He describes his work as “very fun,” and from the twinkle in his eyes, you know that he is having the time of his life.
Chef Sonny Mariano knew he wanted to be a chef since he was a young child watching cooking shows on TV. After culinary school, he knew exactly what kind of chef he wanted to be. “I always wanted to be a chef consultant, gusto ko iba-iba ang ginagawa,” he says. He did, however, work his way first through hotels and restaurants to gain experience and hone his skills.
It is not the first time Mariano is gracing the pages of The Culinarian—it’s actually the third time. The first time was when he was a new chef navigating the world of culinary competition and the second time was as in 2019 as one of the top gold medal winners of the Philippine Culinary Cup (PCC).
He has become an old hand at competition—skilled and seasoned. His younger self may have made missteps which could have cost him medals, but he learned to be calmer, more measured and prepared, to the point of being even analytical.
These same traits are what has made him effective as the chef consultant he always wanted to be.
What does he do exactly? He is primarily a product development chef, developing concepts, menus, and recipes for clients. He is also a restaurant consultant advising business owners on management aspects like costing, kitchen layout, inventory management, kitchen training, and the like.
He is currently working on 18 projects! Each project can run from two to three months with each one requiring the development of several recipes—ranging from about 45 to over 100 recipes, depending on the type of operations. Clients are lucky because Mariano can cover savory, pastry, desserts, up to beverages.
His client list is impressive, he has worked with chain restaurants, established brands, new concepts, restaurant groups, foreign brands, celebrity-owned establishments, you name it. He enjoys the work because it is never the same. “Doing the same thing, day in and day out, is not for me,” says Mariano. He is challenged by the varying needs of his clients, by the palates that he has to please, by how to convince owners to his way of thinking, and how to think outside the box.
With so many clients and so many recipes that need to be developed, doesn’t he run out of ideas? He says he just has to find ways to continuously stimulate his creativity—like eating out, going online, or traveling. Asked about other challenges of his chosen line of work, he says that sometimes things just don’t work with certain clients. “I tell them that maybe I’m not the consultant for them. I don’t like wasting both our times, so I am honest with them,” he says. Mariano even recommends other consultants, if needed. He never burns bridges and always keeps things professional.
He is happy as a clam with his line of work—fully enjoying the perks of being able to manage his own time and being able to choose what projects to work on and whom to work with. He is still thrilled to see his recipes in menus all over town and still excited to keep on developing new flavors for Selecta Ice Cream, eight years running.
The heavy demands of his R&D work have not stopped him from doing demos and workshops, collaborations with other chefs for pop-ups, and taking part in the activities of LTB Philippines Chefs Association.
He is tireless and constantly on the go.
But one thing he has learned through the years is how to delegate and trust. “I was doing everything when I started—from conceptualizing, to marketing, cooking, and cleaning up,” he relates. Today, he works with a team and has a full-time sous chef. Having a team means more work can be done and faster. It also leaves him time to pursue his other interests.
Talking about his work as consultant gave him pause. Sometimes, he says, he still can’t believe that he has achieved his dream. “I had a lot of anxiety before, daming iniisip. Pinagdadasal ko ito dati pa pero hindi ganito kalaki. Minsan naiiyak ako when I realize na sinagot ng Diyos ang mga dasal ko.”
What’s next for him? More recipes and menus to develop, as his client list continues to grow. Maybe open his own restaurant in the future. Travel to more places to savor unique flavors. Continue to vie for gold medals in international competitions. Maybe, even, find himself being watched on TV by a young child dreaming of becoming a chef … one day. wf Cris C. Abiva
