Chef Anne of Filos

Here, where Cremang Laing—P138 of a dynamic version of Bicolandia coconutey taro leaves puree with cream, blended and gratinated to spicy-peppery perfection with afternotes of dainty "cappuccino" bouquet—reflects Chef Ed Quimson’s culinary passages of love, despair, anger, and joy with the kitchen translational skills of his protégé, Chef Anne Quinio. With this unanticipated gastronomic bewilderment to tame the Pinoy’s afficion for his root cuisine—one is bound to learn that the grandeur of Ed Quimson’s surreal, yet pedagogical cookery, is being passed on to feed the world.

Gastronomist, and haute cuisine master Chef Gene Gonzalez (President of the Center for Asian Culinary Studies) declares that Ed Quimson is our country’s most spontaneous chef, "his creations are based on internal instincts, and his passion for food… we should be proud of Ed Quimson, he’s indeed a master in his own right."

"But, since Anne is Ed’s culinary protégé, she’s the one we should watch out for—definitely, Ed’s techniques are deeply inculcated in her," Chef Gonzalez follows.

Chef Anne’s rendition of Ginisang Sinigang na Sugpo sa Gata—P395 of Pork-Chicharon-sautéed prawns, mixed veggies, light cream, coconut milk, and soured in a supreme tamarind sauce—in classical culinary language, assaults the broad Pinoy food clientele, as it embodies a statement of misery that Pinoy haute cuisine is soon to extinct.

That is, as a matter of course, was the surge of the kept society of Philippine degustateurs years back—the Alta Cocina Filipina, where Chef Ed Quimson, Ado Escudero, and the great Chef Gene Gonzalez—tried to stop, for this generation or the next.

Technically operational under

Chef Anne (as the hands-on kitchen chief,) Filos relives a romantic menu file of Philippine classical

Laing Puree with cream

Sinigang line with very daring techniques of cookery, glistening with distinct Sinigang styles of Philippines’ different regions. The Sinigang na Bangus at Chicharon (P348 of milkfish with mixed veggies topped with chicharon in Tamarind Soup Base,) and Sinigang na Hipon sa Bayabas (P328 of shrimps in a superior stock, tempered by the fusion of tamarind and guava puree,) are certainly eponymous bedazzlements of brown skin cuisine’s complementing qualities to the tropical climate, yet, one can always sip Filo’s proud Sinigang even during cold nights (as a counterpoint dish, originally concocted for a hot weather,) especially with a side order of fried garlic rice, and Balut al’ Jeremy (P178 of baked Balut, cooked with aligue topped with puffed pastry.)

Realistically, a chef’s affinities for gustatory decadence root deep from his wild, subjective, amazing, and petulant passion for cuisine, so much like how Chef Ed Quimson contributes for the popularization of Pinoy cuisine as high art.

Ageing in the cuisine business, reflects everything from the backstage-kitchen life—spicy courses of love for gastronomy, enthrallment (dish per dish), grief, and glee—that can always be sampled as a gustatory maturity.

But, the need to pass on every master skill is a must, that, chefs like Ed Quimson not only needs to drop off his hat to bestow one, his gastronomic knighthood, anticipating a predicted heart attack like a random bullet… because cuisine has to live on.

This is where Anne’s acquisitiveness—with probable brevity of taking the responsibility of being a cook, permeates to hold one’s satisfaction, bearing one of Pinoy cuisine’s finer sensibilities—to Pinoy food, patches one’s common life with extraordinarily common food, onto ethereal satisfaction: Pan-fried Tilapia with Guava Butter Sauce; Menudo de Guagua; Bangus Belly Stuffed with Pinakbet; Crab Shrimp and Mango Salad; Ed’s Paella.

Though, Philippine cuisine is still in its colonially-wretched state, diverted with our restaurateurs’ avidity for gastronomic empires, Filos is a screaming signal that Philippine Cuisine still breathes.

• Balut Pate

• balut and chicken liver pate served with melba toast

• Kilawin Tuna with Kakang Gata

• diced tuna with coconut milk and spices

• Balut cooked Jeremy Style with Puffed Pastry Crust

• baked balut with aligue topped with puffed pastry crust

• Gambas ala Cindy D

• Shrimps sautéed in garlic laced with bagoong alamang

• Filos Pizza Salad Simply delicious

• Tuyo Pizza

•Our very own tomato sauce topped with mozzarella, sofrito and tuyo

• Taba ng Talangka Pizza

• Tomato sauce based pizza topped with aligue and mozarella