inthekitchen
pop
artists
Winnipeg Chefs showcase Filipino
cuisine in contemporary culinary works
of art at pop-up dinner events.
By Teena Legris
A transformation has taken place. Hours after the close of regular
service, a restaurant space is awash in dim, moody lighting, the air
buzzing with anticipation. Eager diners who marked their calendars
weeks in advance fi nd seats at communal tables. Behind the scenes,
a team of distinguished chefs are feverishly putting the fi nishing
touches on tonight’s masterpiece, a foray into contemporary Filipino
cuisine. This is the art of the pop-up.
Part food experience and part exclusive social event, pop-up
dinners bring fi ne dining to a temporary location. For young upstart
chefs, this model offers a practical way to build a culinary business
without capital expense of a permanent venue. But to plan an
elaborate event at a lightning pace - diners often get less than two
months’ notice via social media platforms - a chefs’ talents must go
beyond the kitchen. Precision and effi ciency must match culinary
expertise as they scout venues, stage the scene, build high end multi-
course menus, and adapt to unpredictability.
This unconventional approach has been the key to kickstarting a
Filipino food movement for chefs Allan Pineda and Jeremy Senaris.
For Allan, a self-professed incubator of new ideas and ventures, a
love of world cultures and a desire to support culinary colleagues,
spurred action beyond the traditional restaurant format. After 20
years of refi ning his craft in various kitchens —The Mitchell Block,
Merchant Kitchen, and In Ferno’s, as well as his own ventures,
Kimch’i Cafe and the Baon Bistro Food Truck and Catering
Service — Allan and his wife Amanda developed their fi rst pop-up
dinner series Baon Manila Nights in 2015 to market Filipino food
to the masses. The series gained a quick following that prompted
additional monthly dinners and multiple culinary projects. The
focus on Filipino fare meant giving others like him the opportunity
8
ciao! / feb/mar / two thousand eighteen