"We need to establish Filipino
restaurants abroad," observers note. "In major cities there is always
a Chinese, Indian, French, Japanese restaurant - but no Filipino
restaurants!" "Filipino food is porky at best," New York Times
critic Seth Mydans once said. "It's brown food," another critic said
insultingly.
Patriotic foodies wonder when we will finally
make Filipino food part of the centripetal force of foreign cuisines in major
cities. But in fact it has been done. As
early as 1965, culinary living legend Nora Daza established Aux Iles
Philippines (The Philippine Islands) in Paris. And in 1974, she opened
Maharlika, the first Filipino high-end restaurant in New York City. Aux Iles Philippines became one of the top
three Asian restaurants in Paris and was given no less than three forks by the
Guide Michelin. Then Maharlika was awarded four crowns by Pan America.
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| With Nora Daza |
It wasn’t an easy ride. “New Yorkers
were shocked at the way we cooked our meals. For example, we would serve fish
whole, including the head. They weren’t used to this kind of presentation
because they are used to fillet,” Mrs. Daza recalled. Meanwhile, Filipinos
found the menu, with steaks at $1.50, too expensive. It was a difficult
balance. Nevertheless, the restaurant lasted four years.
Paris was easier. In spite of the
language barrier, authentic Filipino dishes like fresh lumpia were a hit,
patronized by no less than top celebrities such as Bridgit Bardot. Fond
memories abound: flying in kuhol from
Bicol and amazing French escargot-lovers; and entrancing Parisians with the
refreshing sourness of sinigang na sugpo.
Aux Iles Philippines eventually had to
retire but it made its point, as summed up by Nora Daza’s son, food show host,
columnist and chef Sandy Daza: “People now debate how to bring Filipino food to
the world stage. It’s been done. My mom did it.” ‘Nuff said.
And it wasn’t just through restaurants,
either. Mrs. Daza capitalized on the value of exchange programs to both educate
Filipinos on worldly flavors and likewise to bring Philippine flavors to the
rest of the world. Aside from the many foreign chefs she brought to the
Philippines, including Paul Bocuse, Mrs. Daza also brought aspiring Filipino chefs
abroad. In 1988 she brought winners of the Great Maya Cookfest to the United
States where, as head of the delegation, she explained in an interview with the
LA Times , "Their goal is to share Filipino cuisine and enrich their knowledge
of the culinary arts of other lands." Truly she was the first Philippine
culinary ambassador.
At 83, she no longer cooks but guides
those who dare cook her recipes before her. “I always tell my cook, do not put
too much salt because if there's too much salt you have to put water and it
will dilute the flavors. You can always add salt but you cannot take it out.” Thankfully,
her children have inherited both her talent and love for cooking. She is very
proud of daughter Nina as well as son Bong Daza’s previous hit Bahay Batchoy on
Pasay Road and of son Sandy’s current restaurant Wooden Spoon. “He is very meticulous when it comes to
cooking,” Mrs. Daza says of Sandy and notes that the recipes at Wooden Spoon
are his own.
And for the rest of us, there are her
many books. She started writing recipes in 1965 for her first book Let’s Cook
With Nora and shares with utmost candor: “People would always ask me to cook
for them. And it was becoming expensive because I would have to buy
ingredients. So I thought, why not just write it all down in a book?” Her
latest, Festive Dishes, shares not only her own recipes but also those from
relatives and friends from all over the world. Released in July 2011, it’s now
on its second print. So while we will never get to taste creations from her
1965 French resto Au Bon Vivant, such as the legendary Chateaubriand with
Bernaise sauce – at least we will be able to attempt to resurrect it on our own
via Nora Daza’s books.
“I think the important thing about
cooking is the pleasure you give to somebody else,” she shared. Mrs. Daza has
put a smile on many, many faces, indeed.
