Food trends come and go, but the chef Anton Amoncio, winner of the Asian Food Channel’s Food Hero competition, stays true to the classics while embracing fresh ideas. Known for his approachable, flavor-packed recipes, Anton, one of the new Simpol.ph resident chefs, shares his love for this iconic sandwich, the kitchen superpower he wishes he had, and how his interests in gaming, sneakers, and anime connect to his life as a chef.
Few dishes are as simple yet satisfying as a grilled cheese sandwich, and for Anton, it’s a go-to comfort food.
“This grilled cheese sandwich is one of my favorites,” he said. “It’s super easy to make, only requires a few ingredients, and is perfect when I’m at home gaming or watching movies. It’s quick to prepare, tasty, and filling.”
Grilled cheese is often associated with breakfast or a midday snack but Anton insists it’s good for any occasion. “Any excuse to have grilled cheese, I’ll take it,” he said. “For me, it’s so flavorful and satisfying.”
When it comes to cheese selection, he loves variety. “I love the cheese pull, so I usually go with cheddar or mozzarella,” he said. “You can also use gruyère if you want. You can play around with it as much as you like.”
His secret to a perfectly crisp and evenly browned sandwich, he revealed, is mayonnaise. “I spread mayo on the bread instead of butter because it gives a more even browning,” he explained while demonstrating the cooking process. “And trust me, you won’t taste it. So for those who don’t like mayo, don’t worry.”
If Anton could have any superpower in the kitchen, he wouldn’t hesitate. “I’m a sucker for time manipulation,” he said. “A lot of my favorite movies have time-travel elements, and I think it would be incredibly useful in cooking.”
For Anton, the ability to control time would be a game-changer, especially when it comes to processes like fermentation and marination. “Imagine being able to speed up fermenting kimchi or marinating meat from days to just minutes or seconds,” he said.
“And in a professional kitchen, where everything is high-pressure, being able to pause time would take away so much stress. You could multitask more efficiently, maybe even do 20 things at once instead of just six,” he added.
Anton embraces food trends but never forgets the classics. “I’m up for food trends because they challenge us as cooks to learn more,” he said. “They allow us to innovate and try out new ingredients or cooking styles from different parts of the world. But at the same time, we have to respect the classics. They’ve stood the test of time for a reason.”
His approach is to find the balance between innovation and tradition.
When asked which celebrity chef he would love to challenge in a cook-off, Anton had a few names in mind.
“Chef Myke Tatung is one of the smartest chefs out there — I’d love to pick his brain,” he said. “If we’re talking about any chef, alive or not, then Anthony Bourdain, hands down. Cooking, for me, is about sharing and storytelling. It would have been an honor to cook with him.”
Another chef on his list is chef Laudico, who has played a key role in promoting Filipino cuisine. “He’s one of the chefs who has really championed Filipino food,” Anton said. “Cooking with him would be an honor.”
Outside of the kitchen, Anton has a wide range of interests.. “I love playing video games, basketball, and music,” he said. “I play a bit of the keyboard, I love to sing, and I also enjoy musical theater. Oh, and I collect action figures.”
Gaming is a big part of his downtime, with role-playing games (RPGs) being his top choice.
“I love RPGs because I enjoy immersing myself in different characters — it’s my form of escapism,” he said. “Right now, I’m playing Baldur’s Gate 3, and I’ve replayed Cyberpunk three times already. I’m also looking forward to Monster Hunter Wilds when it comes out.”
Anton is also a sneaker enthusiast, favoring both style and comfort. “My favorite pair right now is the Travis Scott Air Force 1 Phantoms,” he said. “But for comfort, I’d say the Yeezy Wave Runners.”
Although he has scaled down his collection, he still considers himself a sneakerhead. “I’ve cut back because some pairs just sit there and deteriorate if I don’t wear them,” he said. “Right now, I have less than 20 pairs — not a lot compared to other sneaker collectors, but I really appreciate them.”
When it comes to anime, Anton is currently watching Re:Zero. “It’s about time travel too,” he said. “The main character dies and goes back in time to redo events and fix mistakes. It’s kind of like a video game.”
For anime films, he recommends A Silent Voice. “If you haven’t seen it, prepare some tissues,” he said. “The ending is emotional.”
Anton finished plating his grilled cheese sandwich, slicing it in half to reveal the perfect cheese pull. “There you go! In under five minutes, we have a delicious grilled cheese sandwich perfect for a gaming session,” he said.
