Angelie Cuajotor inspired to re-envision Filipino cuisine
When Angelie Cuajotor (Culinary Arts ’23) learned of a possible trip to the Philippines as part of her education at NAIT, she couldn’t pass it up. Visiting the Southeast Asian nation would mean more than just reconnecting with her birthplace – it would be a fact-finding mission.
“It was time to go back and see what the culinary world is in the Philippines,” says the 22-year-old chef. “I thought it would broaden my perspective of what Filipino cuisine is.”
She also thought it may broaden her perspective on what she could one day make of the cuisine.
Before moving to Canada in 2016, Cuajotor grew up on homey dishes typical of the Philippines, her culinary memories a cookbook comprising savoury adobo (meats marinated in vinegar and spices), sweet ube (a yam-like root vegetable) and lots of rice.
What’s more, Cuajotor’s grandmother, whom she lived with while her parents worked abroad, ran a streetside restaurant frequented by drivers of tricycle taxis and colourful jeepneys. She also catered for their church.
“Every big event, she would drag me along with her at 4 a.m. and would start cooking,” recalls Cuajotor with a laugh.
But that early exposure made a mark on the granddaughter’s aspirations. Cuajotor went on to study cooking in grade school, and even placed in competitions – once for an adobo unconventionally accented with bell peppers. As she explains in the application essay that landed her a spot on the trip, her interest in updating traditional dishes only grew keener during her time at NAIT.
“I am eager to leverage the knowledge I acquired in school to introduce modern culinary techniques,” wrote Cuajotor, “adding complexity and artistry to every dish while maintaining the authenticity of Filipino flavours.”
Learn more about the NAIT international culinary exchange
Comfort food reimagined
NAIT’s culinary exchange dates back more than 20 years, started by former program chair Vinod Varshney. In addition to the Philippines, exchanges happen with institutes in Italy and Portugal, with a French program in the works. Six students travel with two or three instructors for immersive experiences in working kitchens.
The 2024 trip saw them installed at the Seda hotel in a bustling financial district in metro Manila. Cuajotor spent two weeks working on breads, chocolate and pastries in the kitchen’s bakery.
But not all of the learning happened at Seda. In off hours, Cuajotor explored the local contemporary culinary scene, which she sees as changing.
In large part, she says, the food on offer in the Philippines has long been a patchwork of neighbouring influences. Korean, Japanese and Chinese restaurants, for example, have tended to draw the spotlight away from traditional local dishes. But recently, Cuajotor discovered a reimagining of comfort food at establishments such as Manam, a revered restaurant in Manila.
“They’re turning home-cooked meals into fusion,” she says. “They’re doing their own twists.”
The refreshed flavours revealed something about the food of her youth and heritage. “I think we’ve gotten better at being more proud of it,” says Cuajotor. “We’re more confident in putting it out there.”
The right time for innovation
Cuajotor has grown more confident too, thanks in part to the skills she learned at NAIT. She’s continuing to develop those as a staff member at the campus’s Artisanal Food Market, where she helps prep culinary student output for grab-and-go meals. She’s also been experimenting with recipes of her own.
“Now I can use ingredients from Filipino food and make [dishes of] the same quality as l learned at school,” says Cuajotor. As she also wrote in her essay, “Ultimately, my goal is to pave the way for the global embrace of Filipino flavours and heritage.”
Diners may be ready, now more than ever, for the fine-dining venture she envisions. For one thing, Edmonton is home to a large community that already shares Cuajotor’s familiarity with the cuisine. Among minorities counted among city residents in the 2021 census, those reporting Filipino ancestry ranked fourth among “visible minorities,” accounting for more than 70,500 people. That’s not to say that Cuajotor sees any cause for exclusivity.
“I think people are more open to trying things nowadays,” she says.
And Cook chair Paul Campbell (Cook ’97) thinks Cuajotor has what it takes to convince them to sit down to a creative, innovative plate of adobo.
“Plain and simple, Angelie has the drive,” says Campbell, who also notes her strength as a student. In addition, he sees encouraging trends in the local market. “I believe that, over the past few years with the emergence of Filipino food in Edmonton, take Jollibee as an example, the timing may be right for an elevated experience.”
The trip has moved Cuajotor closer to a similar conclusion. “There’s a lot of learning to be done on my end but I think it’s doable.”
Back in the Philippines, her grandmother may agree. On the inside of one of Cuajotor’s forearms is a tattoo, about 15 centimetres long, of a chef’s knife. When they were last together, her grandmother reached out to touch it. She wasn’t entirely approving, but her pride was obvious.
“She was like, ‘Ah, so you’re really a chef now,’” says Cuajotor. “I think she always knew that I belong in this kind of work.”