Pinoy former fast food chain crew now among Dubai's top chefs

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A former crew at a popular fast food chain in the Philippines now counts among top chefs in this international business and tourism hub known for being a global dining destination with its very competitive culinary scene.

David Jezreel Lizardo Pamplona, who has thrice won gold at the prestigious Salon Culinaire Dubai, among other accolades, said it overwhelms him to be part of Dubai’s roster of award-winning chefs.

“Mahirap na masaya. Kasi ‘yung set of standards namin laging on the top. We set and implement the standards,” said the 33-year-old Pamplona, who hails from Tanauan City, Batangas

(It’s difficult. But it also makes us happy because we are able to implement the standards that we set, which are always high.)

Pamplona said he practices for two to three months before a competition. The company, in his case the renowned Jumeirah Group where he worked at, also always makes sure the best were the ones sent to compete. 

“Para kaming tigre na gutom na gutom manalo,” he said. 

(We’re like tigers very hungry to win.)

The motivation to win stems from the fact that he would be competing with other nationalities, said Pamplona.

“Dito kasi sa Middle East, maraming iba’t ibang lahi. Mahirap maki-sabay sa ibang lahi like the French, iba pang Europeans at Latin American. Kaya na-trigger ako na kaya rin ng Pinoy ito,” said Pamplona.

(The culinary world here in the Middle East is a melting pot of different nationalities. We have French chefs, other Europeans and also Latin Americans. It’s hard to compete with them. That’s why I was triggered and I told myself Filipinos can do this, too.)

Pamplona said it has not bothered him to work alongside decorated chefs from other countries.

“I know my capabilities, my roots. I know I can deliver. I’ve worked in fine dining for seven years before I became a Pan Asian specialty chef. I also did Latin American cuisine. I used to tell my chefs: ‘Be proud. We are Filipinos. We can’t always shy away. We are really good,’” said Pamplona, who also is referred to as “Chef Da Bo.”

A member of the Emirates Culinary Guild (ECG), Pamplona said he competes with himself every day. “It’s always me versus myself,” he said.

With a degree in Hospitality Management from Lyceum of the Philippines – Laguna, Pamplona started out as Commis III, a kitchen help, when he came to Dubai in 2012. Through the years, he worked his way up to now stand among luminaries of the city’s culinary world.

He won his first Salon Culinaire Dubai gold in 2017, then a back-to-back gold at the same competition a year later.  He was named Best Pan Asian Specialty Chef in 2019 by Pro Chef Middle East, a food and beverage magazine in the Middle East. Pamplona has also gained a spot in the coveted 7 Young Chefs of the Year in the Middle East, a hospitality excellence event organized by the International Centre for Culinary Arts – Dubai (ICCA).

These days, Pamplona busies himself with a dining destination he has opened with fellow Filipinos as business partners, the casual Naimas Café and Bistro,  which they aim to be included on the list of Michelin star restaurants in Dubai. 

The restaurant, whose name means “delicious” in Ilokano, is a hidden gem in Dubai’s Healthcare City, situated next to hotels, and ergo has a mixed footfall of tourists and locals. It offers Pan Asian cuisine curated by Pamplona.

Pamplona worked as a fast food crew in Tanauan City and Sto. Tomas, Batangas in 2009 while attending college. He interned at a hotel in Intramuros in 2011. —KBK, GMA Integrated News