Modern Filipino Cuisine Highlighted on Bravo's Top Chef

A few weeks ago, the contestants on Top Chef: Seattle entered into Restaurant Wars. The challenge allows each contestant on the Emmy-Award winning reality competition to present their idea for a restaurant. Two winners' concepts are chosen, and with only 48 hours and the help of their teammates, they have to transform an empty space and kitchen into the restaurant in their vision. The challenge is notorious for sending home promising chefs who can't handle leadership roles, or for getting other chefs in trouble when their front-of-house service is less than stellar. But this season we perked up more than usual when chef Sheldon Simeon was selected to execute his "Modern Filipino" menu at restaurant entitled Urbano.

Simeon is a Hawaiian native whose laid-back demeanor has made him a fan favorite all season. Despite his apparent lackadaisical attitude, Simeon turns out to be a confident and smart Executive Chef throughout the episode, delegating tasks calmly and assertively. It's no surprise, either. The young chef has been on the radar of some of the biggest names in the culinary world. In 2011, he received two James Beard Award nominations and won Food & Wine's "Best New Chef People's Choice" award.

As Urbano develops on-screen, we watch Simeon instruct his teammates on the flavor profiles in Filipino cuisine, noting the characteristic sour notes, favorite proteins and the many hearty Pilipino stews. Simeon then takes classic Pilipino dishes and gives them a modern spin, including a play on balut, made of a poached egg and duck confit atop fois gras mousse, and a deconstructed halo-halo, in which he lined up coconut sorbet, avocado mousse, caramelized banana and shaved coconut on a long, thin plate. The menu was inspired by Simeon's ancestry, specifically his grandfather's homestyle Pilipino cooking. As is the trend for many restauranteurs right now, Simeon took the opportunity to showcase his heritage alongside his culinary training and finesse.

The result ended up being a win for Simeon and his team, but it was also exciting to see Pilipino cuisine showcased in this way on such a huge stage. As the judges asked about each dish, it was clear that  they were mostly unfamiliar with Pilipino flavors and dishes, but as they tasted, course-by-course, their oohs and aahs brought the cuisine's appeal and versatility to  the forefront.

Speak & Be Heard: Meet The Judges

A few days ago, we introduced you to last year's Speak & Be Heard winner, Danielle Maglente, in order to give you an idea of the incredible spoken word poetry to expect from our contestants at this year's event. But in addition to the talented competitors, we're thrilled to introduce this year's judges which include Steven Raga (founder of UniPro) and Rosendo Pili (MC known as Mugshot) and Danielle Maglente. Emceeing the night will be Air Tabigue, comedian and emcee from the New York area. Please join us at Jebon Sushi on Februrary 1, 2013 at 7PM for 2013's UniPro Speak & Be Heard competition.

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About the Judges:

Steven Raga was the founding President for UniPro in 2009, and served as Executive Director until 2011. Currently, he is a member of UniPro’s Board of Trustees. As of 2012, Steven is serving as the founding National Chairman for Filipino American Civic Engagement (FACE) [facephilippines.com] and Executive Director for Region 1 of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) [naffaa-r1.org]. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Filipino Children's Fund [fcfinc.org], which works to improve the livelihood of impoverished families in the Philippines.

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“Before and when all else has failed, words are my first and last resort.” As an MC, poet, writer and educator, Mugshot lives by this credo and has dedicated his passion and energy to the written and spoken word. As an avid Queens New York native, his voice has been inspired by the diversity, culture and grit of his borough, as well as by the beauty and struggle of his immigrant upbringing. This is where the means of his perception has taken root, culminating in a mixture of urban angst, a haze of third world toddler-escent memories and the flowery pessimism of a poetic disposition.

Mugshot has rocked stages throughout the US with his crew, Deep Foundation, and has worked on several releases including Deep Foundation’s “The First Draft,” “Generation ILL” & Hydroponikz’s “Grown.” He is currently working on his solo debut project entitled “Punching Clocks” scheduled for release in 2013.

