Chef Jigs Liwanag has always led with heart: first in nursing, now through his soulful cooking. At Vesta x Jigs, a restaurant inside Hotel Canberra in Ballarat, and at The Stables Café & Bar, he doesn’t just serve food. He shares stories – of culture, care, and overcoming hardship – on every plate.
A path forged at sea
Before migrating to Australia, Jigs trained as a nurse. But when memories of his grandmother’s kitchen whispered “don’t die with regret in your heart,” he traded scrubs for chef whites.
He enrolled in culinary school in Manila, learned under a Japanese master in Hong Kong, and spent eight globe-spanning years aboard a private yacht – eating, learning, and gathering flavours from nearly 100 countries.
(For more on Jigs’s early journey, see his chef chat with the Australian Good Food Guide).
Cooking with roots and vision
Now based in Ballarat, Jigs is celebrated for a style that is as broad as it is tender – mixing Filipino, Japanese, Spanish, Nordic, and Indigenous Australian influences, all while championing hyperlocal Victorian produce. “Expect the unexpected” isn’t just a tagline – it’s the philosophy behind every dish.
His menus reflect both memory and innovation: raw kingfish with pickled strawberry, duck neck sausage from a zero-waste ethos, or Filipino classics reimagined with local produce.
The loss that sparked strength
This year brought heartbreak. In June 2025, Jigs lost his beloved Lola (grandmother) in the Philippines. He flew home to pay respects, then returned to Ballarat carrying grief heavy on his shoulders.
Despite the pain, he found refuge in the kitchen. As he wrote on Facebook:
“When I came back I tried my best to be strong, my mind and body is saying stop for a second and breathe, the overwhelming pressure is hitting hard. But yeah I’m stuborn so I worked my ass off just to forget a bit.”
Cooking became a way to heal – and to honour his Lola, the woman who first inspired him.
Awards that speak volumes
In July 2025, Vesta x Jigs received the Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) Readers’ Choice Award for Fusion in the Ballarat, Bendigo, and Goldfields region.
Hotel Canberra described the recognition as “another great testament to the hard work and commitment of our team,” adding that diners in Ballarat truly appreciate what they do. The team credited both Jigs and chef Jake Gladman for bringing their creativity and love to the plates, with front-of-house staff completing the experience with “excellent service, great wine, and a bit of cheek and humour.”
Then came August 2025. At the Ballarat’s Best Pie Awards, Jigs’s Lechon Paksiw Pie wowed the judges and claimed two titles: Best Savoury Pie and Brilliantly Unexpected.
Reflecting on the win, Jigs wrote: “Winning in the pie competition is a huge achievement not just for me but for our whole team @hotelcanberra and @stablescafebar.”
For him, these back-to-back recognitions were not just professional milestones but proof of resilience.
Beyond awards
At Vesta x Jigs, he has shifted from set degustations to a flexible à la carte menu, while keeping his passion for local produce and zero-waste alive. Diners can expect bold, playful flavours rooted in heritage and shaped by global experience.
Beyond the kitchen, he continues to champion collaboration, recently hosting themed dinners with winemakers and local producers. His food is less about spectacle and more about storytelling – feeding both the palate and the soul.
Why It Matters
Jigs Liwanag is more than a chef. He is a healer, a storyteller, and a bearer of culture. His dishes carry both struggle and triumph, grief and gratitude.
For Filipino Australians, his story resonates: a reminder that even far from home, resilience and creativity can turn sorrow into something nourishing, joyful, and unforgettable.
