Thirteen years ago international chef, TV host, and restaurateur Martin Yan set foot on our shores to film a program called “The Flavor of the Philippines.” The success of the show and Yan’s great appreciation for Pinoy food led the Chinese-born American chef to proclaim our cooking “truly original Asian fusion.”
“[Filipino cuisine] is the best of all fusion cuisine,” says Yan, who serves adobo and lumpia, among other Filipino dishes, at his several Bay Area restaurants in the US. “It should be enjoyed by people all over the world.”
Best known for his award-winning cooking show “Yan Can Cook,” his successful San Fransisco-based restaurant chains, and over two dozen pan-Asian cookbooks, Yan was recently in Manila for an exclusive series of demos with GE Monogram appliances, of which he is the global ambassador. Utilized by the famed chef both at home and in his restaurants, the GE Monogram collection includes sleek built-in cooktops, innovative ventilation systems, multi-purpose ovens, and one amazing refrigerator that can purify its own water. Yan demonstrated the thoughtful, user-friendly functions of the various appliances by executing multiple versions of his two most famous dishes: Shangri-La Beef and Baked Fish with Asian-style Salsa. The chef baked, grilled, pan- and stir-fried ingredients simultaneously to showcase GE Monogram’s convenience and versatility—and inspired us by making it look so simple to put together a delicious meal.
“There is a Chinese saying: ‘The right tool for the right job.’ I always tell people, if you don’t have the right equipment...it doesn’t matter how good a chef you are,” says Yan. “That is why I wanted to use the best.” Like legendary cooking personality Julia Child, who wrote the introduction for his 2002 release “Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking,” Yan believes that anyone can learn to cook. “My slogan is, ‘If Yan can, so can you!” shares the chef, whose youthful beginnings in the food industry of an economically hard-up China stemmed from the desire to fill his belly.
Decades later, Yan has created a thriving one-man brand that proudly promotes Asian cuisine on a worldwide scale, establishing himself as a veritable household name. Earlier this year he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Chinese Restaurant News, the media representative for Chinese restaurants across America. Citing close friend and fellow chef Jamie Oliver as a contemporary inspiration, Yan shares that socially conscious efforts—like Oliver’s healthy school lunch project in the UK—are currently at the top of his list. Yan’s own motherland outreach teaches poor Chinese children how to practice proper hygiene and sanitation.
“As a cooking professional, you never stop learning,” says the chef, still humble after all his success. For the sake of Asian food enthusiasts—and the legacy of Yan’s special adobo—let’s hope he never stops teaching, either.
For a sneak peak at Yan’s cooking demo for GE (and a look at some appliances that will inspire you to spend more time in the kitchen), check out the gallery below.
How do you feel about Pinoy food being served as signature dishes in a Chinese restaurant? Are you a Martin Yan fan? Share your thoughts! Leave a comment below or talk it up with other GIRLTalkers on our forum!
(Above photo courtesy of EON. Event photos in gallery by Steph Castillo. Product photos in gallery courtesy of GE. Food photos in gallery courtesy of EON.)
