Chef Profile - David Gamez
Meet Chef David Gamez: A Force to be Reckoned with at the Adobo Throwdown Cooking Competition and Food Expo 2023!
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a chef?
I first started pursuing my culinary career in a Japanese restaurant named Koi Kawa. My wife at the time has a grandma who is from Tokyo, and she owned the restaurant. Growing up in a Mexican American household, I didn’t see too much Japanese food or much Asian food in general. So everything about the cuisine intrigued me and left me wanting to learn more and more. I left my then career as a barber to being on my way to becoming a chef specializing in Japanese cuisine. I spent a good eight years working on my techniques which included sushi and ramen before I decided to branch out into Filipino cuisine. Enter Sari Sari Supper Club. I started learning new flavors and techniques synonymous with the cuisine. Eventually I even did a supper club dinner In February 2022 under my side business at the time Awase Popup. We were a Japanese fusion Popup, and of course our dinner consisted of me blending all the techniques of Japanese food with flavors of Filipino food. As of today, I hold the position of sous chef for Sari Sari Supper Club.
Chef David Gamez
2. How would you describe Filipino cuisine to someone who is unfamiliar with it?
The best way I can describe Filipino cuisine to someone is salty, sweet, tangy, and funky. All these elements find their way into the dishes, such as soy sauce for salt, sugar for sweet, vinegar for tangy, and/or fish sauce for funk. It’s a well balanced flavor that wakes up your palate and taste buds with ingredients that are bright and refreshing.
3. What are some of your favorite Filipino dishes to cook and why?
My top three favorite Filipino dishes to cook are Pork Adobo, Sinigang with Miso, and Lechon.
4. How do you incorporate traditional Filipino ingredients and cooking techniques into your dishes?
I think I’ve learned to use vinegar better to balance out flavors because of Filipino cuisine. The use of the wok has really changed how I choose to make certain dishes in order to get that wok hei flavor. The smokiness adds another layer of flavor that is instantly noticeable.
5. Can you share with us a particular dish that is close to your heart, and why it is meaningful to you?
I would say the dish closest to my heart would be Sinigang. I’m Mexican culture there are various soups that are consumed with a hearty mix of meat and veggies. Sinigang had a familiar feel as far as dishes go, and the addition of the tamarindo is my favorite part. Tamarindo is typically not used in savory applications in Mexican culture, so to me this was a pleasant surprise and it reigns as my favorite Filipino dish.
6. What are some of the challenges that you face when cooking Filipino cuisine, and how do you overcome them?
My biggest challenge I would say is the flat out fact that I am not Filipino and therefore have no basis for comparison for how the exact flavors are supposed to be. The nostalgia is not there for me with the exception of the similarities of Mexican and Filipino cuisine due to Spanish occupation. The best I can do is use my culinary knowledge to fill in any blanks when necessary. I also consult chefs, coworkers, and/or friends who are of Filipino decent for any advice and critiques to help me learn.
7. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in learning how to cook Filipino food?
Advice I would give is try all the food you can to really get a feel for the cuisines flavor profile. Don’t be close minded cause you never know what you might like.
8. How do you think Filipino cuisine is evolving, and where do you see it headed in the future?
I definitely feel like Filipino cuisine is growing and I see it becoming as big as the other cuisines from Asia very soon!
9. Can you talk about a memorable experience or moment in your career as a chef?
My most memorable moment as a chef is my first time doing a Omakase dinner with my side business and seeing a bunch of success because of it. From there we did many more and it was the ultimate drive to become the best version of myself as I can be as a chef.
9. What are your future plans and goals as a chef, and how do you hope to contribute to the culinary world?
In the future I plan to open an Izakaya which is a Japanese gastropub. I want to be able to showcase my specialties as both a sushi and ramen chef, but still have the freedom with my menu to server other dishes that highlights all the experience and skill I have.
