Australia-Based Supper Club Adobros on Promoting Filipino Cuisine
Food is the gateway to culture and has the power to encapsulate a nation’s identity through flavors. If you want to get to know a certain place, tasting the local fare is a good way to go.
This is what the culinary collective, Adobros, set out to do when they opened their supper club at the heart of Melbourne, Australia. Established by two renowned Filipino chefs, Chef Michael Francis Pastrana and Chef Morris Danzen, their mission is simple: to promote Filipino cuisine on a global scale.
Through Adobros, they are able to share their stories, histories, and interpretations of Filipino food, creating an experience unlike any other — all the while pushing Filipino cuisine forward and inspiring new generations of culinary professionals across the globe.
We caught up with the two chefs to know more about the collective, the signature recipes they serve at Adobros, and what inspired them to start their journey of reimagining iconic Filipino dishes.
A Passion for Pinoy Food
Chef Michael Francis Pastrana grew up in Catanauan, Quezon, Lucena City, and Marinduque Province. Although he graduated from culinary school in 2020, he was originally an accountant and had managed restaurants back in his home province. Currently, he’s the Executive Chef at Fable Melbourne, focusing on Mediterranean and modern cuisine, and was trained by Michelin-starred Chef Alex Xinis.
On the other hand, Chef Morris Danzen had been called to the kitchen early in life, as he started cooking out of necessity at 14 years old for his blind dad and brother while his mother and sister worked overseas. He had never dreamt of becoming a chef, but had previously worked at fast food chain restaurants and even as a personal chef in Cambodia for a time. He returned to the Philippines to pursue Multimedia Technology and gained experience as a videographer, photographer, and even a singer when he joined his sister’s band in China.
It was a few years later, when he moved to Italy with his family, that he found his calling in a professional kitchen when he had to revive the restaurant of his in-laws.
“From traditional Italian to Filipino and Sicilian cuisine, I called the restaurant ‘La Bottega Fusion Cuisine,’” Chef Morris told The Beat Asia. “I did my Filipino nights in Italy promoting Filipino cuisine, and eventually won a prestigious competition called ‘Gino Cerca Chef’ held in Italy and Manchester, England by Gino D’Acampo and Fred Siriex.”
However, the restaurant closed during the pandemic, which brought Chef Morris to Australia to search for a new culinary adventure. There, he became the chef at an Italian restaurant in Melbourne called Buono. The two chefs met at a Filipino gathering there, where they bonded over their passion for Filipino cuisine and culture. From there, they decided to put up a supper club with the aim of promoting Filipino food by blending traditional flavors with modern techniques and Australian produce.
“I was inspired by a supper club in Turin, Italy called LoftNovantadue, and I always love to incorporate and showcase our food,” said Chef Morris when asked about the reason they put up the supper club. “When I met Chef Michael, we had the same vision of creating dishes and reimagining Filipino food. Now the supper club gives us the opportunity to be creative and serve our food in our style.”
As for the name, Adobros represents the chefs' common denominator: their Filipino roots and their goal of wanting to introduce Filipino cuisine to the world. “Magkapatid kami sa Adobo (we’re brothers in Adobo),” Chef Michael said, pertaining to the dish considered the face of Philippine home cooking.
More than a Restaurant
Adobros isn’t just a restaurant, but a complete dining experience built around food, community, and tradition. It offers a kind of laid-back luxury, serving reimagined Filipino recipes that have all the familiar flavors but are presented in such a way that they bring something completely new to the table.
“We’re serving our food, culture, and our story. Something unfamiliar yet familiar, and creating something out of the box!” Chef Morris expressed. “Doing supper clubs isn’t easy because there’s a different menu every time. We’re inspired by the different regions of the Philippines, and since we still have full-time jobs at Fable and Buono, it really is a passion project. Our mission is to showcase Filipino food in Australia and inspire a new generation of chefs.”
“However, we are not elevating Filipino food,” Chef Michael added. “Because Filipino food is already elevated. Masarap na talaga ang pagkain natin (Our food is already delicious)!”
Both chefs have something unique to contribute, having experience in local kitchens and abroad. When it came to the skills and techniques they’ve mastered, Chef Morris mentioned that despite technique being very important in creating dishes, it is understanding the ingredients and how connected you are to the produce that you’re using that has helped them shape Adobros’ offerings and its overall identity.
