Jerome Jorda, the head chef at Kasa and Kin, a contemporary Filipino restaurant, is set to be honored at the House of Lords after winning third place in the prestigious Asian & Oriental Chef Awards. The competition, held at the University of West London, marked the first time a Filipino restaurant was represented.
Chef Jerome, assisted by sous chef Ralph Pay, impressed the judges with a tropical tuna kinilaw ceviche starter and a main course of Adobo Beef with Gata Coconut Cream Sensation. According to a Luxuriate Life report, his achievement will be celebrated at a special ceremony at the House of Lords on July 4, 2024, hosted by Lord Kamall in collaboration with the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), which organized the event.
The ACF has previously recognized Kasa and Kin as the Best Filipino Restaurant of the Year for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. Contestants for the awards were drawn from thousands of public nominations, with finalists chosen based on their submitted recipes and photos for a proposed two-course meal.
Chef Jerome’s success comes as Kasa and Kin unveils a newly revamped menu, highlighting traditional Filipino dishes like various types of sisig and an extensive selection of ube desserts. The restaurant’s offerings include traditional pork sisig, mushroom sisig, and chicken sisig, as well as unique ube creations like the Ube Rocky Road Sundae and Ube Pound Cake.
The Filipino food movement in the UK has seen significant growth, expanding from just four brick-and-mortar establishments seven years ago to over 70 today. This movement spans fast food counters, full-service upscale restaurants, supper clubs, and pop-up street stalls.
Globally, the most active Filipino food movement is in the USA, which has even featured in the documentary film “Ulam.” Some Filipino chefs in the USA are presenters and contributors to the Food Network. Similar developments are anticipated in the UK, which, outside North America, has one of the largest concentrations of Filipino restaurants, followed closely by Australia.
Filipino chefs have gained recognition in various competitions, including the Million Pound Menu, Jamie Oliver’s Cookbook Challenge, Aldi’s Next Best Thing, and the Asian and Oriental Chef Competition by the Asian Catering Federation.
