For months now they have been preparing for a challenge—doing kitchen practice to further hone their skills, strengthening their bodies through exercise and gym work, getting their minds ready by thinking up scenarios and how to deal with them and just being together constantly to gel as a team.
Meet the Team
CHEFS MIA YAN, SONNY MARIANO, AC AGRA and MAVERICK JAVIER make up the team representing the Philippines in Season 2 of Netflix’ Iron Chef Thailand vs Asia. They are all active members of LTB Philippines Chefs Association, are individually award-winning chefs in local and international culinary competitions, and all have the skills and determination to tackle any challenge thrown their way. We at WOFEX are proud to say that all four of them have garnered medals at the Philippine Culinary Cup, the only WorldChefs-certified culinary competition in the country, organized by WOFEX and LTB Philippines.
These chefs are well-accomplished individuals with years of experience under their belts. Despite their busy work schedules, they took the time to represent the country in the popular culinary reality show.
Chef Mia is the executive sous chef of Tsukiji, a member of the Board of Trustees of LTB Phils. and advisor for the Philippine Young Chefs Club, the youth arm of LTB Phils. Chef Sonny is a well-known food and restaurant consultant who has whipped up his magic in the menus of many popular restaurants, cafes and chain food establishments. Chef AC is the corporate executive chef of the highly-regarded Antonio’s Group of Restaurants that include Antonio’s, Breakfast at Antonio’s, Balay Daku and Azela while Chef Mav is the corporate executive chef of Rekado Global Food Solutions.
Preparing for the Battle
In an interview with World Food magazine, they share some thoughts on the task ahead. It is the second season of the show, and this time around four countries are invited to compete against the host. These are China, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines. The competitors (teams of 4 chefs) will face individual and team challenges.
Chef Mia says, “We don’t know what’s going to happen and it’s hard to anticipate, but we will be ready.” She says they have an advantage in that they know each other though they still need to work on their teamwork. “They will be throwing curved balls so we need to prepare,” she adds.
And prepare they did, with practice sessions under the guidance of LTB chefs and the help of sponsors. How do you prepare when you don’t know what to expect? After having watched Season 1 of the show, they do have an inkling of what’s to come and have developed some team strategies. Chef Sonny says they might even already know some of the chefs they will be competing against, most likely have met them while judging international culinary tilts.
The Game Plan
The team traveled to Thailand in September for a locked in taping. They were not allowed to bring other people with them – and could only bring their kitchen knives.
They shared some of their plans: Chef Sonny will be the go-to for desserts. Chef AC will be their strongest man when it comes to mains – he will most likely be their first player for the first episode. Chef Mav, whose strong suit is organizing, will be key in team challenges. Chef Mia, the one with most experience, has the distinct advantage of being able to read the room and anticipate things. She also has the stamina, having cooked for 7,000 people daily during her tenure in Singapore.
They are not discounting the value of physical conditioning and have logged on hours at the gym doing boxing and muay thai. Running together has helped strengthen their rapport and camaraderie. Chef Sonny says watching their diet is also important, jokingly saying, “One tablespoon less of rice na muna.” Being fit is definitely a must—it will also make one look good on camera!
Chef Mav is hopeful their training as WorldChef judges can help them assess and prepare well for all the tasks they will encounter. Chef AC, on the other hand, says they are all excited to represent the country, though they do feel pressure to perform well and win. Pragmatic Chef Mia summarizes the game plan, “We need to pay attention to details and not rush into judgment. A good chef is a smart chef.”
Iron Chef Thailand vs Asia is set for release this October. The whole country will be eagerly watching each episode. To our valiant chef-competitors Good Luck and prepare to be famous!
Read more about the culinary lives of chefs Mia Yan, Sonny Mariano, AC Agra and Maverick Javier in The Culinarian Year Seven of World Food magazine.
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