“It is wonderful to discover Philippine cuisine”, said multi-awarded Chef Fabio of the Restaurant Zum Äusseren Stand in Bern, Switzerland.

With 15 points Gault & Millau, one Michelin star, and named as the 2021 Koch des Jahres (Cook of the Year), Chef Fabio is a present-day explorer like Magellan, though not of the new world, but of new cuisine. Chef Fabio offers traditional Philippine dishes in a unique culinary experience in a five-course gourmet menu available from 29 October to 6 November 2021.

• Tuna kinilaw – For this dish, Chef Fabio uses high-quality Philippine tuna together with “lato” or sea grapes.

• Nilasing na hipon – In his version, Chef Fabio uses fresh scampi from Rheinfelden with a delicate sauce of Philippines calamansi, and Swiss butter.  

• Sinigang – The master of soups, Chef Fabio, elevates this humble dish to haute cuisine. “This dish reminds me of my signature tomato soup using clear tomato stock reduced and enhanced with very good olive oil”, explains Chef Fabio.

• Lechon – For this dish, Chef Fabio serves the meat like a cutlet and for the gravy, “to make it lighter, I used foie gras and chicken stock.”

• Mango float – Chef Fabio deconstructs this dessert in ZAS’ style.

Chef Fabio was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He has been the chef de cuisine at Restaurant Zum Äusseren Stand since summer 2019. As a multi-awarded chef, he is open to new cuisines and new tastes. Restaurant Zum Äusseren Stand, on the other hand, is closely linked to the history of the Swiss Confederation: the Federal Constitution was adopted in the magnificent Empire Hall in 1848. In 1979, the newly established Rathaus des Äusseren Stand foundation acquired the historic building and had it extensively restored. To this day it is under federal and cantonal monument protection. The gastronomic cooperation was made possible through the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Berne together with Trade (DTI-Berne) and Agricultural (DA-Geneva) offices in Switzerland as part of the Philippine participation in the 2021 Fernweh Festival. ♦

Date of Release: 9 November 2021