Chef Tatung Sarthou launches new cookbook

Chef Tatung Sarthou with his new book Simpol Dishkarte.

You’ve got to hand it to celebrity chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou. There really is no stopping him. After making private dining in his home in Antipolo, Rizal, available to destination diners in May last year, he opened one restaurant concept after another in the next few months. There’s Lore Manila, which opened at One Bonifacio High Street Mall in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, on 25 November 2022. Next came Azadore, which is doing very well since it opened its doors to the dining public at Sct. Fernandez corner Sct. Torillo, Quezon City, on 27 March 2023. And the most recent addition to the Chef Tatung restaurants, New York, Cubao, at the Public Eatery, Robinsons Magnolia, Quezon City, just last 26 April.

While you are still marveling at how chef Tatung is able to create all these different restaurant concepts, make each of them work, and keep the consistency of the food at all times, he is on to another new venture. Just last week, he launched his latest book, Simpol Dishkarte, at The Alley by Vikings, UP Town Center, Quezon City.

Also found in the book is lengua with cream sauce and mushrooms.

Not an ordinary cookbook filled with recipes, Simpol Dishkarte is a comprehensive guide for Pinoy cooking, designed to make cooking more enjoyable and stress-free. It teaches kitchen basics in easy terms, so that even those who know nothing about cooking will learn not just the basics but also kitchen hacks, tips, tricks and more. It has its share of recipes, and these are easy to follow, especially since the book is written in spoken Filipino language, or Filipino-English combination. Some even have step-by-step photos and illustrations.

One of the recipes that can be found in the book is longganisa de rekado.

“Simpol Dishkarte was written to bridge the skill gap of home cooks to satisfy the discriminating tastes of people who frequent restaurants when served with home-cooked dishes. It is also written for non-English speakers by providing technical and practical know-how in the kitchen to function in a home or even commercial setting,” says chef Tatung. “The book is a perfect primer for

non-cooks who want to venture into the kitchen, mga naghahanap ng ibang career or hanapbuhay. It’s suitable for entry-level or community-based food businesses.”

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOLLY DY-ZULUETA FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE
Book launch at The Alley by Vikings.

The original book, Dishkarte, was initially published in 2018 and is well-loved by Filipinos all over the world. It was named as one of the top winners of the Filipino Readers’ Choice Award in 2022. Simpol Dishkarte is an updated version, imparting a lot of new knowledge, ideas and recipes.

Priced at P390, Simpol Dishkarte is available in all National Bookstore and Fully Booked outlets and online on Amazon, Simpol stores in Shopee and Lazada.