Chef takes family restaurant beyond the plate

The Manila Times

Chef takes family restaurant beyond the plate  Chef Gerick Manalo stands out as a rising star with a story as rich as his creations. Born and raised in Santiago, Isabela, Gerick grew up immersed in the love and dedication that his parents, Doc Gerry and Grace Manalo, poured into Genero’s Grill—a cherished family restaurant that has been serving its community for over 20 years. It was within this kitchen of memories and flavors that Gerick’s passion for food was born. Gerick pursued his culinary education at the College of Saint Benilde, mastering the art of gastronomy. His hard work and talent soon gained recognition beyond the plate, leading him to endorse some of the most prominent brands in the industry—a testament to his growing influence and undeniable charm. Now, Chef Gerick Manalo is not just crafting unforgettable dishes, he is inspiring a generation of food lovers and proving that a dream nurtured with passion and purpose can reach remarkable heights.  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net   Subscribe to Business Franchise Guru: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessFranchiseGuru   Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters  Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #philippines #entrepreneur

Transcript

00:00Hey, good morning, good afternoon to everyone.

01:59hotel restaurant and institution management, major in culinary arts. During that time,

02:05that was 15 years ago. I'm going to reveal my age, sir Butch. That was 15 years ago.

02:15I graduated in college in 2014. And then immediately, I told my mom that I wanted to

02:24try to work first because at least I know how I will measure my skills after school.

02:36So, I worked in Sofitel in the hotel. I think it's closed now.

02:45And after that, I went home to the province because I promised my mom

02:55somehow to help her with the business as well.

03:07So, she needed all the help that I can give at least for the menu itself.

03:14And then after that,

03:15I wanted to study in New York. So, it was a short period of time just at least to gain

03:35experience about food, about food art. And then after that, my pathway was to have

03:50my own restaurant. But then, there's this game show in GMA7. It's a reality game show. So,

03:59we were casted. I was casted there. And then there's a jackpot prize. I got it.

04:14So, I got all the attention from the producers, from all their viewers, their audiences.

04:29Morning show, that's unang hirit. I think they're still active now. Yeah. So, this was 2019-ish

04:40or 2018 pa rin siya. And then from there, I got a little spotlight. Kinuha na rin ako on a regular

04:50basis. Tapos, syempre if you're seen, your presence is seen in the TV or online,

04:59you will attract brands na din. So, some of the brands that I worked before,

05:07it was because of my exposure from the TV show. So, from there, tuloy-tuloy na. But I made sure,

05:18I still carry all the experiences as a chef. And then until one time, na-invite na ako to

05:27do a parang talk or a sit-down interview for the hospitality and food and beverage

05:35students in Camarines World. Tapos yun na. Tapos I posted it. Tapos tuloy-tuloy na siya.

05:40And it's really nice to give inspiration din talaga sa mga aspiring foodies, enthusiasts,

05:47and chefs like me before because I've been there also. Ayun. So, hanggang ngayon,

05:53since present day, I'm a brand ambassador of really good brands. Mga food brands,

06:00mga lifestyle brands, lahat. Like what brands are these? You're okay to mention?

06:05Yeah, sure. Pwede po. Currently, I'm working with Knorr. Unilever po yun eh. So, it's with

06:15Lady's Choice as well. Meron akong PLDT, may Gcash. So, a lot of really big brands are tapping

06:24me now because I think, kaming nasa food industry online, kokonti lang din talaga.

06:32Hmm. So, what made you, ano? Ano ang feeling mo with all... I'm sure you also have challenges,

06:39Jerry. Challenges. Nagkabukay ng crossroads sa buhay mo. Should you be a celebrity or should

06:47you be continuing as a chef? Ano? Paano mo ginawa yun? I'm sure, hindi naman, it's always common

06:55to a lot of people choosing the right road. But sometimes, the right road is not the right one.

07:02And it's not an easy one. Even if it's, you're on the right path. It's always going to,

07:09you will have second thoughts kung tama ba yung ginagawa mo. Kasi sa trabaho namin, sir, as

07:14influencers, as brand ambassadors, or content creators, this is not really a sustainable job.

