Asia is one food-crazy continent! We take great care to pick restaurants based on culinary vibes, rankings on international gourmand guides, mentions in magazines, Instagrammability, and added hunger. Yes, Chef! features the region’s chefs' stories of love and labour in kitchens that have made some of our restaurants the next big thing in Asia.

It’s not every day that you get to sit down with a culinary veteran, so when we got the opportunity to talk to Chef Jessie Sincioco, a.k.a. the country’s first Filipina pastry chef, we jumped at the chance to hear about the inspiring moments from her career and maybe even learn a few baking techniques. What we didn’t expect was to be swept away in a story of quiet resilience, bold reinvention, and deep faith — one that began with a single slice of mango cake.

In our latest Yes, Chef! exclusive, Chef Jessie walks us through her culinary journey — from the beginning when she won the Great Maya Cookfest in 1983 to how she steadily carved her place with precision, patience, and unmistakable flavor in a male-dominated industry. We talked about the defining moments of her career, such as cooking for the late Pope Francis, putting up some of the country’s most enduring restaurants, and the values she carried with her every time she steps into the kitchen.

It All Started with a Cake

Many would argue that to be a master at anything, one must start practicing early in life, but Chef Jessie never had the desire to become a chef.

“I actually shied away from the kitchen when I was young because I hated the smell of garlic and onion,” she revealed. “Because they really stick to your clothes and your body. But through the years, I found out I love baking. I love everything about it. All the sweet stuff — chocolates, cream, the strawberries, and fresh fruits. And so that's how I started with my work in the kitchen.”

When asked about her first brush with the craft, the Chef took us through a kind of accidental incident way back in the 80s that led her to become a contestant in a prestigious baking competition, The Great Maya Cookfest.

“It was my aunt who raised me, actually, who prodded me to join the contest. She was taking baking lessons at the Maya kitchens at that time, and they were running the contest, and it was already like the last weekly finals. They were still looking for a really good baking, entry, and so they were asking her to join. But my aunt is a nervous freak, so she asked me to join instead!”

And the rest, as they say, is history. Chef Jessie worked with her aunt to concoct an original cake recipe. They ended up using mango, a fruit that is popular for its unique sweetness in the Philippines, and called it “My Tita’s Special Treat” — a mango cake with cream and cream cheese filling, and fresh mangoes. The simple yet tasty delight won the grand prize of the competition. More than that, it also captured the attention of one of the judges, who offered the pastry chef the chance of a lifetime.

“The grand finals were held at the ballroom of Hotel InterContinental, and one of the judges was the resident manager of the hotel. He was not a Filipino, and he was the only judge allowed to look at all the competitors. Among the six finalists, I was the only one he offered a job to. He told me, ‘Young lady, I'm offering you three months' training in our pastry section. And that was the start. I always tell people that the mango cake is like my passport to the culinary world.”

Breaking Barriers as a Woman in the Kitchen

Chef Jessie’s culinary journey didn’t end as a grand winner of the cook fest, though it could have if she had chosen a different path from the internship. In fact, before joining the competition, she was already poised to work in the money market division of a bank, having taken finance and banking.

The Great Maya Cookfest was like a twist of fate, a light on a road God wanted her to pursue. However, just like most pursuits, her three-month training period didn’t come without challenges.

“When I entered the Hotel InterContinental kitchen, there was no girl in the kitchen,” she told The Beat Asia. “Everybody, from the cold kitchen to the hot and the pastry, all male. It was a bit challenging at that time, especially since the assistant of our Swiss pastry chef then, who was a Filipino, made a statement saying, ‘There is no girl in my kitchen.’”

This didn’t faze her, however, and she continued with her training. Work in the kitchen was laborious and fast-paced, the chef shared, saying how she had to exert extra effort physically, like lifting sacks of sugar, to prove that she could also do what any other chef can do in that kitchen. With her talent and dedication, she ended up becoming the favorite assistant of their Swiss pastry chef!

“Every time he would have a new dessert, he would call me and ask me to work with him on whatever new dessert he was making. And it went on like that. His other assistant couldn't say anything. He had to live with it. *laughs*.”

A month into her training, however, Chef Jessie received word that an employee from the pastry section had resigned — a rare occurrence considering, during that time, workers often grew old with the hotel. Their Swiss pastry chef asked her to fill in, and she grabbed the chance. She worked for the hotel for over seven years, and after her tenure, she was granted the title “First Filipina Pastry Chef” — a title that was usually only given to male expat chefs. The chef expressed that it felt like God’s plan from the beginning.

After a few years, the chef was presented with another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which was to become the personal chef of Pope Francis during his visit in 2015.

