Southern Star

The culinary genius behind Gallery VasK blends authentic spanish flavours with innovative techniques at Enye by Chele Gonzalez in cebu, writes Marga Manlapig

- Marga Manlapig

Mention the name Jose Luis ‘Chele’ Gonzalez and, chances are, the first thing that will come to mind is the wonderfully curated and prepared anthropological cuisine that has become his stock in trade at Gallery VASK in Bonifacio Global City.

Gonzalez’s dishes combine local ingredients with impeccable technique—a quality that reflects the chef ’s training with some of the world’s masters of gastronomy, an elite roster that includes the legendary father-daughter team of Juan Mari Arzak and Elena Arzak Espina. It is, thus, not surprising that Gallery VASK was hailed among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants for two years in a row, placing 39th in 2016 and 35th in 2017. But this also begs the question: where does a genius of Gonzalez’s calibre go from here? For that, you have to look towards the Queen City of the South where Enye by Chele Gonzalez serves up exquisite Spanish flavours as the sun goes down.

Located at the Crimson Resort and SpaMactan in Cebu, Enye takes its name from the letter ‘ñ’ which appears in both the Spanish and Filipino alphabets—a lingering symbol of the impact Spanish colonisation has had on local culture and tradition. Here, diners can see a different side of Gonzalez: one that plays up his own culinary heritage from Spain.

“[At Enye], I want to feature honest, authentic flavours,” he says. “The food here is not fancy, nor is it fine dining. It’s just good food you can enjoy with family and friends.”

Indeed, the space occupied by the restaurant can best be described as comfortable and convivial. The main dining area is wide and spacious with magnificent views of the resort down below; it doubles as an excellent observation deck for lovely coastal sunsets and, on special occasions, glittering fireworks lighting up the night sky.