at all. In fact, Chele adds, it worked in their favor. It also helped that the two have known each other for quite some time.
“As neighbors, especially in this part [of Southern Tagalog], I believe the sense of community between chefs is very strong. It also comes with maturity, I think. When you’re willing to work together with other chefs, it means you are at a stage when you understand that you’re stronger together than by yourself,” he continues.
Although Chele isn’t known to specialize in Asian cooking, the chef is exposed to it, particularly Thai and, of course, Filipino food. Before calling the Philippines his second home, the chef worked for a time in Thailand and occasionally travels across the region, particularly to Singapore, to collaborate with fellow chefs. He is as comfortable as Rhea is when it comes to using coconut milk in dishes like the Fresh Coconut Ceviche.
He adds that he has no trouble savoring, say, Spanish or Japanese cuisine cooked by chefs other than from those two countries. For him, such an open process is one of the best ways to globalize a certain cuisine.
He could very well be talking about Rhea, a classically trained Filipino chef who is at home doing authentic and stylized versions of Thai dishes. “I like how she blended the Thai flavors with the Filipino ones,” says Chele, referring to Rhea’s featured dishes on the tasting menu.
For her part, Rhea asks, sounding incredulous when pressed why she agreed to the collaboration: “How can you say no to Chele? He’s one of the OGs (original gansters). Working with Chele, you can tell his years of experience. While I was running back and forth to get things done, he was so calm attending to what needs to be done.”
Rhea, as a way perhaps of honoring her host, initially tried her hand at coming up with dishes with subtle Spanish influences. But Chele was the first to say to her that she need not limit herself, as they have a wellspring of influences from modern European sources.
As for her dishes, Rhea describes them as a “modern” take on pan-Asian cuisine, which spans Peranakan, Thai, Balinese, Cambodian and, of course, Filipino. “Everything touches on various parts of Asia and trying to tie them together,” she says.
Apart from Chele’s stature, Rhea said yes to the collaboration as a way of answering the universe’s call. Who is she, she wonders aloud, to say no to Chele?
“Sometimes, when you feel like you’re not ready, and I always feel like I’m not ready, that is when the universe or God asks you to step up. And you must step up. And with the kind of caliber Chele has, you can’t help but grow and try to propel [yourself] forward to be the best version of yourself. And that only happens when you have the courage to say yes. As much as I want to say no because I’m super shy, believe it or not, it always pays to say yes and to show up.”
Courses were all paired with wines from South Africa, Spain and Austria. For inquiries and reservations, call 0998-955-3630, or email samira.reservations@anyaresorts.com. Visit www.anyaresorts.com.
