Norway-based Pinoy chef wants to prove himself through 'neo-Filipino' cuisine

MANILA, Philippines — Chef Dominic Vergara has taken his culinary talents to different parts of the world, but in Norway where he is currently based, it is his Filipino heritage that flows through the kitchen.

Vergara and his older brother Daniel run the Kain Neo-Filipino Bistro in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, considered by many to be the best Filipino restaurant in the country, if not in all of Europe.

The chef returned to the Philippines at the invitation of the Royal Norweigian Embassy in Manila as ambassador Christian Lyster recently moved to a new residence in the city.

Lyster hosted several members of the media in his new residence for the "North of the Ordinary" event, which is part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of Philippine-Norway bilateral ties.

In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Vergara shares his journey from Italy to Norway, the birth of Kain, and where he hopes his cutlery will take him next.

Vergara was born in Pampanga. His family moved to Italy and resided in Milan, where his parents ran the Filipino restaurant Cabalen Ini. He later attended culinary school and was classically trained in Italian and French food.

The chef later developed an interest in the booming of Nordic cuisine, leading to his application at Maeemo, the only Michelin three-star restaurant in Norway.

"Nag-work ako for three months. Nagustuhan ko kasi the working conditions there, especially sa restaurant business, is way, way better than France or Italy. They respect workers more. So I decided to stay," said Vergara told Philstar.com.

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In 2019, the Vergara brothers opened the Oslo Street Food stall to showcase different kinds of Filipino food, which led to the birth of the Kain Filipino Rice Bar. They may have opened a new venture, but the younger Vergara had another thing that preoccupied his mind. 

"Lagi ko nasasabi sa mga katrabaho ko or when I'm with someone na, 'Cooking is what you are, it's not what you do,' so it's not a job," said Vergara, translating the saying from Italian. "From a Michelin star restaurant we had a chance to open a food stall, so tinanong ko sarili ko, 'Bakit