Pinoy’s culinary dream takes shape in ‘MasterChef’

Matthew Astorga

Moving to Canada when he was a kid didn’t necessarily mean that “MasterChef Canada” contestant Matthew Astorga also left behind Pinoy culture and food—it’s the opposite, in fact.

“I grew up on a lot of Filipino food,” said Astorga, who spoke with the Inquirer in a recent phone interview. “I was born in the Philippines. My family immigrated to Canada when I was 4 years old.”

Astorga’s exposure to Filipino cuisine in his childhood was instrumental in his journey as an aspiring cook: “Food is a big part of our culture. My mom would cook, and it was the highlight of our day. I learned to cook at an early age by watching her and my tita from the Philippines—they love to cook!”

But Astorga was a digital design consultant prior to joining the Canadian version of the TV tilt (which airs weeknights on Lifetime, 8 p.m.).

“In order to become part of the competition, you have to be an amateur cook. Before I was in the food industry, I was an entrepreneur. I started my design business when I was 18. I was working on that until the show started,” explained Astorga. “I closed down my company because I wanted to pursue something in the food industry.”

The British Columbia resident added that taking part in a world-famous contest would be beneficial to his pursuit of new opportunities. “My ‘food dream’ is to create a brand. In order to start a brand, it’s nice to have that platform. That’s why I closed my business,” elaborated Astorga, whose audition dish was jasmine-smoked salmon in miso dashi broth, with grilled green onion, edamame, shiitake mushrooms and seaweed chips.

Being in “MasterChef” also changed him in other ways: “It pushes a person to the absolute limit, both culinary-wise and [in terms of] mental toughness…So, I kept pushing myself.”

The Filipino trait most useful to him during the competition? “My love for food. What actually gave me a lot of inspiration was the fact that I was Filipino—I was exposed to more food. In the Philippines, we ‘melt’ different cultures in our food. That really helped me out, because I was exposed to diverse flavor profiles.”

He tried out for the first two seasons of the cooking show’s Canadian iteration but didn’t make it. By the third season, he got in. “I already knew what to expect, and I was more confident,” said the contestant, who is the grandson of the late vice mayor of Manila, Herminio Astorga.

He isn’t the only Fil-Canadian in the contest, however. Another competitor, Jeremy Senaris, is especially knowledgeable in Filipino cuisine.

“Jeremy is my kuya. He was born in Canada; I look up to him like an older brother. We’re close, and we talk almost every day,” Astorga disclosed. “Our food styles are a little different…I’m also good with French, Italian and American food. Jeremy is a very good Filipino cook. I can do it well, but it’s his forte…his specialty.”

Astorga is mum on whether he incorporated Filipino dishes during the challenges: “I definitely used a lot of things I love about the Philippines. I love halo-halo, sinigang…and, of course, chicken adobo is one of my favorites. I’m not allowed to say if I end up cooking the dish, but I love those things!”

The show is different from other cooking competitions, he said, because “MasterChef” contestants are just “regular people” who are talented in cooking—but there’s tough rivalry, too.

“Oh my goodness, the competition…it was fierce!” Astorga revealed. “[But] we all managed to remain good friends. It’s the Canadian spirit of being nice to each other. We get better just by the fact that everybody is so good!”