Chef Aaron Isip, just like his fellow chefs who bid for a place in the 2027 Michelin Guide list, is just happy to retain Kasa Palma’s one-star ranking.
The French-trained chef known for woodfire cooking spoke to reporters at the end of the unveiling that took place in Marriott Manila on Thursday, October 29.
‘Very happy, very relieved and very thankful,’ the chef said with a smile.
He added, ‘No, no, no, no pressure, and we just want to keep, staying in one. I’m not going for two or three [stars]. I’m really happy with one.’
The chef reassured the reporters, anticipating the question of whether he was pressured for his Poblacion restaurant’s standing in next year’s list.
The Le Cordon Bleu Paris-educted chef helms Kasa Palma, which Michelin describes as a ‘tranquil oasis’ located in Makati’s most vibrant place.
‘Local ingredients go into expressive, refined dishes. Order a tasting menu and dine on the breezy terrace or sit at the counter and enjoy à la carte creativity and a front-row seat to the action in the open kitchen,’ Michelin wrote about Kasa Palma.
Last year’s recognition paid off for Chef Aaron and his team because Kasa Palma was fully booked for months, a scenario that many chefs from Michelin-rated restaurants observed.
Chef Aaron would be the first to say hard work pays off, but he underscores another important advice for aspiring chefs working to have their work noticed.
‘Don’t copy, keep to your style, stay with your style and try to create your own style, you know, that’s how you get recognition because your soul comes out when you do something that you love,’ the chef said.