“When I was chosen to prepare the food for the Holy Father, my God! It felt like heaven! I was really jumping around and so happy. But when I came back to my senses, I thought, 'Oh my! This entails a lot of responsibility,' and of course, I prayed for it and said that this won't be given to me if God knew I won't be able to do it. I really considered it a big blessing since there were so many good chefs around.”

We got a glimpse into what she prepared for the pope, discovering that the Roast Beef was his favorite. She also revealed that Pope Francis had a sweet tooth and loved desserts, especially gelato, so she served him a Flambéed Mango with Mantecado Ice Cream. He had two generous servings, and Chef proudly told us how the glass was swiped clean. Additionally, she also served him an Argentinian dish, Chicken Chimichurri, which was also a hit with the pope.

The pastry chef has proven that she’s not only a master baker but a great cook, having served original and popular recipes in her two restaurants, Chef Jessie Rockwell Club and Chef Jessie’s Place. Her talent also shines through in her recipe contributions in “Kulinarya” — a beloved cookbook published by Anvil Publishing in partnership with the Asia Society of the Philippines. The book recently released its Third Edition, which still includes all the iconic recipes from the six chef contributors, as well as new photos and newly designed pages.

Each of the chefs came from different provinces in the Philippines and contributed 10 regional recipes for the culinary guidebook. Hailing from Bulacan, Chef Jessie named the Pork BBQ, Pancit Bihon (stir-fried noodle dish) — which are both very popular at her restaurants, and the Sapin-Sapin — a layered glutinous rice and coconut dessert, as her top three favorite recipes in the book.

“I think the best version of Sapin-Sapin is in Bulacan,” she said. “I really take pride in it. It’s actually my mom’s recipe. The layers of the mixture are so delicate. It's so nice to eat and very creamy, especially if you have the latik (caramelized coconut) on top.”

Additionally, Chef’s recipes have reached aspiring cooks and restaurateurs abroad. She told us a heartwarming story about her visit to Toronto for a cooking lesson with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) last April, and how one of the students had come up to her, saying that he used her pandesal (Filipino soft bread) recipe, which became a crowd favorite at his restaurant.

There’s no doubt that Filipino cuisine is steadily breaking into the international culinary scene. In 2018, Chef Jessie served as an assistant to her niece, Chef Abie Sincioco-Mateo, for the Embassy Chef's Challenge in Washington D.C., where their Sisig dish conquered the competition and won first place in both the Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice categories.

When asked about what made their Sisig so good, the Chef revealed their secret ingredient: chicken liver adobo, “I think that made it more tasty. The secret is not to overcook it [liver] and make that adobo taste.”

Additionally, the veteran chef also believed that Sinigang, a popular local soup, is a dish that would most likely win any foreign competition as well.

From an award-winning mango cake to recipe contributions and successful restaurant ventures, Chef Jessie has made her mark in the industry one tasty dish at a time and continues to do so as she participates in more events, such as festivals and restaurant collaborations. She recently took part in the Makati Food Festival and has a place among the international restaurants at Araneta City’s World Kitchens.

She definitely had a long and rewarding journey, and when asked about her advice for aspiring chefs, she said: “I always tell people, especially young ones, that they should not be swayed just because being a chef is popular. They need to have, first and foremost, a love for the craft and the profession. If the interest and the love for cooking are truly innate, then they should do it. If you want to be successful, you have to do something that you really love. If you love what you do, you become passionate.”

And of course, Chef Jessie’s success is not only a testament to her skill and talent, but also to her enduring faith, stating that should she encapsulate her life’s journey so far, it is that everything has been in God’s plan.

To know more, visit Chef Jessie’s Restaurants website or follow them on Instagram.

Restaurant Information:

• Chef Jessie’s Place 

Location: 595 Obrero St., cor Pililia and Tanay Sts Barangay Valenzuela Makati City

Operation Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11 AM to 9 PM

For reservations or inquiries regarding catering, contact +63 88906543, 88907630, or +639178585466. You may also email chefjessiesplace@chefjessie.com or follow them on Facebook.

• Chef Jessie’s Rockwell Club 

Location: Amorsolo Dr, Makati, Metro Manila

Operation Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11 AM to 9 PM 

For reservations, contact 8254-0229 local 825, 8253-4732, +639770976649. You may also email rockwell.club@chefjessie.com or follow them on Facebook.

• Chef Jessie’s at World Kitchens

Location: Level 4, Gateway Mall 2, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City

Operation Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11:30 AM to 3 PM and 5:30 PM  to 10 PM; Friday to Saturday, 10:30 AM to 11 PM; Sunday: 11 AM to 10 PM

For reservations, contact +63 288609799 or +63 918 9394537. You may also email wkreservations@aranetagroup.com.

Enjoyed this article? Check out our previous Yes Chef! profiles here.