And speaking of offerings, the chefs have quite an innovative and interesting dishes on menu. Although they recommend trying the whole experience where they can walk guests through the story behind every dish, the “Adobo Dessert” is what you shouldn’t miss. The chefs describe it as their out-of-the-box take on Filipino Adobo.
“It is an exercise in flavor balance, meriting a familiar yet unique multisensory experience. This creation successfully blends the caramelized richness of soy, the depth of umami, and the unexpected brightness of vinegar. It has chicken as well as Lakan lambanog for the coconut element. Think adobo sa gata (coconut milk) with saging (banana). We serve it with banana and miso caramel gelato.”
The chefs also stated that every dish they offer at the supper club is their signature dish, and they are constantly creating new menus. Some of their standout dishes include the “Tapsilog Arancini,” a Sicilian-inspired breakfast dish part of their trio canapés, where the rice is cooked with coconut milk and ginger, grated cured egg yolk, traditional tapa filling, and Adobros kesong puti (Filipino white cheese).
Another is the “Sinigang Risotto,” which is inspired by their favorite soup. It’s a fusion of Mediterranean and Filipino flavors, served with Moreton Bay Bugs, tamarind and tomato bisque, smoked eggplant tartare, and pickled okra. Other dishes served at their supper club include Crystal Sisig, Ensalada Tart, Laing Scallops, and the Oyster Sarciado.
“Our goal is to always offer something new, but still familiar. At the same time, we’re careful not to alienate non-Filipino diners from the flavors of Filipino food,” stated Chef Michael. The chefs also explained how Filipino ingredients are accessible through Asian stores in Australia. They would also sometimes ask people they know who are coming from the Philippines to bring some ingredients for their supper club.
Otherwise, they would find seasonal produce, which is also often more cost-effective, that can substitute for that particular ingredient. “We incorporate the Australian seasonal produce to amplify Filipino flavors,” Chef Morris pointed out. “It serves as our way of creating and inventing something new and also playing with Australian flavors.”
More than crafting and offering good food, Adobros is providing a dining experience that is authentically Filipino, which is reflected not only through the dishes and ingredients but also their service and restaurant’s atmosphere from the plates they use, which are sometimes in the form of banana leaves to the music they play that completes the vibe.
“We share the whole Filipino dining experience through hospitality and plate,” explained Chef Michael. “From how we greet them and how we start to eat by saying ‘Kain na (let’s eat),' to telling our own stories. By joining our supper club, they are able to learn a bit about our culture. There is a sense of connection when we host our supper clubs. It’s not just about the food, but our common whys. We share ourselves on a plate. And since it’s an invitation for everyone, guests would have the opportunity to also connect with each other and learn not only from us but also the stories of guests they shared the table with.”
“I cooked for a group of people in Italy and Melbourne, and they were so happy to try our flavors for the first time,” said Chef Morris when asked about his fondest memories of introducing Filipino food to locals. “The best experience was when they started cooking our dishes on their own after that experience. Knowing that they started cooking Filipino food on their own motivated me to do more for our cuisine.”
Chef Michael and Chef Morris are truly stepping up in terms of promoting Filipino cuisine, and what’s amazing about it is that they’re doing it Filipino style: by hosting community gatherings where food and stories are shared over a good meal.
The chefs are determined to continue their culinary journey with their supper club in Melbourne, all the while pursuing other big projects, all in the name of Filipino food. The chefs participated in the IFEX Philippines, where they got to showcase food the “Adobros’ way,” as well as a bunch of other events by Masterplan Global and Nutribullet Philippines, including collaborations with Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico with Chef Lau and Jac Laudico, Lobby 385 with Chef Kalel Chan, Kwentong Adobo with Mama Sita’s and the Adobo Queen, Nancy Reyes Lumen, and Lumpia Queen, Abi Marquez, who was named FOODPhilippines Advocate par Excellence.
As we wrapped up the interview, the chefs imparted some words of wisdom for aspiring cooks who share the same goal of sharing Filipino cuisine with the world.
“Remember to be authentic with flavors on how you want to present Filipino food. It doesn’t have to be elevated; we can simply advocate for Filipino food by sharing and being proud of our own. These small details make a difference if we do it all together.”
To know more about Adobros, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. For information on events and reservations, contact 0431896069 or email [email protected].
Location: Upstairs, 31 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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