Dessert dynamo Chef Miko Aspiras talks to us about his love affair with pastries.
With all that this man has achieved, you would never guess that he is only 30 years old. Meet Chef Miko Aspiras. He is a pastry pioneer in The Philippines and is ready to take on all the challenges ahead of him. Chef Aspiras is so imaginative -- filled with exuberance and passion for his craft. It comes across so clearly when speaking with him, as he can hardly contain all his ideas. Wide-eyed and energetic, his absolute love for desserts shines so brightly as he excitedly discusses his work and plans for the future. Chef Aspiras' spirit is infectious; you can really feel his desire to innovate, create. With several incredible concepts and multiple culinary competition wins under his belt, we sat down with Chef Aspiras to pick his brain and learn more about the man behind these brilliant desserts.
Philippine Tatler: What influenced you to become a part of the culinary world? What is it that you love about food/dessert?
Miko Aspiras: I guess it all started when I woke up to the smell of burnt cookies. I went down to the kitchen and saw my Tita Annie baking, she was getting frustrated with some mistakes, but ended up making something really very good. She made me taste it…I was so fascinated by what she was doing, some were successful some were not. I wondered how this was happening, how she was making something out of nothing and concocting all these flavours. I was 6 then.
PT: Why dessert?
MA: Because I cannot escape it! I love to eat! Especially desserts! I can skip an entire meal to eat in 16 different pastry shops and probably end up getting 4-6 items per store…so do the math! I love the art, the beauty, the challenge and the economics of it all. I love eating and making desserts, and it loves me back each and everyday. I live, breathe desserts, I can’t tell you how passionate I am about it.
PT: What inspires you?
MA: My family and my fiancé JV inspire me to do better everyday. I also read a lot of books. I indulge in culinary and pastry books whenever I travel. Travelling gives me so much inspiration too! The desserts in other parts of the Philippines and abroad are all so wonderful. I am very much fascinated by the attention and love that people from other countries give desserts. Especially in Japan, they look at it as a luxury. My curiosity was once answered by another pastry chef who said that Japanese people look at desserts as a very precious prize at the end of a hard days work.
PT: You have joined many culinary competitions all over the world – why? Could you tell us about some of them?
MA: I join because I want to learn; I want to know what is happening out there, what other pastry chefs are in to. I also join to check if I have got what it takes, if what I know is globally accepted and can be appreciated.
I joined so many! In the Philippines I joined the Philippine Culinary Cup 2010 (my first professional competition), 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. My first International competition was in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Culinary Classics or HOFEX back in 2011 and I joined again in 2013.
My biggest one though was the one in Korea for World Association of Chef’s Societies Congress in 2012. I was part of the Philippine team for the World Pastry Cup 2014 too. I am proud to say that I won all of them!
PT: How did you decide to open/collaborate with Le Petit Soufflé and Ping Pong Diplomacy? Why these cuisines?
MA: I was very comfortable working at Fairmont and Raffles in Makati. I was there for 2 years when Dwight Co and his partner Charlie Paw offered me the opportunity to open a dessert concept in their food hall project called Hole in The Wall. I was so reluctant at first because I have always worked for someone else, been part of a company. I talked to my family about it, I also consulted a few friends, one of whom -- chef Kristine Lotill -- I now work with in all of my restaurants. My family was scared too because it was something so new to me. I have never explored the business side of food or had never done something on my own. But I am a thrill seeker and I wanted to challenge myself once again!
After opening Hole in The Wall in Makati, where I have Scouts Honor Craft Cookie Shop, Milk Trade Hong Kong Steamed Custard and Garde Manger Salad Bar, Le Petit soufflé was given to us by our creative genius partner, Charlie Paw. It was a big challenge since Le Petit does not only serve pastries, but hot food as well. It was Charlie’s brainchild. Last December 2016 we opened our second branch in Mega Mall where I also opened my dream bakeshop, called Workshop! It is truly a dream come true for me.
Very recently we opened a progressive Chinese-American restaurant called Ping Pong Diplomacy. It is far from my comfort zone but I work with a great team in our restaurant group called TASTELESS food group. We love challenging ourselves. We are driven by paths that are unknown, the result is creating homegrown concepts that can and may open the minds and the palettes of the Filipinos.
PT: What are your top 3 favourite countries for desserts?
MA: Japan, Australia (Sydney and Melbourne) and here, The Philippines
PT: Do you have a favorite dessert?
MA: I do! I love freshly baked and warm chocolate chip cookies and also Gummy bears! (Is that considered a dessert? Hahaha)
PT: What do you cook for yourself when you are at home?
MA: I love canned corned beef with garlic rice, and runny eggs!
PT: What would you like to tell people when they are eating your food/dessert? What is your vision for dessert in The Philippines?
MA: I want everyone to feel my passion for desserts whether they are eating something that is simple or something that is full of detail. I want Filipinos to treat desserts as something that is like, a gift for themselves, a little treasure. We have to move on from the idea of Pasalubong desserts. With the growing amount of stress we are experiencing every day, we all deserve to indulge as often as possible. We have to start treating desserts as a reward to ourselves at the end of the day, something we look forward to!
PT: What challenges have you encountered that have made an impact on you?
MA: Imparting my knowledge, making my voice heard. I have experienced being under chefs who do not like to give out their recipes, which is why I am so open in giving out mine. I really push my staff or anyone who wants to learn from me, to understand how I treat desserts. For me it’s not just about the recipe but about the passion behind the concept and the experience. That is where the challenge presents itself. Making people understand how I value desserts and how I want to change the way people make and eat desserts is a challenge that I face.
PT: Do you have a favorite ingredient/s?
MA: It varies! Right now I love using local cultured carabao’s milk butter in all of my desserts. I also love our local wild Raspberries called sampinit. My all time go to ingredient though is Valrhona chocolates especially Guanaja. I also love using Madagascar vanilla and Tonka beans.
PT: Do you have anything you are currently working on? Any new concepts?
MA: YES! Lots! 10-15 new and old concepts to be exact. Next on our list is Scouts’ Honor in Vertis North by Ayala with an expanded menu now with savory dishes. I am planning an artisanal donut shop in Karrivin Plaza called Poison and so much more! I am also now the newest Master chef of Philippine Airlines! We are launching my desserts on April of this year.
PT: Who has influenced you and your cooking?
- My Tita Annie Llamanzares for opening my mind to the world of confection
- Chef Sau del Rosario, by his fearlessness and pizzaz
- Pastry Chef Peachy Juban her passion to teach others and her craftsmanship and artistry in making wedding cakes
- Pastry Chef Sadaharu Aioki -- His “bamboo opera” was the first dessert that I saw as a work of art
- Chef Cyrille Seonen for the tough love, pushing me just to be able to learn his ways
- Chef Chele Gonzales for opening my eyes to Filipino ingredients
- Chef Margarita Fores for her excellence and drive to boost the Philippine culinary industry
- My fiancé JV San Juan