For two special evenings, chefs Chele Gonzalez and Deepanker Khosla collaborated on a vibrant, eight-course dinner of Asian and Indian flavors that placed sustainability at the forefront.
Chef Chele Gonzalez of Gallery by Chele welcomed Chef Deepanker Khosla of Michelin-starred Haōma for a two-night affair at his BGC flagship restaurant, Gallery by Chele. This was a sequel to their well-attended and highly successful collaboration in Bangkok last year.
For two magical evenings, Manila guests were taken on a culinary journey through the diversity of Indian and Asian flavors with a focus on sustainability and responsible cooking through an eight-course collaborative dinner.
Chele’s innovative take on local flavors and ingredients has garnered him many accolades and recognitions, such as making it into Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Now residing in the Philippines with his wife and daughter, he represents his adoptive country in major gastronomic events like Madrid Fusion and the upcoming Mediterránea Gastrónoma in Valencia, Spain this November 2024.
Even before starting a family, Chele has always worked mindfully and is adamant in putting his good intentions into action. This collaboration brings him back to their core values in Gallery by Chele, which is responsible cooking and sustainability. “Over the years, these have been part of our core values traveling around the country, meeting indigenous communities, and working very closely with farmers,” he says. “In fact, one of our most ambitious projects has been our urban garden where we use our own compost and focus on native and endemic herbs from the Philippines.”
Chele points out that Deepanker, called DK by many, has a similar urban garden set-up in the middle of Bangkok. Haōma enjoys the approval of Asia’s most respected critics having earned them a Michelin star and a Michelin green star for outstanding work on sustainability. Currently ranked at number 90 in Asia’s 50 Best, it also garnered the Sustainable Restaurant Award for 2024. Rightfully so, the chefs are excited to once again be working together after last year’s collaboration.
Chef DK acknowledges that although their cuisines are very different, they have striking similarities which will make for a seamless collaboration. He says, “We have a similar appreciation for good ingredients, local products, and fine cooking, which is what I hope to bring to Gallery. After cooking with him last time, I now understand his style and we were able to merge our cuisines into a tasting menu which was incredibly well-received by our diners in Bangkok. I wish to replicate that when I come to Manila, to bring our expertise in fine cuisine using ingredients from the Philippines.”
Dinner started with DK’s mahi-mahi and scallop tartare tamarind “nest” tart with Chele’s classic favorites, kare-kare bonbon and tomato sinigang; exquisite starters that set what to expect for the dinner.
Other dishes included the “corned beef” – Wagyu tartare with curry espum; “meuniere” – local sole with green caviar; “grouper” curry pil pil with calamansi and parsley gel; a uniquely delicious “patapulpo” – octopus with callos and chorizo, and a lamb korma for the main.
Armed with their combined skill and talents, plus the common goal of spreading more awareness towards food consumption, these two chefs served up an evening to remember.
Photos courtesy of Gallery by Chele.
