Elevating Filipino Chinese Cuisine with Chef Carl Dy
There’s more meaning in cooking when you embrace your heritage and showcase your culture through your dishes. This rings true for Chef Carl Dy (李金吉), one of the Maverick Academy contestants, who found a deep appreciation for his Filipino-Chinese roots while pursuing a career in culinary arts.
By sticking to his roots, he became a pioneer in progressive Filipino-Chinese-style cooking that elevates Chinoy cuisine on the global stage. His goal to put the Philippines on the culinary map makes him a “Chinese by Blood, Filipino by Heart” by embracing his roots while giving back to our country.
So, as one of the forefronts of Chinoy culinary arts, Chef Carl is here to advocate for our culture through his dishes. CHiNOY TV then invited him for an interview to learn about his journey to becoming a chef who brings pride to our community.
Journey to Becoming a Chef
Chef Carl’s upbringing contributed to his passion for cooking. This childhood experience grew into his enthusiasm for making dishes, which led him to become a professional chef.
He shared, “My Ah-ma (grandmother) inspired me to cook and maybe all the cooking TV shows that I’ve watched when I was growing up like Iron Chef, Masterchef. Ako ‘yung bata na mas pinipili panoorin ‘yung Asian Food Channel kaysa sa Cartoon Network dati.”
(I was a child who preferred to watch Asian Food Channel rather than Cartoon Network before.)
The nostalgia of cooking with his grandmother motivated Chef CJ to improve his culinary knowledge, inspiring him to pursue culinary arts in college. In a previous interview with CHiNOY TV, he also shared that he promised his father that he would excel in his studies to sustain the financial needs of his college education.
Fortunately, Chef Carl had a supportive family, recalling, “I believe we are progressive na. Hindi na traditional mag-isip. So I guess, I was lucky enough to live in this generation na mas understandable na ‘yung mga tao lalo na ‘yung mga Chinese parents. I am a confident person, so any negative perception ng mga tao towards sa mga chef. I just ignore them.”
(I believe we are already progressive. So, I was lucky enough to live with a more understanding generation, especially Chinese parents. I am a confident person, so I just ignore any negative perception towards chefs.)
After graduating college, Chef Carl continued improving his cooking skills by working in a well-known hotel in the Philippines. He then moved to Singapore to practice his profession further.
Chef CJ indeed learned many valuable lessons throughout his professional career. He recalled, “I have had a lot of good experiences throughout my journey as a chef, but the not-so-good experience did teach me a lot of lessons. It’s the bad experience that made me the person I am today. I am now more cautious about not making the same mistakes. But to do better.”
Chef CJ’s upbringing and professional experiences have honed him into who he is now. His life experience also prepared him to become a competitive chef on the global stage, leading him to be one of the Maverick Academy contestants.
On Joining Maverick Academy
Representing the Philippines, Chef CJ indeed made our country proud. But more than that, he represented the Chinoy community with genuine advocacy to promote our cuisine and culture. Joining Maverick Academy, one of the competitive cooking shows on Netflix, allowed him to showcase a “progressive Filipino-Chinese cuisine.”
He shared, “Besides showing the world my cuisine, the Progressive Fil-Chi Cuisine, I want to make Michelin people aware that the Philippines is ready. We deserve to have Michelin-starred restaurants in the country.”
Wanting to showcase Chinese influence in Filipino cuisine, Chef CJ prepared more than 20 Filipino-Chinese recipes before flying to Thailand to participate in the show. He also shared the audition process and how he was chosen.
He revealed, “They have a long list of questionnaires for me to answer. And I was just being quirky and funny when answering those questions. Basically, I was just showing my real self. Then, after a few days, I got an email for a Zoom interview with the casting director.”
“Then maybe they felt my passion and my authenticity in the interview. Then, after a week, I was cast. After that, I’m super happy, and at the same time, I feel like I’m joining Miss Universe.”
To win the competition, Chef CJ also brought the lessons he learned from his work experience and his parents. He added, “Oo naman, (Of course). 13 years of being in the industry. I know how to collaborate. To listen. To compromise. and know when to speak.” Chef CJ also remembered the lessons from his parents about embodying the values of “eh-hiaw tswe lang” in all things.
It means learning how to work with different people through mutual respect and building professional connections. Through these lessons, Chef CJ felt more self-reliant and confident in overcoming the challenges in the show.
Finally, Chef CJ also shared that he is willing to participate in competitive cooking shows again to represent the Philippines, but this time, he will ensure that there are more individual challenges to highlight Chinoy cuisine.
Highlighting Chinoy Cuisine
Chef CJ’s journey doesn’t end after joining Maverick Academy. He is still on a mission to highlight Filipino Chinese cuisine as a vessel and instrument for young cooks to showcase the diversity of our food and culture.
He also shared that Chinese elements in Filipino cuisine deserve to be in the spotlight and have the potential to be prominent on the food map. With this in mind, Chef CJ hopes to open the first Michelin-star Filipino-Chinese restaurant.
He is optimistic, saying, “Yes, and I’m open to Chinoy investors believing in me. To believe in my concept. Lastly, I believe in “Progressive Filipino-Chinese Cuisine.”
I also asked: “What cuisine would you like to share if you opened a Michelin-star restaurant?”
Chef CJ then shared, “Something I grew up with in Filipino-Chinese upbringing. To give you an idea, I grew up eating Ma-chang (rice dumplings) with banana ketchup. So, to make it progressive and elevated. I will make a Ma-chang Paella with Banana Salsa.”
He is also excited and confident about sharing his future dishes because the Philippines has the most unique regional ingredients and an abundance of natural food resources.
As a culinary expert, Chef CJ revealed that the only thing we need to change is how we market our food to be more globally present. He confidently said, “Why would you change something that is already good? Do you know what has to be changed? The perspective of people towards Filipino foods.”
Chef CJ is set to bring positive changes to the culinary landscape not only in the Chinoy community but also throughout the country. He added, “We are just more than adobo (a soy sauce-based meat stew). We have to showcase to people that the Philippines has many versions of adobo and depends on the region.”
Chef CJ brings us a bright future for Chinoy cuisine. He indeed showcases our culture through culinary, which is worth showing to the world.
Showcasing Culture Through Culinary
Chef CJ is a person who young Chinoys can look up to, especially those who want to pursue a career in the culinary. He wants to share the valuable lessons of staying true to your roots to be authentic and meaningful.
He advised, “Pursuing culinary arts requires courage, resilience, and passion. Embrace your heritage, innovate traditions, and share your unique perspective. But most importantly, be authentic.
Chef CJ also learned the importance of respecting your roots. He shared that staying true to your heritage can help you innovate that reflects your true self. He also shared the importance of connecting with other Chinoy chefs to strengthen the community.
To catch more of Chef CJ’s dishes, watch Maverick Academy on Netflix and see how he proudly represented the Chinoy community.
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