Dennis Gaviola

Article (news)

Jeeves De Veyra

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767002708304Tatung With book (1).jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Chef Myke &quot;Tatung&quot; Sarthou with his new book. Jeeves De Veyra</div>Chef Myke &quot;Tatung&quot; Sarthou gift wraps his nostalgic take on the country&#x27;s cuisine with his newest book, &quot;Pinas Simpol: The Love and Lore of Filipino Cooking.&quot;At first glance, the content seems to be a throwback to his very first work, &quot;Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter.&quot; But &quot;Pinas Simpol&quot; showed a more mature Chef Tatung, his writing more eloquent in its brevity. The foreword by James Beard Awardee Nicole Ponseca sets the bar high, and the celebrity chef was able to deliver. The book has recipes of Filipino favorites: some from the menus of his own restaurants, others from his various &quot;Simpol&quot; social media channels.The recipes patterned after Chef Tatung&#x27;s ABC or &quot;Assemble, Build, and Complete&quot; approach to cooking may be a tad basic for some, with steps a bit sparse especially for those who are new to cooking or to Filipino cuisine. But for people who have spent some time in the kitchen, this method encourages them to tweak the recipes to their own taste and preference.I personally think the recipes were but side dishes, with Chef Tatung&#x27;s essays that preface every chapter as the main course. In his introduction, he presents a metaphor grounding his view on Philippine cookery, with the four legs of a table covering roots, resilience, respect, and responsiveness upon which our food is cooked and served on. The essays, spiced up with Chef Tatung&#x27;s cooking and travels through the years, with a sprinkling of memories from cooking with his lola, makes it a fun read. The language is approachable and makes a great gift, especially for foreigner foodie friends with its handy glossary of unfamiliar Filipino terms.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767003340962Excerpt - Table and ABC Cooking 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>An excerpt from Chef Tatung&#x27;s book. Jeeves De Veyra</div>Chef Tatung hinted that &quot;Pinas Simpol&quot; is the first book in a trilogy, with the next two set to be released next year. He remains coy about the connecting thread across the series, but so far, &quot;Pinas Simpol&quot; is a tasty appetizer of what&#x27;s to come.Throughout the book, Chef Tatung talks about the magic of &quot;tantiya&quot; or cooking by feel without the need for measuring or following the steps of a recipe, but still respectful of the soul of a dish. From first boil to final simmer, &quot;Pinas Simpol&quot; is that, in book form. This is Chef Tatung taking the essentials and then spicing them up with stories and memories. It all translates to a balanced meal that&#x27;s worthy of the table and the bookshelf.&quot;Pinas Simpol: The Love and Lore of Filipino Cooking&quot; is available in National Bookstore and at the &quot;Simpol&quot; online stores on Lazada, Shopee, and Tiktok with an SRP of P790.

This is Chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou taking the essentials and then spicing them up with stories and memories. It all translates to a balanced meal that's worthy of the table and the bookshelf.

This is Chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou taking the essentials and then spicing them up with stories and memories. It all translates to a balanced meal that's worthy of the table and the bookshelf.

Book review: Chef Tatung spices up essentials with 'Pinas Simpol'

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Book review: Chef Tatung spices up essentials with 'Pinas Simpol'

Jeeves De Veyra

Published Dec 29, 2025 06:36 PM PHT

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Tatung Sarthou

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