Chef Martin Kaspar Returns to the Maya Kitchen

The Maya Kitchen has been known to create culinary stars since 1964, the year that this prestigious Culinary Arts Center was established.

And last September 27, 2014, some mommy  bloggers were invited thru Ms. Melissa Ann S. Canizares, the Marketing Officer of Liberty Commodities Corporation, to a cooking demonstration by no less than Chef Martin Kaspar!

Best known for his mouthwatering entrees and desserts, Chef Martin, a Swiss national, is now a part-owner of  l' entrecôte Corner Bistro located in Burgos Circle at Bonifacio Global City.

L' entrecôte, with its philosophy to serve "feel-good" food made from the finest and freshest ingredients has been serving its Filipino clientele since the year 2010 with its famous steak, and later on, with its wide variety of appetizers, entrees, and desserts!

Getting back to the cooking demonstration, it officially started when Ms. Rory Cruz Subida of the Maya Kitchen introduced Chef Martin Kaspar - the returning chef!

Why returning, you would ask, this is because  according to Ms. Subida, it was already the 2nd time of Chef Martin at The Maya Kitchen. He was still young when he first graced and worked at the center, he was still a sous chef then. Nice, right?! How successful he had now become! :) 

Ms. Rory Cruz Subida

So, here is the Chef with his killer smile! :)

Chef Martin Kaspar

Chef Martin first talked about his restaurant, l' entrecôte - how it started, where it was originated, and how they only uses fresh ingredients in their menu. 

Shortcut is definitely a no-no for Chef Martin! He never adjusted his recipes. And this he does in order to maintain the standard, the quality he set for the bistro. He wanted their customers to have the same taste and experience every time they would dine in their place. Consistency, he further reiterated, is a very important factor in any business, for it to become successful.

Chef Martin prepared five dishes for the cooking demo. 

1. Baked Mussels with Cafe de Paris

One will surely love this yummy appetizer as this recipe has undergone lots of processes. I just find it interesting to note that although this recipe was the first recipe prepared by Chef Martin, this very same recipe was finished last (well, maybe, second to the last)! :) But, this recipe is really worth the wait and preparations!

2. Shrimp Piri-Piri

This is another appetizer that will surely be a hit to everyone's taste. The presentation, the colors, you are sure to be mesmerized by this recipe!

3. Beef Stroganoff

According to Chef Martin, Beef Stroganoff is like our Adobo here in the Philppines. It's one of the most loved dishes by the Russians, where this recipe first originated. Chef Martin loves this recipe too! 

At l' entrecôte, Chef Martin serves Beef Stroganoff with a serving of Spaghetti. Wish I can visit the place soon! :)

4. Foie Gras (Duck Liver) on Potato & Caramelized Onions, Calamansi & Berry Glaze

Considered as a very exquisite menu, this is likewise one of the favorites of Chef Martin, though, I, personally is not much of a fan ( thankfully, as this really costs a lot! Lol!).

5. Marinated Salmon with Lemon Risotto

Again, I am not much a fan of risottos, but the one prepared by Chef Martin really looks delicious compared to the one served to us which nearly has the consistency of that of a porridge. Not much like the one cooked by Chef Martin - just close to al dente! :) 

While doing the demonstrations, Chef Martin kept on sharing some tips and information about the dishes, about the preparations, and anything that has relation to cooking. I just can't kept myself from smiling every time that he would be uttering Filipino words. I just love his accent! hahaha!!! 

Actually, I was able to come up with a list of those words. 

The very first Filipino word he mentioned was "sarap", followed by "isa pa". He again uttered " ang sarap". Other Filipino words he uttered were "ah, meron, meron dito" and "sayang". :)

By the way, here are some photos of Chef Martin at-work! Such dedication, passion and hard work!

After the cooking demo, everybody got to taste the recipes prepared by the team of Chef Martin! Yehey!

And here are my plates:

yummy!

You may check Chef Martin and l' entrecôte Corner Bistro thru their website at www.lentrecotemanila.com.

And of course, every event won't be complete without a photo shoot. Lol! So here are the photos. Enjoy viewing! :)

Yours truly with Chef Martin Kaspar

With Ms. Rory

With Sissy Donna

Chef Martin with The Maya Kitchen team

And of course, the mommy bloggers (Shari, Donna & Zheyme) together with Ms. Tess Laurente and Chef Martin! It's really nice meeting all of you mommies! Nice meeting you to Sir Ronnie Bernardo! :)

The Mommy Bloggers (Shari, Donna & Zheyme & Me!) together with Ms. Tess Laurente and Chef Martin! It's really nice meeting all of you mommies! Nice meeting you to Sir Ronnie Bernardo! :)

And of course, again I wanna thank The Maya Kitchen for this experience! Thank you so much for the loots too! :)

Lootbag

To know more about The Maya Kitchen, you can check their website at www.themayakitchen.com and 

thru their Facebook account The Maya Kitchen. You may likewise contact them at these nos: 892-5011 local 108 and 8921185. Better yet, visit them at the 8th Floor, Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City.