The revered chefs from Lolla in Singapore and Gallery by Chele in the Philippines share how they created their exclusive menu which taps into their heritage and culinary influences
Off Menu Luxe—Tatler Dining Singapore’s inaugural food event which pairs two chefs together to create dishes they have never done before—is taking place at The Clifford Pier on October 18 and 19. In partnership with UOB Private Bank, we are working with four of the best chefs from Singapore and the Philippines to craft a seven-course menu, inspired by the diverse flavours that make up our vibrant culinary scene.
These include modern European and Filipino cuisines, which our guest chefs Johanne Siy (Lolla) and Chele Gonzalez (Gallery by Chele) know too well. After all, Siy is a Filipina native who has cooked in notable kitchens in the world, while Chele is a Spanish chef who has made the Philippines his second home.
It’s no surprise that for their seven-course menu, which will be served on October 19, they chose to highlight their heritage on a plate, elevated with modern cooking techniques and the season’s best bounty.
Before they cook for UOB Private Bank’s 200 esteemed guests, we chat with the chefs about the inspiration behind their exclusive menu and what they’re most excited about in cooking at our inaugural food event.
Read more: Off Menu Luxe to Debut in Singapore Next Month—Here’s What to Expec
What are you most excited about with Off Menu Luxe Singapore?
Johanne Siy (JS): I’m excited to bring Philippine cuisine and ingredients to a wider audience in Singapore. No matter what type of cuisine we specialise in as chefs, our heritage is of utmost importance because it grounds and defines us. I’m happy to be able to share a little bit more about that aspect of my personality through Off Menu Luxe.
Chele Gonzalez (CG): I feel honoured and humbled to be cooking at Off Menu Luxe as an international guest chef. I am particularly excited because we have a good connection with the F&B industry in Singapore, we have so many friends who are chefs. For me, it’s going to be fun and interesting because the Tatler Dining event feels like a bigger version of the restaurant collaborations we often do. Meeting with other chefs is also a good opportunity to explore and discover new adventures in the kitchen.
What was the inspiration behind your seven-course menu?
JS: I was definitely inspired by the dishes I loved from my childhood in the Philippines—reinterpreted through my culinary style and upbringing in kitchens in different parts of the world. I wanted to highlight key ingredients like ‘aligue’ or river crab fat, white cheese and coconut milk, as well as iconic Philippine dishes.
CG: We’re combining fine dining with Filipino cuisine, given her perspective as a Filipina chef, Carlos Villaflor (Chele’s sous chef) and my background in merging tradition and reinvention in our creations. The menu has a lot of ideas, and we are very excited to cook dishes we have imagined before but haven’t executed because of difficulty in accessing imported produce. Now that we’re doing Off Menu Luxe, it’s going to be unique.
In case you missed it: A Taste of Home: Lolla Head Chef Johanne Siy Shares Her Favourite Filipino Dishes
