Executive Chef
THE FARMER’S APPRENTICE

Alden is a Chinese-Filipino chef and amateur barbecue pitmaster born in Quezon City. With a business degree and culinary education in his back pocket, he pursued his training at Restaurant Andre and Guy Savoy in Singapore. He then moved to Vancouver and fine-tuned his cooking skills at CinCin and Burdock & Co. before stepping into the Head Chef role at Royal Dinette in 2017.

As Executive Chef of both Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant The Farmer’s Apprentice and Grapes & Soda for the past five years, Alden is dedicated to treating local products with respect and creativity. He is driven by his passion for sharing the deliciousness of Filipino cuisine and barbecue through a modern perspective while respecting traditional foodways. 

Private Chef and Culinary Consultant
EDMONTON, ALBERTA

Originally from Quezon City, JP discovered his passion for cooking after moving to Alberta in 2004. He dove into the restaurant world by working some of Calgary’s top chefs, then honed his craft with culinary studies at SAIT. JP graduated with honours before working at the highly lauded River Cafe. He is a private chef who creates bespoke high-end events for clients in Edmonton. Precision and creativity are the hallmarks of his culinary creations, often tapping into modern Filipino and Asian flavours.

JP’s passion for cooking fuels his competitive streak. He was a Fire Masters Champion on Food Network Canada in 2020. And he took top honours in 2019 and 2023 at Edmonton's regional qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship, moving on to win People’s Choice four times and claim Bronze on the national podium in 2024.

Chef
GARY’S RESTAURANT

In 2003, Ralph emigrated from the Philippines' Ilocos Norte region to British Columbia. He worked in Montreal from 2016 to 2018, stretching his culinary boundaries with stints at Montreal Plaza and Hotel Herman. Since returning to Vancouver, his impressive resume has included sous chef at highly celebrated Burdock & Co. and chef de cuisine at The Mackenzie Room. He’s currently part of the talented kitchen team at Gary’s.

Ralph is deeply inspired by restaurateurs and fellow chefs who are committed to authentically representing their personalities and philosophies in their spaces, front-of-house service, and menus — that’s where food and restaurants become personal. And seeing guests return to have that experience again, or an even better one, is incredibly gratifying. Through his own Filipino-food popups, Ralph finds it refreshing to create dishes for people that are personally rooted in his own imagination and cultural traditions.

Chef de Cuisine
HAWTHORN DINING ROOM

Born in Mandaluyong, just east of Manila, Rupert moved to Canada in 2000. He began cooking in restaurant kitchens at 16 before pursuing culinary education at SAIT. Trained in contemporary cuisine, Rupert has a strong foundation in French and Asian cooking. He holds distinguished Red Seal certification and has earned membership in the world-renowned Chaîne de Rôtisseurs. Along with stints in Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and San Francisco, he has worked at the prestigious Calgary Golf & Country Club and as Chef de Cuisine at Oxbow.

Rupert has garnered numerous accolades throughout his career. Representing Canada in 2014, he placed second at the 38th International Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs in Durban, South Africa. Most recently, Rupert was victorious at KP Calgary 2023, advancing him to the nation’s premier culinary competition. He squared off against the best chefs across Canada and emerged as Silver medallist at the 2024 Canadian Culinary Championship.