With the right amount of hard work and passion, things will fall into their proper places. A testament to this is Chef Billy Laigo, the culinary talent behind F1 Hotel Manila.
During the launching of the hotel’s new menu items, Laigo shared his fascinating journey toward becoming a chef.
Growing up, he would see his mom cook adobo and paksiw for their family. He knew at a young age he was destined to work in the kitchen, but fate took a detour as he pursued a degree in Computer Science in college.
“It didn’t feel right. So, I studied culinary and began my internship after,” he said.
As one of the pioneers of F1 hotel, Laigo is now celebrating his 12th year of being in the kitchen that he truly loves and where he feels most at home.
“I was a late bloomer. But when I decided to pursue culinary in 2008, since then, no one could stop me. I love seeing the action inside the kitchen,” he said.
Laigo was among the employees who had stayed with F1 Hotel during the trying first years of the pandemic.
And now that everything’s going back to normal, he was tapped by F1 Hotel Manila to be the head chef of its signature restaurant, F All-Day Dining.
While grateful for his new role, Laigo told Manila Standard Cravings that he misses from time to time being in show kitchen.
“I miss seeing our guests eating here, their smiles while they have their breakfast,” said Laigo, who spent eight years in the hotel’s show kitchen.
“Now that I’m taking a new role in the kitchen as the head chef, I seldom see our guests anymore,” he added.
He recently came up the restaurant’s new a la carte menu in partnership with Enderun Colleges led by Chef See Cheong Yan.
There’s Mexican Taco Salad, Spaghetti Vongole, Japanese Curry Rice, Thai Fried Fish “Pla Chan,” Vegetarian Mezze Platter, Churrasco Ribeye Steak, and Tiramisu, among others.
“We created this new set of a la carte menu according to the likings and suggestions of our guests,” Laigo said.
“When you check our menu, it’s very simple because we wanted to come up with a menu consisting of comfort food,” he added.
(F1 Hotel Manila invites everyone to take their taste buds on a culinary journey around the world and discover the new heartwarming flavors of the F All-Day Dining Menu. For inquiries and table reservations, guests can call 8928-9888 or visit the website at www.f1hotelmanila.com.)