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Air is a Filipino-American comedian, emcee and producer from Long Island, New York. He has performed and emceed numerous events for the Filipino and Asian Community, including the FIND, MAFA, NYC's Asian-Pacific American Heritage Festival, AsianinNY's Moon Festival and Fashion show and the 2011 and 2012 NYC Philippine Independence Day Parades. In 2011, Air was nominated for NYC's "Most Outstanding Filipino-American in Entertainment" for his accomplishments. He is currently performing with Pacific Punchlines: a hilarious group of API comics have banded together to bring standup comedy to school campuses.

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At 21 years old, Danielle Maglente is currently a Senior at Seton Hall University, majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Political Science and Asian Studies. She has been involved in the Filipino Community since she was four years old, singing in local Filipino Independence days, various Performing Arts of the Philippines Inc. (P.A.P.I.) events, Shirt the Kids NJ in 2011, and serving as External PR and President of Seton Hall’s Filipino Club (FLASH). She wants to thank UNIPRO for allowing me to come back and judge this year’s SPEAK and BE HEARD Competition, and wants to wish good luck to all of the competitors!

Speak & Be Heard Spotlight: Danielle Maglente

In anticipation of Friday's Speak & Be Heard spoken word competition, we wanted to give readers an idea of what sort of talent they can expect. Here is the winning piece from last year's competition "Seventeen Once" by Danielle Maglente. Danielle will also be one of our featured judges for the 2013 event on February 1. For more info, see the event flyer at the end of this story.  "Seventeen Once" by Danielle Maglente:

I was “in love” once, And stupid Yeah I thought my definition Of love Was crystal, clear, Lucid

But then I realized all I ever did was give my heart away To anyone that would use it

But he really did love me, I think.

Baby, you threw that fact around As if it wasn’t a delicate feeling Respected and renowned, Like it wasn’t my exposed vulnerability, Tender and profound.

And slowly The me I once knew was nowhere to be found.

Cause with all that time I made myself invest All those sweet quotes And love notes I lost myself Identity theft

Auctioning off This once respected sort of self For that chance of being in love Collecting dust on my shelf To you the highest bidder

Going, once for once I think I’m in love my thoughts dominated by you I can’t get enough going twice with your lips, and your words you entice but your heart just isn’t in it but I let it suffice

Sold, Without a moment to reconsider Our hearts grew founder But our conversations turned bitter

And I know you can go to the grave saying that you never hit her But your harsh words struck me like the heaviest fist The “Fuck You’s” left their marks worse than a dozen bruises

But tell me Why is it that when you left I was left Drowning in desperation

Throwing myself at you for a mere hint of reciprocation Thinking I could have your heart if you had my flesh Forced to succumb to this innate moral mess ,

Yeah I was sick and all I wanted was to convalesce.

But he used to be such a nice guy, I would doggedly protest He would never just use a girl Jus’ to get under her dress.

Not me. (what about those 5 years?) Not me.

I told you I was stupid,

I just wish there was some sort of quick remedy for a heartbreak.

Like, you were some universally accepted- FCC approved obscenity So I could just block and bleep you out of every crevice of my memory mentally erase you phsyically deface you fight that stupid, stupid, need to embrace you

You know, the funny part is, you blow up my phone more..AFTER we break up but I’ve wised up, yeah I put that shit on block

Cuz nobody calls at 4 in the morning “just to talk” I did it cause I missed you And You did it cause you suck Knew that I was waiting And would most likely pick up. ..and that’s just messed up.

Be a man. Being lost isn’t an excuse, babe. Should’ve just told me you gave up.

About Danielle: 21 years old. Currently a Senior at Seton Hall University, majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Political Science and Asian Studies. I have been involved in the Filipino Community since I was four years old, singing in local Filipino Independence days, various Performing Arts of the Philippines Inc. (P.A.P.I. )events, Shirt the Kids NJ in 2011, and serving as External PR and President of Seton Hall’s Filipino Club (FLASH). I want to thank UNIPRO for allowing me to come back and judge this year’s SPEAK and BE HEARD Competition, and I want to wish good luck to all of the competitors!

