Chef Frances Tariga has embarked on a remarkable journey of embracing her dedication to Filipino cuisine and honoring her heritage. As a proud Filipino and talented chef, she now aims to bridge the gap between Filipino flavors and the palates of the mainstream American audience. With a strong determination to empower women and introduce the cuisine of her homeland to a wider market, Chef Frances hopes to make a difference and inspire others along the way.
After spending some time in the corporate world, Chef Frances is now at the helm of the recently opened Trust Bae, ready to make a comeback in the culinary scene. One of the cornerstones of her vision is empowering women in the culinary industry. Having faced her own share of challenges as a female chef, she understands the importance of creating opportunities and fostering an inclusive environment.
“I want to be a bridge to the American palate so they can taste the Filipino influences in my food,” Chef Frances expressed.
At the newly-opened Trust Bae, she has assembled an all-female leadership team, with her partner Erica London and renowned chef Rachael Ray lending their expertise and support. The new restaurant offers an intimate and timed counter-style dining experience, offering a delectable 16-course tasting menu priced at $150. Seating just eight guests at its intimate counter, the restaurant ensures a captivating and memorable culinary experience.
Through her work, she intends to overcome the barriers of a male-dominated industry and pave the way for future generations.
Chef Frances’s passion for elevating Filipino cuisine is apparent. She firmly believes that Filipino food has so much to offer and deserves a prominent place on the global culinary stage. However, she is also aware that introducing unfamiliar cuisines to people can be a challenge.
Drawing from her experiences as a female chef, she understands the importance of creating opportunities and fostering inclusivity. “I intend to change the narrative and pave the way for future generations,” Chef Frances shared, acknowledging the limited representation of female omakase chefs in a predominantly male-dominated industry.
To overcome this hurdle, Chef Frances has meticulously developed a menu that artfully blends traditional Filipino flavors with modern twists. The result is a cohesive and progressive 16-course degustation at Trust Bae, which serves as a gateway to the rich and diverse flavors of Filipino cuisine.
Creating the menu
The carefully curated tasting menu showcases a symphony of tastes, ranging from kaiseki, nigiri, to robata-style dishes. Each course highlights the delicate balance between bold Filipino spices, exquisite textures, and meticulous presentation. Her technical expertise shines through in every dish, starting with the impressive Kinilaw Pod—a statement of her culinary prowess, achieved after countless attempts to create the perfect encapsulation of kinilaw.
Chef Frances’s creative approach extends to reimagining Filipino classics. For instance, she elevates the binalot-style cooking in the Philippines with a savory suman enhanced by coconut cream and paksiw foam. With her innovative twist, she aims to bridge the gap between Filipino flavors and the American palate, showcasing the diversity and influences of Filipino cuisine.
“It is hard for some Filipino dishes to look elevated because we mostly eat them family-style. How can we elevate the paksiw flavor for example? I aerated it,” she shared. “Filipino food is ugly delicious and I want to be a bridge to the American palate so they can taste the Filipino influences in my food.”
The menu showcased a range of flavors – from a slow-braised oxtail lumpia served with truffle cream and punched radish to a tangy sinigang soup that cleanses the palate. The sinigang dish, which uses bonito broth with tamarind as a souring agent, marks the transition to the nigiri portion of the tasting menu.
The next dishes showcase a little bit of Chef Frances’s culinary journey. She included some Middle Eastern influences like labneh and dried black lime and some adobo sauce, another nod to her Filipino roots.
The third act is a pair of robata-style dishes. The first one is kampachi, served with yuzu, miso, and pickled daikon noodles and the second one is Miyazaki A5 wagyu served with wasabi salad and truffle eel sauce.
To wrap up the entire experience, the chef seamlessly melds Filipino and Japanese with her ube mochi which she creates on the spot, using their homemade halaya jam encased in a chewy espasol-like outer layer.
Chef Frances is immensely proud of this menu that she has created and as she develops more, she knows it is best to stick to what she knows will work.
Her intimate knowledge of New York City’s culinary landscape, gained through her previous work experiences in esteemed restaurants such as Buddakan, Catch, Megu, and Wayfarer, has honed her skills as a chef and shaped her understanding of what works in the vibrant food scene.
From Top Chef to Morimoto’s Sushi Master
While Chef Frances recognizes the importance of trendy and Instagrammable presentation, she firmly believes that taste is paramount. Drawing from her experience in New York City’s culinary landscape, she asserts that her previous work in renowned restaurants and her stint on the show Top Chef has taught her valuable lessons.
“Everything should be seasoned well, and don’t serve it if it’s not good,” she emphasized, highlighting the importance of confidence in one’s craft and the ability to execute flawlessly.
Chef Frances’s culinary journey recently reached new heights as she showcased her skills on the groundbreaking show, Morimoto’s Sushi Master, hosted by the renowned Japanese chef and restaurateur Masaharu Morimoto.
Her participation in the show allowed her to represent the Filipino community and advocate for the elevation of Filipino cuisine on a global platform. Drawing from her experience in Japanese cuisine and her passion for Filipino flavors, Chef Frances demonstrated the best of both worlds.
The show, which is the first-ever cooking competition series focused on the art of sushi-making begins streaming on Roku on June 16.
“I have Japanese experience but I’m not [Japanese]. But I’m pretty sure when you guys watch the show the Filipinos are gonna love it because I think I represented Filipinos very well on the show,” she revealed.
Throughout her two-decade-long career, Chef Frances’s unwavering determination, creativity, and hard work have paved the way for her success. Her mission to elevate Filipino cuisine while keeping it authentic is evident in every dish she creates. By challenging stereotypes and pushing boundaries, she showcases the elegance and sophistication of Filipino cuisine, proving that it can be as enticing and remarkable as any other cuisine.
As Trust Bae continues to captivate diners with its artful fusion of flavors, Chef Frances Tariga stands as a trailblazer, transforming Filipino cuisine into an elegant and sophisticated culinary experience. Her unwavering determination, creativity, and hard work serve as an inspiration to others, reminding us of the power of food to empower, celebrate, and unite people. Through each dish she creates, Chef Frances invites us to savor the diverse and vibrant world of Filipino cuisine, encouraging us to appreciate its elegance and sophistication. n
