Chef’s Barrel opens as latest venture of restaurant staff-turned-moguls

Would you expect the security guard who opened the door for you at a restaurant to become the big boss of that place someday?

It’s highly unlikely, but it could happen. And it indeed happened to Hilario “Larry” Cortez, president and CEO of the Chefs Quarter Group.

Not only that; Cortez’s longtime friend and co-owner of Chef’s Quarter Group, Chef Mauro “Mau” Arjona Jr., was once a dishwasher at the restaurant where Cortez worked.

Cortez and Arjona now own several brands under the Chef’s Quarter group of restaurants: Uncle Cheffy, Kuse, Bossings, Market Basket—and the newest restaurant, Chef’s Barrel, which opened earlier this month.

Market Basket, a modern version of the “dampa” or seafood paluto restaurant, just opened in the new food and beverage section at the River Park, Festival Mall in Alabang last January. Chef’s Barrel, a family restaurant and pub, is right beside it.

In an interview with reporters, Cortez shared how he and Arjona managed to achieve great success even though both of them only ever finished high school.

“Siya [Arjona] dishwasher, ako security guard,” Cortez said. “Noong siya naging cook helper, ako, waiter niya. Tapos pag napo-promote ako, napo-promote din siya, parang parallel.”

”Pag lumiwanag ako magsa-shine din siya; parang yung mga buwan at bituin. Pag sinabing magaling yung restaurant, pag ang pagkain ang improvement, sa kanya [ang credit]. Pag sa system o operation, sa akin,” Cortez added.

Ambitious food


What can one expect at restaurants under the Chef’s Quarter group? Apparently, food as daring and ambitious as its owners.

During a media food tasting event just before Chef’s Barrel’s grand opening, food writers raved at the dishes whipped up by Arjona and his team: pub food that is so exquisitely prepared, you’d think you were eating at a five-star hotel.

Sisig may be common fare at local pubs…but octopus sisig? Strange as it was, it was also tender and seasoned just right. Chef’s Barrel also offers seafood pissaladiere with shrimp, clams, octopus, and pesto at P350 per pan. There’s also salmon pissaladiere with fresh marinated salmon and spicy creamy sauce at P450 per pan.

Unknown to many, pizza is not easy to perfect. The dough should neither be soggy nor dry; that siad, Chef’s Barrel’s dough might be one of the best in the country. The dough, aromatic and smooth in texture, is so tasty it can be eaten by itself. The pizzas also stand out for their generous toppings—either all meat, seafood, or vegetables—and strong, appetizing flavors.  

Chef’s Barrel Specials—definitely not your ordinary pub fare—include: jerk chicken wings with yoghurt and blue cheese sauce (P395); scallop fricassee (P395); fish and chips with remoulade sauce (P250); and Angus top blade steak with potato confit and roque port sauce (P395) .


Those at the event were very impressed by the quality of the steak—the thick slice of premium Angus beef was tender and was bursting with flavors.

Arjona told GMA News Online at the sidelights of the tasting event that as a chef, he likes to put a new spin on classic favorites. He said he keeps on finding new ways to cook different ingredients. For example, one of the things he discovered recently was a new way of cooking eggplant omelette by putting bits of tuyo inside the eggplant before frying it.

Asked if there was anything he liked eating or cooking best, Arjona explained that he had no favorites. At home, he likes to create dishes from whatever is available inside their refrigerator. However, what he does want to explore some more is finding new ways of preparing salads through a combination of hot and cold ingredients.

As to the chefs he looks up to, Arjona said he admires his mentor, Filipino chef Billy King, as well as Scottish celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Arjona said he may not have taken culinary studies abroad but he has worked under some very good foreign chefs here in the Philippines.

He learned from some of the best, he said.

Secret to success


Meanwhile, Cortez shared with GMA News Online the secret to their success in an industry as competitive as the restaurant enterprise: knowing every aspect of the business.

“Dapat alam mo lahat nang ginagawa mo,” he said. “Hindi ba marami kayong nakikita, nagdamit lang ng chef, nag-aral lang ng four years sa culinary school, tapos nagtayo na ng restaurant kasi may pera?”

“Pero pag tinanong mo na paano yung sistema?” he asked. “Papaano yung marketing startegy? Papaano yung pakikipag-deal at kontrata sa developer? Papaano yung accounting system? Papaano yung hiring? Alam mo ba ang labor laws diyan?”

He likened entering business to making a pie divided into different parts. He said if one part is not present, you cannot create a whole pie.

“Dapat mabuo mo yan. Pag ka hindi mo alam ‘yon, good luck, suntok sa buwan,” he said.

Cortez said he did not study management, but instead read about 50 books on the subject. What he learned, he shared with Arjona.

But not everything has gone smoothly for the pair. Cortez also admitted that they have had unsuccessful business ventures. In those cases, what they did was to reconceptualize the business and start over. — VC, GMA News