Chef Johanne Siy was recently named Asia’s Best Female Chef 2023 by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants—a prestigious title and a well-deserved one. “I am very grateful for this recognition. It is a great platform to reach and inspire a lot of young chefs to overcome barriers and challenge boundaries.” But has it changed her approach in the kitchen? “My values remain the same. I don’t do anything for the sake of awards, but it surely motivates me to improve and strive to be the best I can be.”
Since she was young, she was always described as having immense grit, intelligence, and dedication. She has always been persistent in reaching the best level she could achieve, no matter where life took her. Born and raised in the Philippines to Chinese-Filipino parents, her upbringing contributed a lot to how she conducts herself. “Growing up, I was taught the value of excellence and being pragmatic.” That attitude is what got her to secure a high position at a multinational company for more than six years, in which she excelled, yet, her passion had always persistently lurked in the background, waiting for her to pursue.
Johanne Siy and food; it’s almost like it has always been a kismet. Food, for her, has twined into one with life itself. Maybe because she grew up in a close-knit family, and food often took the center table of most precious moments back home in Dagupan, Philippines–her family would spend most summers gathering around the kitchen table, making rice cakes together–or maybe, it’s partly due to her mother’s significant influence, herself a remarkable cook. She remembers her as “the best person I know; selfless, kind, genuine,” and those qualities definitely come across her cooking.
Either way, chef Johanne recalls starting cooking at a fairly young age, mainly for her brothers who would finish everything she fed them. “They were growing boys who were probably just hungry all the time. Either way, that gave me a lot of validation,” and so she got better and better, even began to helm the kitchen for most of the major family events.
But growing up in Southeast Asia, especially in her generation, being a chef wasn’t something necessarily encouraged because, at the core of it, “it was still a blue-collar job,” and seen as unstable. So she opted for the ‘practical choice’ and went for a double major in business management and accountancy. “I wasn’t in love with accounting, but thankfully I still managed to do well and graduated magna cum laude.”
It was her move to Singapore in 2003 that changed the course of her career. Moving to join the manufacturing giant Procter & Gamble as a brand manager, both the place and being financially independent painted her a new mindset.
“I remember attending one of those leadership sessions and stumbled upon the phrase ‘begin first with the end in mind.’” That phrase forced her to ponder, and she decided to take the leap and just go against the grain. It wasn’t easy to let go of such an established job and stability, but she was determined. “Taking calculated risks to pursue the things you care about is crucial. That’s what makes life meaningful,” she said.
After finishing her studies at the Culinary Institute of America, Johanne’s dedication and hard work shone, perhaps even brighter, in the kitchen. She managed to work in several notable restaurants and was mentored by some of the world’s most prominent chefs. “I’ve been lucky enough to learn from several amazing chefs. I am where I am now because I stand on the shoulders of giants,” and from those giants, she took a bit of them with her.
Having worked in New York’s Le Bernardin and Café Boulud, she understood that if she ever hoped even to come close to being good in this industry, learning was a never-ending journey. Her stint in the infamous Noma taught her the importance of thinking out of the box and specialization. If most restaurants made their cooks go through the same hierarchy, Noma’s kitchen ran like a company, with different departments specializing in different aspects of cuisine. “Maybe some cooks are really passionate and good at, say, fermentation. Recognize it and allow them to showcase it. More often than not, they will surprise you.”
After being a chef for 13 years now, Chef Jo has realized that everything she does as a chef is part of a bigger diorama. This realization was clearly felt when she spent her stint at Copenhagen’s Relae, where she was directly involved with the farm and vegetables used. “I gained a newfound respect for those farmers and producers. Seeing the whole process until it makes it to the plate makes you appreciate the ingredients more, sometimes to the extent that you just want to prepare them in the simplest way possible so people can enjoy how perfect they are–just as is.”
But when confronted with extreme weather, like what she experienced in Faviken, Sweden, she experienced an incredible lesson that scarcity encourages innovation. “In the coldest months, nothing grows, so what do you serve your guests? Frost from the trees? Fermented leaves? They do that. Who would have thought? When your options are whittled down, you learn to get creative with what you have.”
This abundance of inspiration certainly influences her cooking at Lolla. For example, she’d take ubiquitous and challenging ingredients like avocado – a tricky ingredient with short shelf life – and look at it in a totally new light to create something special. It can also be found in her other work, the signature carabinero; a dish that combines a simple, top-notch ingredient with incredibly-detailed elements, such as the sambal made out of a by-product of another dish. “It is mindful, respectful of nature, and understated in presentation but big on flavor.” Well, that’s what got her hooked on cooking; the possibilities are so endless, and that, to her, is a continuous source of inspiration.
That doesn’t say she didn’t go through her obstacles in the kitchen. Other than the physical work she had to endure, the intensity of a kitchen was also something she found challenging. “It was a different world back when I first started. The culture in kitchens was a bit more hostile,” she recalls, reflecting on how the industry has evolved tremendously. “People are now more enlightened, and the sustainability of the industry itself and the broader ecosystem it depends on has become front and center.”
She admits though there is progress, there is still a long way to go, especially when it comes to tackling societal expectations of women. She hoped to have soon enough equal representation and access to opportunities for women in the kitchen because she believes that when it comes to talent and skill, gender is irrelevant. “Chef is a beautiful word because it’s genderless (as opposed to actor/actress). Let’s not overcomplicate it. At the end of the day, it’s all about your attitude and drive.” In the future, she’s excited to find and work with even more outstanding individuals with similar values and passion. “That’s the great thing about this industry; people come from all walks of life and backgrounds, so you never really stop learning.”
With Lolla, she refused to call it fine dining, but rather ‘fun dining.’ The focus is purely on great food and service in a fuss-free environment. It’s elevated modern European food enriched with Asian influences, “but we do try to push the cuisine,” she noted, implying she plans to bring out more of her Filipino heritage in the cuisine. When asked what she’s trying to convey through her cooking, chef Johanne Siy answers it with one simple word: “joy.”
