In Manila with Chele / 1

The first thing Jose Luis "Chele" Gonzalez tells us when we mention Identità Golose is that he was in Milan in February, to participate in our congress, and it was fantastic. Still, it is not for these compliments that we called him: the excuse to speak with the Spanish chef – born in Torrelavega, close to Santander though he trained in San Sebastian, with some of the most important chefs in Basque cuisine – is the opening, scheduled in October, of Foo'd, a restaurant in Manila with Davide Oldani, and the consequent curiosity for the local gastronomic scene.

In Manila, says Chele, he arrived now over 4 years ago: «After the beautiful experience at Mugaritz, El Bulli, Celler de Can Roca, the last restaurant in which I stopped in Europe was Nerua, with Josean Alija. Even though I was very happy there, I felt I needed new motivation, because I was losing enthusiasm. In recent years I got the habit of spending my holidays in Asia, where I always found new stimuli. So, after quitting my job, I decided to leave for Asia once again, though this time it was with the intention of finding a job and staying».

How come you chose the Philippines?
I got three offers from three different hotels. One in Bali, one in Thailand and one in Manila. I visited them, completed interviews and kitchen trials, and the place where I felt better was the Philippines. This is most of all because over there, there’s a rather strong cultural connection with Spain and with the west in general, as there are many American influences too. I thought it would be easier to fit in that society. After all, when you think of moving to a place, it is also to become a part of that society.

The dining room at Vask, Chele Gonzalez' modern tapas restaurant

You started to work as a chef in a hotel. Yet you later preferred to open your own restaurant.
The first hotel in which I worked was Sofitel in Manila. A typhoon later destroyed the restaurant and I was called by the Shangri-La. During my first year of work in Manila I had begun to build a name and some people were asking me to open a restaurant as partners. Meanwhile, I understood that hotels were not my kind of thing, I needed a freer context, in which I could express myself. The meeting with Carlo Calma was crucial.

In which way?
He’s an architect and interior designer, his passion is art, in the same way as cooking is mine: together we decided to create a restaurant that unites fine dining with art. This is how Gallery Vask was born: we offer our clients a unique experience, we make them dine in an art gallery: every time I change the menu, he changes the works displayed. It’s a perfect synergy.

Fresh Sea Urchin from Bicol, Iberian Fat, Kutchay Flower and Tabon Tabon: one of the wonderful dishes from Chele Gonzalez' menu at Gallery Vask

You run Vask and Gallery Vask: it’s basically two restaurants in one, isn’t it so?
Vask is a modern tapas restaurant: it has all my interpretations of traditional recipes from Northern Spain, where I was born, and from the Basque Country, where I trained professionally. There’s nothing similar in Manila, this is why it is a simple and successful format. The economic support this restaurant gives me allowed me to open, a few months later, Gallery Vask, which is, instead, the place of my dreams. It is the restaurant I always desired, seating only twenty people, where I’m free to do what I want. The kitchen is an essential part of the dining room, and each cook preparing the dish then serves it to the clients, explaining it. Our menu is structured in 14 courses, each one of which has a story behind it.

1. to be continued