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Meet the Pinoy Chef who cooks up a storm of delicious banquets

While most people only value the end result when it comes to food that’s served on the table, it takes another level of appreciation to acknowledge the skilled hands behind the kitchen. For Pinoy Chef Mark Luther T. Nazario, it’s his passion to recreate Filipino and international cuisine with a twist that brings him continuous success with the restaurant he’s working with.

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From small kitchens to grand banquets
When he landed in the UAE in 2006, Chef Nazario was brimming with ideas on different dishes and new exciting menus to try and cook as the UAE is a hub for global ingredients. However, he didn’t really intend to be a chef before setting foot in the kitchen for the first time back in the Philippines. “Honestly, I never dreamt to be a Chef. But when I experienced the pressure, the drama, the pride to give people that satisfaction that only a scrumptious meal can provide, that’s when I realized that this is exactly the path I want to have for my career, no matter where I go,” said Nazario.

From serving VVIPs in weddings in Al Ain in 2006, to branching out to well-known restaurants come 2012-2015 in Abu Dhabi and fast forward to today here in Dubai as a Head Chef, Nazario managed to learn the language of love when it comes to cooking – leaving smiles of fulfillment and gratitude to many tables of not only fellow Filipinos, but other expats and locals as well!

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Captivating the palates of an international kitchen
In more than a decade of serving expats, Nazario shares that other nationalities love the variety of flavors that platters provide. “I noticed that many expats enjoy our seafood platters and mix grills – They enjoy the combination of flavors and the varying levels of spices that it provides to their palate,” shares Nazario.

When asked what had been his biggest challenge yet, Nazario recalls serving a huge banquet on his 3rd day of work at his new job. “At this point in my career, I think the greatest challenge is when I got an assignment to serve a massive buffet event within 2 days’ notice, that happened to be my third day at my new job. All staff, myself included, were new and the menu was quite complicated. Adding to the pressure was the fact that the kitchen equipment wasn’t really designed for the menu that the client requested,” shares Nazario.

“I have overcome these challenges by being tenacious in my determination to help my teammates and prove to them that I have the knowledge and skills to make wise decisions and lead them to effective problem resolution. Our kitchen team managed to get a good feedback from the guests who said that they never expected that this quality of food will come out from that kitchen! Basta pinoy, madiskarte!” recalls Nazario.

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Motivating fellow Filipino Chefs

Nazario said that it’s through such experiences and challenges that chefs, especially Filipinos, get to show to the world their talent as well as their determination to work diligently, maintaining grace under huge pressure. “I have all the respect for my fellow Filipino chefs here in the UAE. We all face a lot of challenges but we never give up even if we fail. Each failure molds us to be a better person, and with each experience that we conquer, we get tougher so when the opportunity presents itself; we are ready to take a shot. Laban lang lagi!”

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Staff Report

The Filipino Times is the chronicler of stories for, of and by Filipinos all over the world, reaching more than 236 countries in readership. Any interesting story to share? Email us at [email protected]

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