Manila chef Mark Tan on his Japanese obsession
Philippines-born Mark Tan, whose grandfather is from China, explains how he discovered Japanese cuisine as a child and hasn’t looked back since
Where did the Japanese influences in your food come from? “My grandfather is from China and moved to the Philippines. He was one of the first Honda motorcycle dealers, so one of the perks was trips to Japan. Before moving to the United States, our family’s primary business was commercial fishing, selling fish to Japan and other countries. My father went to Japan 50 times in a 15-year span. Japanese consultants who came to the Philippines wanted to eat Japanese food and some would catch tuna themselves and make the food. My father had a preference for it and that was my initial exposure to it.
“I loved it so much as a kid that my parents used to tell me they couldn’t enjoy different cuisines because that’s all I would eat. I was an only child and a very picky eater.”
“When I started learning how to make Japanese food, I sucked! My fish slices were never consistent, I was too slow. I later helped my friend who had a sushi bar, and worked at other small places to see more things. It’s the ingredients that attracted me. My new restaurant is everyday Japanese dishes that people know and there will be an area to put out newer ideas and concepts.”
What did your parents think of you cooking? “My father wanted me to get into the construction business. He would buy land, build houses on it and sell them. He was very passionate about it. When he realised I didn’t have much interest in it, he encouraged me to learn cooking.”
