On the pass with CJ Jalandoni, Brut’s new head chef
Brut, a neighbourhood gem known for its creative cuisine and distinctive wine pairings, welcomes new head chef Christopher Jaime ‘CJ’ Jalandoni to bring a fresh perspective to their menu.
Hailing from Manila in the Philippines, Jalandoni brings over a decade of hospitality experience to the table. His culinary journey is marked by esteemed stints, including his mentorship under the renowned Alain Ducasse and his role as chef de cuisine at Cultivate. Now at Brut, Jalandoni is set to fuse his Filipino heritage with the intricacies of classic French techniques, promising a menu that not only respects but elevates the essence of Filipino flavours.
In our conversation with Jalandoni, we delve into his plans for the restaurant as he shares personal anecdotes about his professional influences and inspirations outside the kitchen.
Tiger prawn toast
What are your plans at Brut?Brut is known for its creative plates and distinct wine recommendations, and I want my menu to support that reputation whilst also pushing the limits with a small kitchen. My goal is to produce more food that touches upon fine dining without compromising the laid-back, neighbourhood feel of the restaurant. Of course, I’d like to make my mark both as a chef and as a Filipino. Some of the nods to my heritage will be subtle, and some more obvious.
In your own words, how would you describe your cuisine?I would describe my cuisine as limitless. I don’t want to bind myself to a particular cuisine or echelon of cooking. I’ve accumulated numerous experiences and transformed them into dishes. This process will continue with each day that goes by, and this feels like a perfect fit for Brut, which is known for its fun and collaborative approach to wining and dining.
Do you have a favourite dish from Brut’s new menu?The striploin based on Bistek Tagalog. I like how simple the flavours are, but I also like that they can be made complex by introducing some more technically challenging cooking techniques. It’s such a well-balanced dish that it makes you want to keep going and going. The citrus cleans up the garlic, and the flavours continue to rotate as you eat it.
Bistek Tagalog
Who has been the biggest influence on you professionally to date?All of the chefs I’ve worked with have influenced me. For example, my experience with Alain Ducasse allowed me to work with Leticia Rouabah in both Paris at Jules Verne and in New York at Benoit Bistro. She is an absolute badass in the kitchen. She’s committed to respecting ingredients and staying true to their flavours. As per Alain Ducasse’s teaching, Leticia taught me to always make sure that one ingredient is the star of the dish.
In Macau, I had the pleasure of working with Nico Olivas, who expanded my knowledge of Italian cuisine, especially pasta making. Up until then, I had focused on classic French cooking and branches of it such as British and Belgian.
Which movie do you think every chef should watch?The 2015 movie Burnt is an excellent chef movie that accurately highlights the stress levels of the chef in a Michelin-starred kitchen. The constant push to achieve what they want really resonated with me. Of course, it’s over-dramatised, but it reminds me of my time in Paris.
Which chef would you most like to cook with—dead or alive?I’d choose either Eric Ripert or Josh Niland—two chefs known for their extremely skilful seafood preparation.
Eric Ripert runs the kitchen at three Michelin-star Le Bernardin, and his execution of simple fish dishes is close to Alain Ducasse’s approach of having a star ingredient. It’s just the fish, the sauce and a garnish. Voila!
Josh Niland is an Australian chef, and he’s been putting out new fish-handling techniques which have changed the game. He’s big on curing and dry ageing; treating fish like meat. It’s amazing to see and is something I intend to tap into to expand my cooking.
Hamachi kilawin carpaccio
What is the one ingredient you can’t live without?Vinegar. In the Philippines, we cook with a lot of types of vinegar, like coconut or cane vinegar. A little acid goes a long way to elevating a dish’s properties and flavours.
What is the best restaurant you have ever eaten at?This is an impossible question for me to answer. For me, it’s not just about the food, but the people you are with that make the meal more memorable. Recently, I had dinner with my girlfriend at Roganic, and it was fantastic. I enjoyed it the first time I went, but with her, it was even better.
What is your favourite food city or foodie travel destination?New York. Being in New York for a year, it felt like there was an endless supply of restaurants and cuisines to try as well as their fantastic food fairs. From Ethiopian to Chinese—you can eat everything in New York.
It’s your last meal—what’s on the menu? The Hamachi carpaccio at Brut. This might seem like self-marketing but I’m so proud of this dish based on a Filipino ceviche.
Otherwise, chicken inasal, which is a marinated grilled chicken with java rice. A staple in my province. The next course would be a nice simple ribeye with a bearnaise sauce. For dessert, anything chocolate. Alain Ducaisse’s Louis XV is my favourite and is one of the first desserts I was taught to prepare at school. It’s a simple-looking layered mousse cake, but the execution takes tremendous skill. The dacquois, praline feuilletine chocolate mousse and dark chocolate glaze come together to create dessert perfection.
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