There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when Filipino chefs from different corners of the world come home, and IFEX Philippines provided the perfect venue for these chefs not just to cook, but to tell stories through food.
IFEX Philippines is the country’s biggest international food, beverage, and ingredients trade show, organised by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The 18th edition was held from 22 to 24 May 2025 at the World Trade Centre, showcasing over 5,000 global food products and labels from more than 700 companies, and attracting over 10,000 trade buyers and visitors from 50 countries.
The four chefs
This undeniable magic took centre stage in the IFEX Kitchen, where four chefs – Michael Pastrana and Morris Danzen Catanghal of Adobros in Melbourne, and David “Da Bo” Pamplona and Nouel Catis, both based in Dubai – lit up the stage with more than just heat and technique. They brought heart, they brought history, and they brought home with them.
The crowd didn’t just gather to watch them cook; they came to witness a homecoming. Each dish they prepared was a conversation between the past and the present, tradition and innovation, and between the Philippines and the world.
Chef Michael and Chef Morris, who run their secret supper club in Australia, shared their journey to inspire a new generation. Their food was thoughtful, layered, unapologetically Filipino but with a modern twist. They’ve built more than a dining experience; they’ve created a sense of belonging for Filipinos craving connection.
Chef Michael Pastrana
For Michael, that passion began with his father.
“It’s my dad for me,” he said. “Actually parang helper niya lang ako tapos siya talaga nagluluto, taga-gayat lang ako saka taga-tikim.”
(I was just like his helper; he did the cooking while I chopped and tasted.)
“Pero pag naghain na ng pagkain tapos sabi nung mga tao sa lamesa na masarap, sasabihan niya na ako ang nagluto nun kahit taga-gayat lang ako,” Chef Michael added.
(But when guests complimented the food, he’d tell them I cooked it, even if I only did the chopping.)
That encouragement stuck with him. “Siya din nagsabi sa’kin, ‘Wag gawing komplikado, sarapan mo lang,’” Michael recalled.
(He also told me, Don’t make it complicated, just make it delicious.)
Chef Morris Danzen Catanghal
Chef Morris’s journey was shaped by adversity. When his father became blind, he had to cook for both himself and his younger brother using whatever was available.
“One example was the papaya tree in front of our house,” he said. “I needed to create dishes out of that because we were struggling.”
Years later, living in Italy and travelling broadened his skills, but that urgency from his childhood shaped his approach.
“Food is the best way to show love and to have a deeper connection to people by creating memories at the dining table,” Chef Morris shared.
Chef David “Da Bo” Pamplona
Chef Da Bo’s energy filled the room. A natural storyteller, he brought playfulness and nostalgia to his demo.
“Lumaki ako sa Lola ko, sa probinsya namin sa Batangas. Sa barangay namin, uso ‘yung isda at gulay, mga naglalako sila mismo, pupunta sa bahay mo,” he said.
(I grew up with my Lola in our province in Batangas, where vendors brought fresh fish and vegetables directly to your home.)
“Noong araw pa lang, interesado na ‘ko sa mga masasarap at fresh na ingredients, mga fresh na isda at sariwang gulay,” he added.
(Even back then, I was already drawn to delicious and fresh ingredients.)
His earliest cooking memory was tied to a beloved family routine. “Mahilig mag-saing ng tulingan lola ko, halos araw-araw ata. ‘Di puwede wala kaming sinaing na tulingan,” he shared.
(My lola loved to slow-cook bullet tuna, almost every day. We couldn’t go a day without her sinaing na tulingan.)
“Ako ‘yung nagbabantay at saka nagdadagdag ng tubig para hindi masunog habang nanonood si Lola ng Eat Bulaga,” Chef Da Bo said.
(I was the one who watched the pot and added water so it wouldn’t burn while she watched Eat Bulaga.)
He reminded everyone that food, at its best, makes you feel something. It calls to your sense of nationalism; the time is now for Filipino food. It’s not yesterday or tomorrow, it’s now.
Chef Nouel Catis
And then there was Chef Nouel, the original creator of the viral Dubai chocolate. He was precise, calm, and rooted. He cooked with grace and intention, his dishes reflecting years of discipline in high-end Dubai kitchens, but always anchored by Filipino soul.
“It was Jacques Torres for me,” he said, “whom I watched with my mom on Food Network that got me inspired to become a chef.”
His mother also played a central role. “She gave me the books on baking to develop my passion,” Nouel said.
More than just a demo
What tied them all together wasn’t just their skill, but their why. They weren’t just showing off recipes, they were honouring the people who taught them to cook, the childhoods that shaped them, and the places that now call them chefs.
They worked with local Philippine brands during their demos, proving that even as they represent Filipino food abroad, they never forget where it all begins – at home, with ingredients grown in familiar soil.
Since the event, the sparks lit at IFEX have begun to ignite beyond the kitchen. Chef Nouel is now working with Auro Chocolate and Marcelo’s Micro Creamery, and is set to return to the Philippines for the World Chocolate Fair from July 3 to 5. Chef Da Bo will also head back to the country in August for an upcoming project. Meanwhile, something big is in the works for Adobros following their IFEX appearance. All four chefs will also be part of a new book project by none other than adobo queen Nancy Reyes Lumen.
In the IFEX kitchen, the heat of the kitchen mirrored the passion and energy of the chefs. It felt like more than a demo, it felt like the spark of something real, the beginning of a revolution.
These chefs are not waiting for permission. They are carving space for Filipino food in cities like Melbourne and Dubai, not as novelties, but as essentials. And in doing so, they’re inspiring the next generation of chefs, dreamers, and diaspora kids to do the same.
Their message was clear – you can carry your culture with pride. You can honour where you came from and still create something new. And you don’t have to do it alone.
In the end, the most powerful ingredient in that kitchen wasn’t calamansi or coconut or ube. It was courage. And that’s something we all have a taste for.
(A.K.R.Cabral)
