Chef Myke
Chef Tatung’s choice of the name “Simpol” is already a clue of what this home cook turned chef has to offer: simple, practical, and doable recipes that will empower anyone to cook with confidence. This multi-hyphenate restaurateur and entrepreneur, author, celebrity TV chef and Youtube star explains every step of the cooking process by breaking them down into digestible parts, with valuable kitchen tips thrown in for good measure.
His kitchen-tested recipes range from everyday ulam to merienda to special occasion dishes; from traditional Filipino dishes to trendy global cuisines; from recreated restaurant favorites to the latest food trend hacks. Whether on print, digital or on video, Tatung’s recipes reflect the width and depth of his passion for food. His three bestselling books, “Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter”, “Rice to the Occasion” and “Dishkarte sa Kusina”, reflect his ability to connect to a broad audience base.
At the Asisa Madrid Fusion 2017 in Spain, Chef Tatung sparkled as one of the guest speakers, sharing the stage with culinary giants from Europe and Asia. His talk on salt-making and salt as a preservative, as well as a peek into the undiscovered cuisine of Mindanao cuisine left the mostly European audience spellbound.
Handpicked as a resource speaker for the Philippine episode of Netflix’s Street Food, Tatung provided his own insights on the street food evolution of Cebu. As a young boy growing up in Cebu, his mother tells the story of how the young Tatung would buy his favorite merienda everyday consisting of a bottle of softdrink and a stick of banana-cue. Simply pleased with the delicious pairing, he would sing, in between sips and bites: “Coke and, Coke and Banana” to the tune of Barry Manilow’s iconic song. Today, Tatung has remained playful and imaginative with food, in a more deliberate and purposeful way.
