Kenneth Envidia is a participating chef for KULTURA's 2013 Kain Kalye Competition and he is preparing Green mango & pickled chayote fresh roll, served with bagoong dip.
Ken is a student at GBC for Culinary Arts. Something that you probably would not know about him is that he is into KRUMP dance. Ken has also featured at the DEPANNEUR for their Pop-Up Dinner Series. Kenneth Envidia will be digging into his culinary roots for a modern twist on traditional Filipino flavours. Keep reading to know more !
Interview by Manuel Luis Veneracion
What are some similarities between working the line/cooking for a lot of people and dancing?
Some similarities are that everything you do has to be on point. Every movement you do means something to you. When it comes to food everything I put out would probably relate to something I've ever experienced or have done. Same with dancing every jab I throw stomp chest pop and groove means something to me. Cooking for a large group of people allows me to share and show people things I've done and been through and most importantly share my talents that God has blessed me with.
What was the first Filipino dish you cooked on your own?
First Filipino dish I ever cooked would probably be pork adobo unless you would count spam and egg with rice (haha).
Do you see a lot of Filipinos taking up cooking as career and going into culinary school they way they have in the past with nursing? What makes Filipinos useful in a professional kitchen?
Yeah I do see a lot of Filipinos going to school for cooking now. The public eye has never really experienced Filipino food the way we do. I feel we are important because of our flavour profiles and culture we grew up in.
Tell us about KADYOS and how it's used in Ilonggo cuisine.
Kadios is a dish my parents grew up eating as kids in Igbaras. You can use pork, beef and/or fish. It consists of black beans, jack fruit, onions, and tomato. The possibilities are endless. Generally they would use pork because it was a break from eating all that fish. It's a bomb meal with rice.