Who’s Who in Who’s Cooking?
In the culinary and artistic collaboration of Who’s Cooking? Artistic Appetites, we meet a mix of chefs and artists changing the game in their respective fields
by Mika Reyes
Photos by The Blue Leaf
January 15, 2024
Who's Cooking: Artistic Appetites transformed the ordinary act of dining into a vibrant, multisensory experience. The event, held at The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion, showcased the harmonious marriage of food and art, bringing together renowned caterers and talented artists to create a feast for the senses. There was a collaboration of knitters, sculptors, muralists, and various artists, inspiring caterers to craft dishes that went beyond the ordinary, offering attendees an exceptional blend of flavors and creativity.
Artistic Appetites brought together seven artists and caterers in a creative pairing process during the Meet and Greet last December 2023. They soon mingled together during the Kitchen Lab where they shared their journeys, inspirations, and the meticulous process of crafting their signature dishes.
The culinary and artistic event followed the phenomenal success of Who’s Cooking in August 2019, which was a collaboration of 11 partner caterers and 11 renowned chefs. For its 2nd installment, it merged the culinary expertise of celebrated caterers and the artistry from a diverse lineup of visual artists to create a custom-made menu.
The third event is the culmination event on January 14, 2024, at The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion. This is where both caterers and artists finally showcase the fusion of their culinary and artistic elements to create a next-level experience for 500 guests. Know more about the collaborators whether in the world of gastronomy or in art by checking out who’s who in this year’s Who’s Cooking?
K by Cunanan
Caterer
K by Cunanan is a contemporary catering brand in Manila, known for combining understated, tasteful decor together with heartwarming dishes spun with new flavors. Crafting gatherings out of a craving, a personality, an imagination, and a vision, K by Cunanan is always an affair of food, experience, and service—a trifecta.
K by Cunanan’s Paksiw sa Gata
Anina Rubio
Multidisciplinary Artist
Anina Rubio is a multidisciplinary Filipina visual artist with a passion for sustainability and environmental conservation. Her dedication to sustainability is reflected in her designs, which often incorporate watercolor flora and fauna, recycled and upcycled materials. Apart from designs and murals, she is also a Visual Arts instructor for young students and has hosted workshops on painting and calligraphy, as well as guided breathing sessions for both private and corporate clients.
Hizon’s Catering
Caterer
Hizon’s Catering is a food service company specializing in event catering and food service management. Since its establishment in 1987, its guiding philosophy has been to consistently provide its clients with quality food at competitive prices, as well as to provide a service that is efficient, friendly, and courteous.
Hizon’s Catering’s Chicken Galantine with pickled vegetable, onion petals, purple kamote, charred onion and whiskey jus
Anna Bautista
Contemporary Visual Artist
Anna Bautista is a visual artist based in Manila known for her vibrant and contemporary vision in traditional painting. Her work is marked by lyrical brushstrokes, with vibrant hues and cleverly subtle references to popular culture, making each piece a time capsule simultaneously fraught with nostalgia and dynamism.
Tijoe (Tjioe The Caterer, Inc.)
Caterer
Tjioe The Caterer, Inc. has been an established catering company in Metro Manila for over three decades. It started its humble beginning as a hole-in-the-wall restaurant at the heart of Manila’s Chinatown called Quik Snack, which paved the way for an opportunity to venture into the catering business in the late '80s.
Tijoe’s Pork Mushroom Pumpkin Cushion
Candy Reyes-Alipio
Knitter
Candy Reyes-Alipio is a visionary artist and entrepreneur known for her nonconformist spirit and diverse artistic pursuits. Beyond her personal creative pursuits, Candy dedicates her efforts to making a meaningful impact on the world through a social enterprise called Knitting Expedition, empowering the women of Banaue Rice Terraces.
Juan Carlo
Caterer
Juan Carlo was established in November 1995, with a heritage beginning in the early 1970s. With a legacy of treasured recipes passed down through generations, Juan Carlo the Caterer has become a consistent choice for the creme de la creme of society.
Juan Carlo’s Baked Hokkaido Scallop in Pastis Prado Wine with Paprika Cream Sauce
Chico Cristobal
Abstract Artist
Chico Cristobal fuses his work of nature and the universe with a vintage-retro aesthetic, exploring the elements of art—lines, shapes, space, colors—and the aesthetics of the common and the ordinary. His art communicates ideas, emotions, and purposes through non-objective abstract painting.
Passion Cooks
Caterer
Passion Cooks is led by Head Chef Laura Martinez, whose passion for cooking and perfecting her creations radiates from her deep love for God, family, and the people around her. From a mother and daughter tandem, the business has grown to a strong team delivering seamless events.
Passion Cook’s Laing Tempura
Kara Pangilinan
Muralist
Kara Pangilinan captures human emotions through intricate lines and patterns. Describing her art style as "Elaborate Expressionism," she adds excessive detail to scenes and subjects, creating pieces marked by lyrical brushstrokes, often rotating between flora, fauna, and female figures.
Bizu
Caterer
Bizu Catering Studio is an offshoot of the Bistro or Café concept, known for delivering gourmet fare, delectable pastries, professional service, and tasteful styling to every momentous celebration. The brand carries powerful evocations of warmth and pleasantries with its philosophy of Joie de Vivre.
Maan Simbajon
Tattoo Artist
Maan Simbajon, a graduate of the prestigious Philippine High School for the Arts and University of the Philippines Diliman College of Fine Arts, is a true artisan in the realm of tattooing. Her expertise includes Line-works, Black and Grey Illustration, and Minimalist tattoos.
Moment Catering
Caterer
Moment Catering, founded by Abba Napa, Eliza Antonino, and Jon Syjuco, is one of the industry’s most prolific F&B companies. With a current portfolio of 14 food brands and 57 restaurants in and outside Metro Manila, Moment Catering serves Filipino, Western, Japanese, and Euro-Mediterranean cuisines.
Moment Catering’s Shinjuku
Mateo Cacnio
Sculptor
Mateo Cacnio, also known as Teo, is a visual artist from Quezon City specializing in sculpture. With a focus on metal, particularly aluminum, Teo weaves artistic theories of representation and materiality into his creations, exploring the nature of the world around him and deconstructing it in a fluid-like manner.
