Jonathan Romano, a Filipino-Norwegian chef is facing backlash for his controversial remarks on Pinoy food. During a TV show aired last April 26, the sushi chef and master chef Norway judge was asked about Filipino food tradition where he told, "it's very bad."
The video has since went viral and it sounds unwell to many Filipinos that expressed disappointment with one called Romano's comment "uninformed and idiotic."
"If you’re from the food world, you know about the #Filipino -Nordic chef and his bad take on #Filipinofood. His opinion is, of course, tremendously uninformed & idiotic, but it’s also a reminder that we ourselves have to know our food better so we can educate others better."
What I mean is, #filipinofood is so diverse & so hyper local that even chefs don’t know everything. We have to be very careful when describing #Filipino food to foreigners because they might take your answer & consider it the only definition, even if you’re not a food expert.
— Sharwin Tee (@chefsharwin) May 2, 2021
as a filipino, so many people have shit on my culture’s food. i’m sorry to burst your racist bubble but calling our food “stinky” or “weird” isn’t funny in any fucking way.
— tate (@sapnapart) May 1, 2021
these traditional foods have been passed down from generations and take time to get right.
i get that he wanted to try our food but his comment and reactions were so unnecessary.
— tate (@sapnapart) May 1, 2021
filipino food is considered comfort food for multiple people and calling it “nasty” honestly breaks my heart because these foods were dishes that me and many other people grew up with.
Romano, 43, apologized for his comments, admitted that he didn't grow up eating Filipino food because his mother can't cook. He said that he need to explore more about Filipino cuisine.
“I apologize for the words that came out on my TV appearance lately. Everything came out of context and I am so sorry. I am an educated chef with long experience and was just giving my subjective opinion. Of course, I like Filipino food and would not badmouth without backing it up. It was a general point that was left out and that was more about refined, finesse, and taste repertoire,” he said.
The Philippine Embassy in Norway in a Facebook post however, invited everyone to visit the country to try out variety of Filipino food.
"Whoever says Philippine cuisine is ‘darlig mat’ (very bad) should definitely visit the Philippines to discover and rediscover the richness, freshness, and regional variety of Filipino food.
"Filipino food also reflects the sharing attitude and generosity of Filipinos. You can never leave a Filipino home without being invited to share a meal."
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