Postcard from the UniPro Eboard

As January comes to a close, the UniPro Eboard couldn’t be more thrilled with the recent successes of our organization. Since November, we finally obtained 501(c)3 status and we welcomed new Program Directors to our board. We launched our new blog, a fantastic source for personal and thought-provoking pieces about the issues that affect Pilipinos locally and globally. On January 9th, we started a petition as a display of our solidarity with the Fil-Am community in American Canyon, CA. On the 17th, we networked with more than a dozen community figures and organizations at our first Meet & Greet of the year at Max’s of Manila in Jersey City. That was only the beginning. On February 1st, we will be hosting Speak & Be Heard!, a spoken word competition and showcase of the many talented poets in our community. (Let us know if you're interested in competing!) February 25th, the 27th anniversary of the People Power Revolution, is fast approaching - and so is our panel featuring guest speakers who will share stories about their involvement in the Revolution. This anniversary event is the first in a series of three events, all under the umbrella program called State of Filipino American Advocacy (SoFAA), an initiative headed by Kirklyn Escondo, our Director of Community Building.

We have so much more in store, with Lester Bosea, our Director of USAPAN, scheduling USAPAN workshops at various colleges, and more events and publications in the works thanks to Ivan Gonzales, our Director of Public Policy and Foreign Relations. While our Eboard, Program Directors and staff are hard at work putting together all of our engaging and exciting events, much of what UniPro does would not be possible without our interns! UniPro internship positions are currently open for Spring 2013 and college credit is available.

Lastly, save the date for Summit 2013! Our third annual Summit will be on Saturday, June 1st, the day before the annual Philippine Independence Day Parade.

We're looking forward to getting to know you in the coming months, whether you're a prospective intern, an individual curious about the People Power Revolution, a spoken word poet or a member of a fellow community organization!

Behind Closed Doors: Fil-Am Mental Health

Mental health and safety aren’t regularly discussed in our society. Our culture as a whole has stigmatized mental illness, as if it were an infectious disease. In a recent report, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) notes that the US mental health system is far from sufficient. Health services and laws vary across states, further deterring individuals from seeking help. However, in light of recent mass shootings, discussion on mental health in America is becoming more prevalent. But why must it take a tragedy to discuss something so important? The Fil-Am community, which has more easily assimilated into American society in comparison to other Asian communities, rejects the help-seeking mentality. In a study, E.J.R. David says that “cultural mistrust” plays a major role among the Fil-Am community. Mistreatment and oppression throughout Pilipino and Fil-Am history has certainly influenced this mistrust. However, one of the findings was that younger generations are more inclined to seek psychological help, as they don’t have the same concerns as first generation Pilipinos. Those more assimilated and familiar with American culture were more willing to seek help. Furthermore, the study found that those with a higher economic status have more opportunities to seek help.

Like in other Asian communities, loss of face and shame are feared among Pilipinos. As a young Fil-Am, I unknowingly lived with this mentality. I used to be afraid to open up and ask for help when I needed it. Sharing my most difficult struggles wasn't originally part of my personality, nor my identity. For me, admitting that I needed help required a lot of courage and a loving support network. It wasn't until my second year of college that I realized seeking help was even an option. After a referral from one of my advisors, I visited the William & Mary Counseling Center. I was afraid; I felt like I was admitting defeat, and that I wasn't strong enough to face my problems. I eventually realized that I was wrong. I ended up returning to the Counseling Center throughout the rest of my time at William & Mary. I attended meditation sessions, individual therapy, and, in my opinion the most helpful, group therapy. Being able to speak my mind, without fear of judgment or having to follow through with explicit advice, was reinvigorating. I knew I was being heard, and in turn, got as much out of it as I put into it.

After such a positive experience at the Counseling Center, I was proud of my newly-acquired love for seeking help. I found myself encouraging others to also take time out of their day to explore new outlets, be it exercise, lost hobbies, or seeing a therapist. I even got involved with student government and organizations on campus in order to spread mental health awareness.

I only hope that the younger generations can embrace this mentality, and encourage their peers and the larger Fil-Am community to do the same. We can only benefit from confronting Fil-Am mental health. Regardless of cultural expectations, it is important to be selfish when it comes to your personal well-being. Speaking from personal experience, I assure you: there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help.

Photo credit: Counselor.org