MANILA, PHILIPPINES — These tumultuous times call for the most unexpected solutions, which may come by way of banking on a storied past and investing in crafted experiences. Such is the journey home cook Erwan Heussaf and his longtime comrade, chef Bruce Ricketts embark on together with Lexus.
The two gourmands are set to go on a culinary adventure in a two-part series called Lexus Tasteful Travels where they will be tracing their roots, uncovering flavors, and collecting enough inspiration to refuel their kitchen genius. After being cooped up indoors for months, Erwan and Bruce explore the great outdoors in the safety of the Lexus RX 450h, and with their curiosity paired with their hankering taste buds as their compass.
The first destination takes Bruce up north, deep in the culinary capital of the Philippines, Pampanga. The province is steeped in gastronomic traditions, honed and tested through the centuries, and is home to pillars of Filipino cooking, trained in their home kitchens by their discerning elders. The focal point of this trip is Pampanga’s tamales, a traditional delicacy of ground sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. Bruce learns the intricacies of making the dish from a local artisan who has perfected the art for years.
Also backed by his experience running La Chinesca, his restaurant serving Mexican fare, Bruce realizes how closely similar the local tamales is to the Mexican counterpart which is made primarily of corn. Armed with lessons on traditional techniques and flavors, he then heads back to the kitchen and whips up his version of tamales.
Still searching for wisdom on traditional tastes, Erwan contin
ues the exploration down south to the little town of Magdalena in the province of Laguna. Here, he meets a maker of traditional kesong puti, the local version of white cheese, utilized in numerous sweet and savory Filipino dishes. He takes a deep dive into the cheese-making process, learns how to milk carabaos, and brings home a couple of samples to play with. This time around, Erwan transforms the humble kesong puti into a dish worthy of global praise, proving how a thorough understanding of an ingredient and a deep appreciation for its craftsmanship can elevate something seemingly so simple.
As soon as the engine of the Lexus RX 450h is switched off and the dishes are cleaned and put aside, Erwan and Bruce realize the food they put out is no different from the vehicle they had used in their journey. The way they studied the making of tamales and kesong puti is congruent with the process of building a Lexus vehicle—there is attention to detail, a showcase of artistry, dedication to authenticity, and reverence to the utmost craftsmanship. These values, together with omotenashi, the Japanese principle of being thoughtful and guest-oriented, highlight the intersection of inspired cooking and luxurious driving.
Catch Erwan and Bruce venturing off into the Philippines’ culinary destinations in a Lexus RX 450h in Lexus Tasteful Travels viewed via the FEATR YouTube (https://bit.ly/3rIbytr) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/featrmedia) pages.
Watch the episodes to get a glimpse of how the Lexus craft story is comparable to how Philippine local delicacies and ingredients are also crafted—with genuine passion and a desire to elevate the norm.
