I want chefs to explore a totally new way of combining flavours but in a way that it still touches are main flavour profiles. Don’t just start making adobo glaze and call it a modern twist(just an example of how some of these guys take it too far with what they call “a modern twist”) if you made adobo glaze out of your typical adobo broth/sauce then what have you done exactly to modernize it?

I think one of the guys who actually did well to elevate Filipino Cuisine was chef Bruce Lim because he didn’t try to make a “modern interpretation” but instead he made his own interpretation of local dishes. He didn’t cook them in a way just for the intention of making it modern but he gave people back then a glimpse of what filipino food could be. Unfortunately his Chef’s Table venture didn’t pan out… I guess people 3-4years ago were just not yet ready for his style of restaurant and cooking.

A report written by the University of Hawaii in the 1940s examined Filipinos living in the islands and noted that the traditional diet (native) foods are healthier than the western diet that they were becoming accustomed to.

I have to take exception though to your comment about chefs and pushing boundries. If there is a complaint about Filipino food in a restaurant setting, its often about presentation, execution and service. All three are mentioned from the turo-turo, bakeshop and the sit down. Its in this area that owners and managers really have to drill down and think about when trying to appeal to a wider clientele. Especially to those who wish to elevate Filipino food to the level of fine dining. There are, of course, those who would balk at the presentation of familiar dishes in elaborate settings. But you have to remember that dining is also about the experience. If there is a disconnect within the three, then pretty much the food will take the downfall too. At the same time, all cuisines have their traditionalist. A good example is the Indian dining scene here in Silicon Valley. Many 3-4 star Yelp! reviews of an Indian establishment is often followed by one star reviews written by Indians. Many of the reviewers citing ‘not authentic’ or flavors not to their liking. As the joke goes with the Filipinos, Indians also say ‘food is better at home’.

And that where it starts with detractors whether you are Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, etc. Its the flavors and experiences that you grow up which dictate your opinions. The other thing that we need to get beyond with our cuisine is its balutification and really get to know its knowledge within. Often with young people, eventhough they grow up eating it, they cannot explain what’s in it or ‘ashamed’ or embarrassed to tell what it is. Filipino food is pragmatic as it is delicious. Other descriptions I have recently read/heard from food writers is that its folksy, earthy and peasant. To me, its honest. I can’t totally poo-poo the use of conveniences because of the fact that flavor packets and canned foods were a costs and time saver for many Filipino families back in the day. When both mom and dad worked and dinner had to be on the table, it was easier to just put on a pot of rice and open a can of Spam and maybe scramble up some eggs. If you had extra time, boil up some leafy greens, chop some tomatoes and bust out the bagaoong. Not only are those the flavors you remember, but the memories. Its that embrace of nostalgia that holds Filipino food back to a certain degree and why some ferociously defend it. But Filipino food is beyond that. If you are a restaurant owner or a gastrophile who enjoys cooking and entertaining, you have to be willing to go beyond orthodox or perceived notions of traditional/cliche (its brown, salty, oily, unhealthy, greasy, blah, blah, blah) and discover what lies ahead. After all, for better or worse, Filipino food as we supposedly know it today is influenced by the west.

I appreciated some of his clever ways to dress up the plating with his fusion efforts.

As for marketmanilaman’s preference for the old standbys, I understand the preference. Alas, as I wander through Filipino cookbooks, my biggest challenge is keeping true to the culinary norm even as I attempt to make the dish healthier, less laden with sodium, fats, and sugar. If I fail in this, then I need to limit my consumption of Filipino cuisine to, as my wife has suggested, perhaps once a week for a sodium and fat hit.

The cookbook The Adobo Road by Marvin Gapultos has some nice takes on the classics.

All cuisines go through an evolutionary process, when someone takes it up a notch or tries something new. I’m sure traditionalists were aghast the first time somebody added soy sauce to adobo, or when that Mexican nun in Puebla added chocolate to the mole she was preparing for high officials (unheard of until then). Today adobo with soy sauce is considered standard, and mole poblano wouldn’t be mole poblano without that bit of chocolate. Accepting change is difficult for some, but I predict that in 20 years all the innovations in Filipino cuisine we’re seeing now will be everyday stuff.