07:20So, you don't know when will it end. Yun yung anxiety ko palagi. But as the blessings are

07:29kept coming in, I make the most out of it and I'm grateful for it. I'm grateful for the gift of work,

07:36the support of the families, my family, and my friends. And syempre, kailangan talaga,

07:44since sabi ko nga po, hindi sya sustainable na job. And anytime, pwedeng mawalak sya,

07:51hindi natin alam. So, I make sure that I save money. And goal talaga is to be like my parents

08:02who put up a business. And buti na lang din na-invent sila. Kasi somehow, meron akong fallback

08:10in a way. Okay. So, in other words, hindi naman lahat ng beses ay smooth ride, na wa? Minsan

08:17nagiging, nakakaroon ka ng air pockets at lahat. So, magandang sinabi mo, Jeric,

08:23na you're not relying on what you're having, but doing something on financial literacy,

08:29looking at what you want to be in the next few years. Yes. Ano ang mga nasa isip mo ngayon?

08:35Kasi our generation namin ngayon sir, as millennials talaga kami, lahat ng opportunities

08:43kinagrab namin din. So, kung if it will work, then maganda. Kung hindi sya magwork,

08:52maybe there's other doors for you to look forward to. And sabi nga ng mama ko noon,

09:00hanggat kaya mo pa, magwork ka lang na magwork. Kung masaya ka naman sa ginagawa mo. Kasi kung

09:06napapagod ka, pwede ka naman magpahinga din. Ganun. But Jeric, how does it feel when you're

09:12walking down in a mall and all of a sudden you get fans raving? I feel meron ako sense of pagiging

09:24introvert. Pero siyempre, hindi naman lalaki ang ulo natin because we were all there once na parang

09:33gas fired and to be like that. Yung mga tao na supporters natin dapat pinapahalagaan talaga

09:42because we won't be able to be here where we're at, where we're in kung wala po sila.

09:50So you do also food reviews ba? There are a lot of chefs doing that,

09:56not just here but also abroad. They do food reviews. They come up with their own line.

10:04Is that part of the pipeline that you're looking at? There's one big chef, known chef,

10:10the chef Alan Bourdain. Remember that? Remember him? Very well known. Even until now, he's already

10:20gone. Kanyang mga reviews ay hanggang ayon. Mayroon ka bang benchmark na ginagawa mo?

10:30Actually this 2024 po, it was I think my restaurant, hotel, and resort era,

10:38reviewing era. So ang dami ko rin napuntahan this year. Ang dami rin nag-tap ng mga

10:45establishments sa akin to do review. But the thing about doing reviews po,

10:51you really have to be constructive and be more cautious on what you have to say,

11:00lalong-lalo na online because it might ruin the business. And siyempre, reviewing should be,

11:06the intention should be for improvement, not to destroy the business. So kailangan talaga sir,

11:14kung meron tayong gagawing reviews, we sit down with the owners din talaga before you post it.

11:22Ako naman kung may reviews akong hindi ko talaga nagustuhan, hindi ko nalang siya pinu-post.

11:27Kesa i-post ko siya, it might ruin the business then. And at least pag sinabi ko nalang sa owners,

11:35ma-improve nalang nila instead of parang doing image control pa.

11:40Yes. Kasi this is something like what we call responsible social media. You're not just blasting

11:48anyone. We're not a perfect food establishment. May negotiate kaming ganon. So what would I feel

11:56if all of a sudden it will happen to me and to our business?

12:00Our business.

12:03Ang dabi mo ng followers, Jerick. How does it feel from one, umaakit na umaakit ang mga followers

12:10mo ngayon. Millon, million na. Ano ba ang mga sikreto mo ngayon? Probably yung mga ating content

12:18creators ay nanonood. Sabi na grabe si Chef Jerick. Grabe si Suey. Galing ng meteoric rise.

12:27Yeah. Actually sir, it's really hard work talaga to have all those followers. And

12:34yung followers kasi na yun, it's not just followers. It's also your believers. Kung

12:38anong talaga yung tag dito, yung inspiration na namibigay mo sa kanila. Kailangan consistent ka.

12:45And one thing about still being in the game, kailangan talaga you're still in the trend.

12:53You research a lot. Di natatapos sa isang project ang pagiging influencer. Yung influencer kasi na

13:02word, it's misused sometimes. It's being used for the wrong intention. Yung pagiging influencer,

13:13kailangan you influence for the good. Yes. I agree on that because really influence for the good

13:21and not just influence for on your behalf. Gusto lang magkaroon ng likes. Kahit anong gawin niya,

13:29basta sa kanya. Not for others. So basically Jerick, ano mga payo mo may bibigay ngayon sa

13:38mga kapwa mo, millennials, who are probably lost. They don't know where to go. Probably they took

13:46the wrong course. But they have this passion. Ano mga tatlong advice sa mga may bibigay mo?

