At first glance, the menu at Calgary’s Streetside Grill & Café seems to hinge on more Western-style and European cuisines. Dive a little deeper, however, and you’ll find a handful of shining Filipino gems. Thanks to the global experiences of Chef Marlon, guests enjoy a global experience.
“What influences my cooking is the availability of ingredients in the market to create my own fusion dish out of the traditional dishes including the Filipino dishes,” he explains.
When he cooks, his mother is his source of inspiration, and it brings back childhood memories of helping his mother cook and feed the farmers working in the family’s rice fields. “I will never forget the joy and satisfaction on the farmer's faces every time they get a taste of my mother's cooking.”
At Streetside, Chef Marlon’s go-to is his version of Tapsilog, a popular breakfast dish from the Philippines consisting of tapa (beef), sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (fried egg). “It reminds me of where my roots come from,” he adds.
Keeping your workplace clean as you cook is a must, says Chef Marlon, and when cooking any Filipino dish, don’t forget the soy sauce, brown sugar, and Philippine lime. And, perhaps most importantly, he adds: “You have to sing while cooking Filipino foods for it to become authentic!”