After cutting through 160 entries and besting eight other Filipino chef finalists, Chef Danilo Puga II hails as the first-ever Funlasang Pinoy Twist Fest Champion with his original recipe of Octopus Sisig, a spin-off on the classic Pinoy favorite sisig dish. The culinary competition was initiated by Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) Philippines to provide an avenue for Filipino chefs and cooks to showcase their talents and creativity to reignite everyone’s love for Filipino food.
Puga,
30, took up Culinary Arts and Technology Management at the Center for Culinary
Arts but first worked in the corporate setting before pursuing his passion for
cooking. After a leap of faith, deciding to make the great shift to fulfill his
dream and also have more time with his family, he put up his own 40-seater
restaurant in Antipolo called Minced
Manila. When asked what his inspiration was behind his Octopus Sisig dish,
he shared, “Personally, mahilig kasi ako
sa sisig [I personally like sisig]. We were thinking of healthier
alternatives to sisig, so we used octopus instead. It was my father-in-law who
introduced octopus to me. Whenever I would see octopus in the market, I would
come up with different dishes with it, one of which was this dish.”
In
line with UFS’ initiative to place the limelight on Filipino cuisine, Puga also
shares in the same advocacy and practices food innovation in his own restaurant
to help the cause, give Pinoy food the recognition that it deserves, and
encourage chefs and cooks in the Philippines to create their own unique recipes
too. “We should never be afraid of getting out of our comfort zone by using new
ingredients or infusing different techniques to Filipino food because this will
help the cuisine evolve. Innovation will bring the Filipino cuisine to the
world map,” Puga shared.
Apart
from his now-award-winning Octopus Sisig dish, Puga also offers a variety of
innovative and flavorful dishes with a twist such as Ensaladang Pakwan at
Kesong Puti, Sizzling Fries, and Lechon Ceasar Salad in his restaurant.
Puga’s
Octopus Sisig surpassed the rigorous judging by notable chefs in the industry, including
Aracama Filipino Cuisine Executive Chef Fernando Aracama and UFS Senior Sous
Chefs Brando Santos and Paulo Sia, and took home the grand prize of PHP
100,000. The unique dishes prepared by the nine finalists were scored according
to creativity of the twist, food taste and presentation, and the use of the UFS
products such as Knorr® and Lady’s Choice® Real Mayonnaise.
This
milestone is just the beginning for greater things to come for Chef Dan Puga as
he envisions to put up even more restaurants, if given the opportunity. In
hopes to inspire chefs and cooks with his win at the Funlasang Pinoy Twist
Fest, he would like to create even more impact among those who share in the
same passion and love for cooking. Dan shared, “Never stop learning and always believe
in your talent. Also, practice the fundamental methods of cooking because at
the end of the day, no matter how good your concept is, but the cooking method
is not right, wala din. We have to go
back to basics.”
Without a doubt, the
creativity and skill of Pinoy chefs is something to be proud of as seen in the
exceptional dishes created by the Filipino chefs and cooks at the Funlasang
Pinoy Twist Fest. With UFS’ continuous initiative to create avenues for chefs
and cooks to showcase their skills, creativity and knowledge, and give them
access to the right products, chefs and cooks can expect even more
opportunities from UFS that will cultivate their talent, and celebrate the
Filipino cuisine.
To know more about UFS
and Funlasang Pinoy, visit www.ufs.com.
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