Challenge Accepted: Chef JP Anglo Turns Julia Barretto Into A Semi-Pro Chef

It all started with a chicken inasal sisig posted by Chef JP Anglo on Instagram, that looked so delicious it prompted Julia Barretto to reach out and say: “Ang sarap naman nyan! I wish I could cook like you. Would you take on the challenge of teaching me?”

Challenge accepted! 

From this short IG interaction, a new series titled Kitchen Nomad was born. Kitchen Nomad is all about traveling with our tastebuds. It’s the kitchen with no permanent address. In this series, Chef JP will take us and Julia through four different Asian countries using Knorr seasoning staples to unlock the flavors of each cuisine. 

Chef JP and Julia come from two different worlds; one from the culinary world, and the other from the entertainment industry. But two things bind them together: their love for travel and food. As a chef and a surfer, Chef JP has been around the Philippines and the world to discover more about cuisines of different cultures. As a young and beautiful celebrity, Julia is living out her best life through traveling to different countries, both for work and leisure.

But because of the pandemic, the realities of travel and food have been greatly altered—and Kitchen Nomad will try to redefine what it means to travel, cook, and eat given the challenges and opportunities of this new normal.

Cooking as an adventure

When we hear the word “adventure,” images of far-off countries, new places, and unique cultures come to mind. While traveling has been the key to exploring new experiences and places, with the lockdown in place, we are inspired to redefine how we can go on new adventures from the comforts of our own home. 

Food, not-so-surprisingly, has the same effect: the aroma and taste of a freshly cooked dish brings memories and experiences. A steaming bowl of ramen brings us to ramen shops in Japan, the scent of hours-long-boiled broth wafting through the counter. The crunch of a beautifully fried chicken, paired with a shot of soju, makes us feel like the leading actress in our favorite K-drama series.

More than the eating, the cooking, too, brings so much more knowledge and new experiences. Even within the walls of our kitchen, cooking allows us to explore a new culture as we try to understand the ingredients, techniques, and flavors that go into each of their dishes.

This is what Kitchen Nomad teaches us: cooking is an adventure in a way we didn't realize before.

Chef JP and Julia cook their way through Asia 

Throughout the next weeks, Chef JP will not just try to create a semi-pro chef out of Julia; both of them will embark on a delicious adventure through Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam’s most iconic dishes.

They’re bringing Japan to your kitchen through classic Japanese rice bowls, in the form of inihaw na baboy ramen and chicken katsudon. South Korea is just a casserole away through K-drama favorites: Korean fried chicken and beef bulgogi. With them, you can turn your kitchen into Thailand’s Chatuchak through pad thai and salmon belly tom yum. They’re also bringing Vietnamese street food from the streets straight to your home with pho banh mi and Vietnamese pork chop. 

All of these may sound like your usual dishes, but wait until they infuse the umami flavors of Knorr seasoning staples to make each dish truly personal. 

Kitchen Nomad

Each episode, Chef JP will not just help Julia become the chef she wants to be; you, at home, can also easily follow! Chef JP will break down all the important parts that make each dish stand out, and give some pointers to help you perfect your cooking and plating technique. 

For the first episode, Chef JP and Julia are bringing us to Japan for a bowl of ramen and katsudon. If you missed it, watch the first episode below.

Make sure to tune in to Metro.style’s Youtube so you won’t miss the next episodes.