Gastro Chef: The Best of Danish Design and Filipino Craftsmanship

     Cooking without the proper kitchen tools or the practical kitchen accessory is a chore,  but cooking with the proper tools is a pleasure.  I am not a chef but I love to cook and bake,  and most often I would play around in the kitchen and look for better ways to use with what's left  over in the pantry or in  the fridge.   My kids would be so giddy hearing kitchen noises as I make a way  for  healthy snacks and yummy grubs for our meals.   Most often than not, I would waste time, energy and  yes ingredients, all because I am using the wrong gadget.   

     I almost have it all, even those mechanical thingies that promised to make chopping and slicing oh so easy.  But, still, call me old-school, nothing beats a good quality chopping board and really sharp knives.  I'm sure many chefs would attest to that.

     You see, with the right tools you will be able to complete your cooking  process sooner and can use the time you've saved doing what you really wish: spending time with family, awaiting for the next thrilling moment of your fave tele-novela  or catching up on the latest updates in Facebook.

      I quickly learned that I had been using the wrong cutting boards for years.   I always thought that plastic cutting boards were the way to go because they cleaned up easily and were less porous.  To add to the boring collections are  non-processed woods and those faux wood that you can buy cheap at the mall. To be honest, I have dumped dozens of them year after year.

     I couldn't be more happier now for having discovered Gastro Chef's cutting board.   After attending the launching of Gastro Chef's new shop located at Chef Gusto’s Pizza, Pasta, and more in Legazpi Village Makati, I went home with one, and a chef's knife with it.    

After a sumptuous dinner tastefully prepared by Chef Panos Georgopoulos, media guests were introduced to Gastro Chef.

About Gastro Chef

      Being one of the divisions of the Filtra Group of Companies, which offers a line of high quality cooking, dining, serving and lifestyle accessories,  Gastro Chef also represents the synergy between Denmark and the Philippines, employing Danish design and Filipino craftsmanship.  From what used to be a company that produces and customizes kitchen items for other organizations, it is now a brand that revolves around the enjoyment of food, both in the preparation and consumption.

      According to Per Stangegaard, President of the Filtra Group, back in the day, he would see small pieces of wood being thrown away or burnt, having no use for it and felt it was such a waste.   So he thought of ways to efficiently utilize unused scraps of quality wood species, thus Gastro Chef was born in 2005.

     As, he guided us to the showroom, you can see that every products are unique and have been well-thought of.  It's brand proposition is "functional quality items that doubles as an aesthetic addition to any kitchen and dining because of the classic design material used.

Products that you can find at Gastro Chef

 

 

On Being Eco-friendly

      Gastro Chef products are made mostly from natural Philippine wood species like Rosewood, Yakal and Mahogany. These wood species are ethically cut and legally sourced according to industry standards from sustainable plantations as well as Industrial Forest Management Areas (IFMA). All Philippine Rosewood logs used in producing Gastro Chef products were converted to finished wood products several years before the declaration of EO No. 23.  Gastro Chef also makes use of imported European or American wood species like Oak, Maple, Cherry, and Beech for selected products.

     More so, Filtra Group has earned Forest Stewardship Council certification from SGS Philippines, Inc., making itself the "First trading company to receive FSC Chain of Custody Certification" here in the Philippines.

    Each Gastro Chef product purchased contributes to the climate-saving initiatives of GO GREEN PHILIPPINES - a long-term and sustainable project between the Philippine government and FAME export association.  

      Note that with this kind of certification, we can trust that Gastro Chef's wood products are coming from certified and responsibly managed forest lands, which are monitored throughout the supply chain, from the forest to the client.

A Night of Chef Gusto's Pizza Pasta Plus Gastronomic Delight

Inside the restaurant.

Rustic bread with garlic butter spread

Cheese Platter

  

Cheese Pies

Pepperoni Pizza

Chicken and potato fritters

Gourmet sausages

Three dips for the sausages

White chocolates with nuts

Milk chocolates with lots of nuts

Everything that was served to us was  impeccably  delicious.   I was told that Chef Panos, the executive chef  of restaurant and cafe, is Greek and have culinary founded from cruise ships and known international restaurants.   I would not do a detailed review yet for I will definitely be back to try out more of his Mediterranean dishes.   

Gastro Chef
Address:
       Chef Gusto's Pizza Pasta Plus

       Ground Floor Concord Building
       Benavidez corner Salcedo
       Legazpi Village, Makati City
Website:  gastro-chef.com