See this previous entry about my visit to the AFC workshop in Singapore with Bruce Lim!
My grandmother, she always had time to cook for the family… I remember when I was a boy I use to love to watch her cook, the smells and sounds of her kitchen made me feel at home. That’s why I feel close to her when I cook.
I remember you mentioning that your father rushed you off to Le Cordon Bleu in London after you were considering the army, but does cooking run in the family?
Ha ha it was actually the marines… and yup all my aunties and uncles can hold their own in the kitchen. We are a family of critics and foodies.
Has it always been a passion? Or did you discover it somewhere along the way?
I can truly say that it is a passion I always knew that I would end up in the kitchen, but what I realized along the way was how much I love it!
Who is your favorite chef and what is your favorite restaurant?
Wow, this is a tough question! There are so many great chefs and great restos out there it hard to pick just one. But I do admire Thomas Keller and his resto the French Laundry.
As a Cali guy...
Haha you have to bust my chops huh, for being a Cali guy!
To be fair, in front of the journos at the AFC workshop, you busted my chops for being a New Yorker!
...Any thoughts on the Slow Food "movement", figures like Alice Waters, or sustainable farming?
I am all for it. I feel that it should be the way we go with everything that we do from restaurant use to personal consumption. Not trying to be a tree hugger or anything, but there a some fish that I use to catch and eat when I was a boy, and now due to over fishing and pollution you cannot catch the fish anymore. And if you do I don’t dare eat it. I can’t say where I would fish so I don’t offend anyone hehe… but now my son will never know what the fish tasted like. I find it real sad.
How's your Tagalog?
Great question, it is not too bad. I have had time to practice on some local shows… for Tablescapes I normally speak in English. But when I do local TV shows I am forced to speak in Tagalog. At first I was not the best but now I can hold my own.
What's the name of your upcoming restaurants in Manila and California?
The name is Chef’s Table by Chef Bruce. Simple. No plans of opening one up in California yet. Going to start off with Manila first… if that goes well why not!
Where and when will we be able to find it? Is it comfort Filipino food or are you putting a personal twist on it?
The one in Manila will be in the area that we call Global City, and yes it will be modern comfort food.
In one of your bios, it mentions that you enjoy online games and kickboxing when you're not in the kitchen. What online games are you into at the moment? (food&travel blog, I know, but I like my games too)
It all started with Counter Strike… now I don’t play CS, but I still love the first person shooters like Modern Warfare 2. When I have a rough day at work, I play a quick 1 hour and rack up the kills. I also play Rising Force Online, it’s not as fast as MW2 but it’s fun when you have to team up and strategize on how you can win the battle. But ya’ gaming helps give the escape from reality since I can’t always take a day off. I don’t have time to rest my brain, but at least an hour of pure ownage can give you the energy to keep going… That should be a slogan or something! Haha
Watch Chef Bruce Lim every Thursday 9:30pm
Asian Food Channel
Tablescapes: Life on a Plate
"New Season on AFC: 18 March-4 June 2010. Tablescapes returns to Asian Food Channel with a new season of this one-of-a-kind culinary and travel adventure programme.
Journey with Chef Bruce Lim and the lovely Angel Aquino across the many and magically varied islands of the Philippines. Indulge in gastronomical delights while basking in the gorgeous backdrops and get a view and taste of the Philippines like never before."