Flavor is honed through hard work, dedication, and a passion for food. Few embody this more than Chef Princess Anne Uy, the Filipino chef making waves on Australia’s culinary stage and bringing Filipino flavors to the world.

In our latest Yes, Chef! exclusive, she opened up about her inspiring journey — from her beginnings in the Philippines to rising as Head Chef at Nobu, and now serving as Executive Sous Chef at Marvel Stadium, where she has launched seven microbrands, including Hawker by Princess, Souvlaki, Chutney, KTown, FYSH, and Little Lygon. Her list of achievements is equally impressive, which includes being Top 5 in the 2023 World Food Championship BBQ category, Top 2 in the 2024 Seafood category, and a Silver Knife, 2nd place finish in Bocuse d’Or Australia.

Chef Princess also shared the challenges and triumphs of carving out a career abroad, her philosophy behind balancing traditional Filipino flavors with modern techniques and presentation, and her heartfelt advice for aspiring chefs dreaming of making it big on the global stage.

Hi, Chef! You’ve built a remarkable culinary career in Australia. Can you take us back to where your journey as a chef began?

When I was young, I would always cook with my grandma. We have a small canteen that we run as a family, and we always do a Sunday roast. In college, I worked at Jollibee as part of the service crew, and that was where my culinary career started. After university, I worked in different hotels and restaurants and even taught at San Sebastian College. And then, I migrated to Australia to be with my husband.

I started from scratch again because my qualifications were not recognized in Australia. I started as a dishwasher, then slowly got into different restaurants, before coming to Crown Casino, where I worked at a small Japanese restaurant. I then went to Nobu and worked my way up to becoming Head Chef. After that, I tried putting up my own restaurant, but I was unsuccessful. I then went to Marvel Stadium as an Executive Sous Chef and opened seven microbrands for the whole stadium. It was well-received by the patrons.

What inspired you to pursue this path?

When I make any kind of food at an event or a degustation, my guests always come and finish with a smile, like it’s given them new memories or has given them a chance to reminisce about memories from their lives.

Pursuing this path isn’t just a dream now — it’s a commitment to deliver and serve with quality and heart.

How was your experience of navigating the culinary world abroad as a Filipino chef?

There were a lot of experiences and struggles in terms of identity and representation, as well as cultural and language barriers, like kitchen culture shock with the diversity of cultures in each kitchen or workplace.

There’s also skill recognition and career growth. Many of us Filipino chefs abroad started from the bottom. We began in entry-level roles like dishwashing or prep, regardless of our experience back home. Climbing the ladder can be slow and often requires proving ourselves repeatedly. But we also [develop] our work ethic.

Filipino chefs are known for their resilience, adaptability, and strong work ethic, qualities that often help them stand out and gain respect over time.

Even while working internationally, you’ve remained deeply connected to your Filipino roots. How do you keep Philippine flavors and traditions alive in your cooking?

I have a deep love for Filipino food and culture. Even if I do mostly international cuisine, I have incorporated Filipino flavors into some of my dishes to elevate and help them become mainstream. We need to adapt and preserve our heritage with other cuisines to be known in the world.

Has living and working in Australia influenced your approach to Filipino cuisine?

It helped me improve and innovate, and at the same time, preserve the Filipino recipes, traditional cooking methods, and taste. Living in Australia for 13 years has opened my palate to try different cuisines, learn new techniques and trends in the cooking and hospitality industry, which has broadened my knowledge and skills.

When introducing Filipino dishes or flavors to international audiences, what aspects of the cuisine do you highlight most?

Every time I cook or present a dish to international audiences, I make sure there’s a story to highlight in the dish, to curate the dish based on my experiences, and combine new learnings. While preparing the dish, I also make sure to draw it and ensure the taste matches the presentation and color combination, as our eyes taste first before our tongue.

Could you tell us about a Filipino dish you wish to recreate that you believe would be popular among international audiences?

I would say one of my signature dishes: the Pato Tocino, Umami Lechon Belly, Sea Urchin Palabok, and the Prawn Toast Kare-Kare Bonito.

You recently showcased your creations in Manila for the fifth edition of Guevarra’s Taste of the Philippines. How did it feel to bring your work back home and share it with a Filipino audience?

It was such an honor to be given a chance to present it in the Philippines. I am grateful to know the power couple of Chef Laudico, as we also have the same vision as my partner, Chef Marc Nacua. We'd love to have more collaborations to present and show more of our Filipino food to be in the world stage!

You presented Umami Lechon Belly Roll, Prawn Toast Kare-Kare Bonito, Chicken Moringa Chawanmushi, and Seafood Udon. Can you talk us through the inspiration behind these dishes?

I worked in Nobu Melbourne for 8 years, so I am more experienced in Japanese cuisine. I really love to incorporate that experience to lift and elevate our Filipino dishes. Japanese food is clean in taste and palate — technical but simple.

As Filipino food is so extensive to make, adapting Japanese techniques helps me to lighten up the process and present it in a more innovative way.

Each dish blends Filipino flavors with international techniques and influences. How do you strike that balance without losing the soul of the cuisine?

We need to have a deep knowledge of Filipino taste, story, and culture so that we know how to retain the taste while changing or innovating the techniques. We can really see a good potential for Filipino food in the whole world.

We are also into the culinary scene of Melbourne and following the trends and techniques in our country. By creating our signature dishes, like our Maja de Cacao and Coconut Granita, we’re able to give great innovation by combining flavors of our heritage with modern Australian technique and plating.

Australia has a diverse food culture. One of them is Japanese, and most of my flavors are a mixture of Japanese and Filipino flavors, but plated in a modern Australian way. We have used a lot of local Australian produce, like finger limes, which are related to our calamansi. Macadamia as well, since we love to use peanuts as a savory element in our desserts.

Looking back, which accomplishment stands out the most to you, and how has it shaped your journey?

One of the highlights of my career was being in the corporate world at Nobu. It was a great achievement where I ran 35-45k patrons in the stadiums with AFL (Australian Football League) footy and concerts. I had six brands executed that were well-received by the patrons in AFL 2025. Upcoming events in Marvel Stadium include concerts of Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Oasis, Fridays, and Metallica.

It shaped us through experience, journey, and challenges. We keep going and learning from our competitors, acquaintances, and colleagues. We expanded our network and connections by continuously collaborating in community events and with various chefs around the world.

What message do you hope your work sends to aspiring Filipino chefs, especially those dreaming of making their mark internationally?

To all the young chefs out there, all you need to do is learn from the basics. Don’t take any shortcuts, learn from everyone, and [gain] experience. Failure is the best teacher in life. Bring yourself with respect and keep being resilient and hard-working!

You can stay tuned to Chef Princess Anne’s culinary journey by following her on Facebook and Instagram.

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