For those who don’t know, this is Sheldon Simeon — Top Chef Season 14 cheftestant who was probably every viewer’s favorite contestant this past season. No, not “probably,” definitely — he won Fan Favorite after all.
Aside from his amazing relationship with his wife, what we love about Simeon is how he really put Filipino food on the map. Nearly every dish this past season was influenced by his upbringing in Hawaii and his Filipino roots. As a Filipina myself, it was refreshing to finally see the dishes my mother made on a widely watched television show. It was truly an amazing season for Asian-American representation!
Lucky for us, we had the chance to talk to Simeon one more time (because our eliminee Q&A just couldn’t be the last).
“Growing up, my house was always the ‘gathering spot’ and that includes any type of family celebration, chilling during the holidays or Sunday barbecues,” he said. “Any excuse to come together and cook up some grub and enjoy each other’s company, it would usually be at our house. Having all these get-togethers meant that we always had a well-stocked pantry.”
So what’s in this pantry? Here’s what will you always find in his and any Filipino’s kitchen.
Fish sauce
For your veggie dishes to replace salt.
Calamansi
Squirt it on your pancit or halve them and throw ’em in a glass of water.
Vinegar
For your pork rinds and adobo, bro.
Soy sauce
Soy sauce: for literally everything.
Bagoong
Again, to make your bowl of veggies more interesting. But be warned: It smells pretty rank.
Mang Tomas
Put it on all the things.
Tamarind soup mix
Another source of spice to liven up your dishes (mostly fish) — to give it a sour taste.
Annatto seed
It’s like a coloring agent — for instance, if you wanted to give your noodles an orange hue.
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