World Class Cagayano Chef Takes A Breather Aparri, Cagayan- When former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it was a dinner with Turkey. For President George Bush, he was lavishly treated to a garden style barbeque while France’s Francois Mitterand was never a choosy in his Food. Welcome to the international culinary arts as prepared and served by a Cagayano for the world’s royalty and decision makers. Abraham Arellano, 49, from the once obscure barangay Simpatuyo in the Northeastern town of Sta. Teresita, Cagayan wanted to be a Civil Engineer and had never dreamt of invading the plate of the world, yet while taking the degree at Manuel L. Quezon University, he found himself instead in the kitchen of the Sky Room Restaurant of the Jai-Alai amusement center as a food checker. It was part time job for this once impoverished man but his short lived stint somewhat paved the way to more offers as he started to hop from one hotel and resort to the other as fast as he could. Without realizing, he slowly slid his way into the kitchens of king, princesses luxury liners and the world over. A delectable job if we may add, Abe as friends call him has always been on the competition fringe for the last 18 years crisscrossing subtleness of the world’s cuisine “before it’s too late.” In Baghdad for example, Abe was the chef d’ partie of the hot kitchen and ala carie menu for almost four years at the famed Sheraton. Much earlier though when he was just a building chef back home, he represented a Matabungkay beach resort of businessman Toni Levisite in the rather stiff, grueling and taste full chefs on parade competition where he really shown the brightest. Though he didn’t win in the competition, the newspaper reviews on his entry more than made him fiercely competitive as he ventured overseas. Admittedly, he never finished his civil engineering degree but he was able to totally provide the financial assistance for his family back in the province. “May four sisters are now abroad working while the rice farms are managed by my two elder brothers,” Abe, revealed. Like soap operas go geographical and cultural barriers to become a self-proclaimed citizen of the world. This Cagayano chef had tasted the best life can offer, a far cry from where he started that when he decided to finally come home for good, it really good and stamped a period to his globe-trotting, naygastromic job two years ago. Over late breakfast of Pinoy favorite, the longsilog (sausages) served with ripe tomatoes and crunchy – fresh cucumber at his Valley Home Café in sleepy Aparri last week, Abe said he came home to share his expertise and to educate his fellow Cagayanos on the complexities, arrogance and Abe’s early years were those of a poor by who wallowed in the quagmire of nothingness with virtually limited food to eat and decent clothes to wear until finally he won over himself and the rest they say, is real story. “Dream on. It’s the only thing we can afford. Turn into really but never turn away from hard work and reality the frustrated engineer suggested. His experience provided with a sack full of hilarious and unforgettable anecdotes to last him a lifetime. He remembered the guests at the Royal palace in Riyadh whose food had to pass through a ‘madam’ and to be followed by the food tasters of whomever was the guest that time. Without blinking now, Abe was not into the thick of cooking for the UN troops particularly the commandants of the US army at the height of the Gulf War in the early 90’s as he was assigned as one of the Executive Chefs of the Allied Forces. At the Royal Carrebean Cruise Liner docked at Miami, Florida, he really felt like he was on top of the world. It was high living and now he cherishes those memories. “My favorite section at then luxurious ship is the roast section for fish and salads. The food there is very nutritious and has no fats, “he explained. Yet, his success can be traced to his sincerity, deep sense of responsibility, flexibility and hard work despite the fact that he was considered the family’s black sheep back then. “ I just lucky my bosses trusted me so much and I have never taken advantage of that especially that I worked with and among the foreigners who are too discriminating towards Filipinos,” Abe recalls. He added that in Australia alone, Filipinos like him really feel they are unwelcome in the country and said it’s more of their attitude as foreigners can simply accept the fact that brown-skinned chefs are better off than their fair-skinned counterparts. Sheik Walid Juffali, the man who energized the entire kingdom of Arabia and who, according to Abe, is far richer than the king himself, once called hin a “ doctor of food” which made him proud to be a Pinoy. The Sheik’s comments probably stemmed from Abe’s expertise to innovate and concoct a different taste of food, a process he calls fusion. He acknowledge that based on his nearly two decades of elbowing with the rich and famous chefs all over the world, Filipinos can be at par with them, if not better. The world’s loss of course is now Philippines gain, in particular, Cagayan’s. he has recently renamed his Valley Home Café as Fusion Café at the Chic Ryan Mall. His place has become the favorite hang out of the Northern Cagayan’s whos food selection and preparation (from Oriental, European and American plus those from the Caribbean Islands) never before offered in this part of the country. Abe Arellano still drams of the other side of life and business and now plans to move out from the coastal town to finally bring to fore his world class artistry to where the palate, where business in action is, Tuguegarao City. Whatever awaits this local boy in the city of Ybanags where bigger business fishes abound, no one knows for sure. One thing is definite though: with him around, Cagayan will have finally cuisine with Abe at the helm. I’ll bet my serving of cold on that.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 05:44:17 +0000
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