13:52Especially for 2025, no? Well, ngayon, I think medyo socially aware naman na din yung mga

14:02or yung mga aspiring content creators. Basta advice ko sa kanila, find what drives you to create.

14:10Because hindi ka uhusat kung hindi mo gusto yung ginagawa mo. Tapos, I don't know sir,

14:17if you you guys heard of um the Japanese term Ikigai? Yes. Yes. Yun ang para kong manta lagi.

14:26Parang if you like what you're doing, you're making money out of it and it's good for the

14:31community, then that's the uh thing for you. Yung yun ang uh magiging uh nasa core mo kung

14:39ano talaga yung gusto mong gawin. And also, um walang madaling work. Lahat nakukuha yan sa

14:50hard work patients. And things will turn out well if talagang gagalingan mo. Okay, so walang

15:00shortcut sa buhay. Walang shortcut. It's always hard work. Yes. Working smart. At the same time

15:08knowing where your goals are, no? So long as you're happy, di ba? So yun. So, Jerick, isang

15:14question na lang. Hindi ka ba nao-offer ng movie? Ano po sir? Hindi ka ba nao-offer ng mga movie

15:21para maging maging uh mga one of the movie celebrities? Actually sir, nung uh pandemic,

15:28hype yun ng pandemic 2021, nakagawa kami ng dalawang series. During that time,

15:35luck in taping pa na eh. Under GMA ako noon. Yeah. Pero ngayon, hindi na tayo bumabata,

15:41kailangan ang iniisip na natin. Ako sir ah, hindi ko naman din kasi passion yung,

15:46it all boils down to what you really like talaga. What you're doing. And assessing myself if I'm

15:54really interested in uh that field. I think masaya ako to where I am now.

16:00Yeah, I'm sure. May acting ka rin kasi looking at your, looking at your ads,

16:05may action ka pa rin eh, di ba? Pag lalo na yung mga brands na kinikerry mo, no?

16:10Yes.

16:11Pulat ako eh, parang wow, eto ba si Jerick na kilala ko nung araw, na batang kata.

16:16Wow.

16:16Abay, ibang iba, no? Talagang outgoing personality.

16:20Yes.

16:21So again, Maraming maraming salamat for this opportunity. I know you're busy but you,

16:28you're on your own right now. Um if they, if other brands want to get in touch with you.

16:35Yes po. Um they can follow me on Instagram at Jerick Manalo. That's at G-E-R-I-C-K-M-A-N-A-L-O.

16:43And on TikTok at Chef Jerick Manalo. Yan.

16:47May email naman po ko na nakalagay if ever brands are

16:51willing to tap and work, willing to work with me or to collab with me. Yes po.

16:57Okay. So pwede ka naman ikaw ang directly nila makakausap or meron ka bang manager?

17:03Actually sir ako freelance ako talaga. I like talking to the brands because I feel like there's

17:08a personal connection if I talk to them more than me having a handler. Yan. And

17:15so you can, you can, you can always get the feel, no? Whether ako ay bagay sa'yo,

17:21sa personality mo, sa iyong ah, sa iyong goal, diba?

17:25Actually sir, sa pagiging influencer naman or content creator, ang advice ko din sa mga aspiring

17:31is wag magpapadala basta lang babayaran ka. Kailangan maniwala ka din dun sa product.

17:38Or ginagamit mo talaga sya in of your personal use. Yan. Kasi hindi mo sya mabibenta nang maayos

17:44if ano lang wala kayong connection. So in other words magiging plastic ka lang, no? Para pinipilit

17:52mo lang dahil binayaran ka. Parang hindi lalabas, diba? Para bang the non-verbal of you. Eh lumalabas

17:59din, no? Wala yung, diba? Yung bang blooming. Sherry, tignan yun na lang, no? Habang nag-uusap

18:08tayo, pinapalabas kayo mga ibang kanyang mga movie reels niya, reels niya. Actually sir, yun din

18:13natutunan ko sa inyo. Kasi tignan nyo hanggang ngayon, you still have a connection with us kahit

18:20ilang years na yun nakalipas when we asked for your help to help us with our business.

18:28So maintain the good relationship. Don't grow any friendships. Diba? One day you will cross paths

18:35again, e. Yeah. Ako nga nagulat ako kasi nung nakikita na kita sabi ko sa nanay mo,

18:41kilala ba ako ni Jerry? Kasi hindi ako ina-add niyan, e. Sir, naka-follow ako sa inyo.

18:51So it's really an honor for you. Alam mo naman, ano na tayo, no? Baby boomers tayo,

18:57hindi time millennial, e. Ako sir, ako. Bas lalo, it's an honor for me to be interviewed by you.

19:02Correct. So I hope nakabigay tayo ng isang aralin, no? Lalo, lalo na ikaw, lalo ka,

19:11you have a lot of people following you and really for you to be, to inspire, no? Continue inspiring.

19:18Sa akin very important yung being credible, e, no? Kahit anong, anong trabaho mo,

19:24basta yung credible ka na hindi ka pinagdududahan, no? Kasi you walk the talk, ika nga.

19:30You walk the talk. So is there any chance for Jerry to be going overseas as well?

19:35You know, tapping the overseas scenario? Well, it's going to be a good thing if meron po. Kasi

19:44alam mo we're open po lagi sa mga ganyang opportunities. Kung meron po naman is gusto ko

19:51mag-aaral din. Pa. Kasi for me, yung studies, unending siya, infinite siya na you will learn

20:02more as long as you study more and marami ka pang talagang pwedeng gawin.

20:11So the culinary world doesn't stop learning, right?

20:13Doesn't stop, opo.

20:14There's always an involvement.

20:16Laging may fad, laging cycle siya. Lahat naman po ng industry kahit sa fashion, kahit sa

20:24kung ano man po. Laging may bago.

20:26What about 2025? How do you see the trend for culinary? Anong nare-reading mo ngayon trending

20:32sa 2025 ng culinary?

20:34Sa culinary sir, I think sa Manila ang pinaka nagbo-boom na ngayon is yung degustasyon or yung

20:44course meal. Because ang dami kong friends na nag-open ng course meal restaurants,

20:51hindi naman kailangan fine dining pero yung story ng food per serving nila from appetizer

20:57hanggang sa dessert. Meron kasing art dun eh. So ngayon hinohone natin ang dishes ng Pilipinas,

21:05kung paano natin say-integrate dun sa gano'ng klaseng behavior ng eating. Kasi sir,

21:12sa atin wala namang course meal eh. European yan eh. Diba? So sa atin in-integrate na natin

21:19sa lifestyle ng Filipinos. Kung ano yung, paano natin siya gagawin?

21:25So do you see a traditional, the traditional menu ng mga Pilipino cuisine

21:31bunga palik at nagkakaroon ng acceptance sa mga millennials like you? Nagkakaroon ba

21:36ng resurgence? Madami pong nangyayaring ganun ngayon. Hindi lang po sa pagbabalik ng cuisines

21:46and for the new, or the millennials na matutunan yung dishes natin. Pati na rin po sa fusion

21:55cuisine. Kasi Filipino cuisine is a very flexible and flavorful dish eh. So pag hinalo

22:06natin siya sa ibang dishes or cuisine, maganda talaga hinakalabasan. So yan, at least ngayon

22:15may nakikita tayong trend. Kasi nung araw pag nasa overseas ka, wala ka makikita masyadong

22:20Filipino cuisine. Oko. Laki talaga yung potential sir kasi yung friend ko kasi culinary

22:26student ako. So yung mga classmate ko nag-abroad din sila. Yung iba kong friends nakapagdayo sila

22:32ng restaurant sa New York, meron sila mga food carts, nagkatrabaho sila sa mga Michelin star

22:38restaurant. Ang wish ko sa Pilipinas magkaroon na tayo ng Michelin star approved restaurant.

22:45Kasi ang laki ng potential ng Filipino cuisine. It's not just

22:50spotlight sa arena, kaya hindi siya recognized. So what does it take for us to be Michelin?

22:59I think kailangan natin ng exposure pa sa craft natin. We should join more culinary cops.

23:07Kailangan natin siguro solid spotlight, lalong-lalo na abroad.

23:17So this is where the challenge for you, Emiline, is to help Philippines,

23:23Michelin, nakaspotlight tayo. Kasi ang laki ng benefits. Pag sinabi natin kagaya ngayon sa mga

23:33BGC, marami ng Michelin 5-star na nag-label. Emiline, probably that's a challenge for you

23:51for 2025. I would be able to contribute. Maraming magagaling na chefs sa Pilipinas.

23:56And we're looking forward to more. Kaya sa mga viewers, if passion is your food, kailangan natin.

24:17Actually sir, that's a very good question. Yan lagi ang debate, lalong-lalo sa mga

24:22nagtatrabaho sa mga hotels. Kasi some of our bosses before, wala sila experience sa culinary school,

24:31yung mga mga taas na position sa mga hotels and restaurants. But one thing about them,

24:40napagaling sila ng kanilang experiences. Pero iba pa din po sir, para sa akin lang po. Iba pa din po

24:46sir kapag you know the language of culinary arts because you know the technicalities,

24:52you know the terms na pwede mong magamit to your advantage.

24:58Yeah and knowing the technicalities like for example the food cost, I'm sure you're very aware

25:04of that. May mga nakakausap tayo. They just cook and cook but the end of the day,

25:11sabihin, saan na puntahin kita ko? Masarap ang pagkain pero walang kita. Wala sa equation.

25:24As simple as knowing the right temperature of a cooked meat,

25:31or mga danes ng steak, yung mga ganun sir na maliliit na bagay. It has a big impact to

25:38your restaurant. Yes. Although talagang medyo may kamahalan magkulinary arts. But

25:46I would say it's really worth it if talagang passion mo siya.

25:51It's really an investment, no? It's an investment for the future?

25:54Yes.

25:54Kapag nagtayo ka ng restaurant, hindi ka pwede magtayo. Walang investment, diba?

25:59But tell me, ano ang specialization mo pagdating sa preparation ng meals?

26:07What are you specialized on?

26:09Yes. I was trained in Benil to do fusion cuisine. That means Filipino cuisine mixed with other

26:18cuisines. For example, tapa burrito. It's Filipino and Mexican. Something like that.

26:29We play with flavors. We play with different culture and approaches when it comes to doing a

26:36dish.

26:38Yes. So, bali, anong specialize mo ngayon? Anong nai-discover mo signature mo ngayon?

26:44Ano sir? Anong specialty ko ngayon? Basta sir, whatever, sa tinagawa ko kasi ngayon,

26:55sa content creation, dapat creative ka talaga eh. It's not just about being fancy.

27:02But I think yung ginagawa ko ngayon, you should always be able to connect with your viewers.

27:10The ingredients are supposed to be within your reach.

27:15Yon. Yon ang maganda. Yon ang maganda sinabi mo. I like that. Kasi misan,

27:20iba yung viewers, hindi ko naman ma-afford dyan. Wala naman sa palengke yan eh. Order ka pa isang

27:26album.

27:27Kailangan relatable po.

27:28Oo.

27:29Kailangan relatable po. Yes.

27:31Nakaka-relate. So bakit, isang sikreto mo, Jerick, you're still slim. May mga chef kasing

27:39lumalapad, lumalaki. But ikaw ay well-fit. What is your secret in keeping yourself fit?

27:49I think siguro sir, body type ko lang din siya. Pero ako kasi, I am more conscious now

27:55because we're getting older. And I am very physically active. I play sports. I do marathons

28:04tapos nagbubuhat din ako. I really want to have a balanced activities in life na at least it won't

28:12compromise naman din. Diba? The both. Yes.

28:17So, ay, ang sarap mong kausap, Jerick. At I'm sure a lot of people are going to get in touch

28:24with you, especially brands. Because a lot of brand companies, they want to see somebody like

28:30you who are sincere, no? You'll actually talk to them first whether you are going to accept it

28:38because it's still your brand. You're a brand by itself, diba, Jerick?

28:41You are your own brand, sabi nga.

28:43I brand ka eh. No, sarili mong brand diyan.

28:46So again, thank you very much for this opportunity, Jerick. More power to you and I hope to see a lot

28:52of your reels. I'm so happy. I get excited and I tell my friends, my family, oh, that's Jerick,

29:00that's Jerick. So, yeah. So, thank you and good luck. More power to you.

29:06Salamat po. Thank you po.

29:08Yes. Honor po to be interviewed.

Category

Transcript

Recommended