Pinas Simpol: Chef Tatung Sarthou Launches Landmark Book, Redefining Filipino Cooking as a ‘Compass for Identity’

TAGUIG CITY, PHILIPPINES — November 12, 2025 — Acclaimed chef, author, and cultural advocate Myke “Tatung” Sarthou has unveiled his most defining work yet, Pinas Simpol: The Love and Lore of Filipino Cooking —a vibrant anthology of essays and recipes that reintroduces Filipino food as both heritage and philosophy.

Launched at Lore by Chef Tatung—his Michelin Selected 2026 restaurant in Bonifacio Global City—the event drew chefs, educators, and storytellers who hailed the book as a culinary homecoming: a return to the heart of Filipino cooking, where memory, history, and identity meet.

A Compass for the Filipino Table

In his address, Chef Tatung spoke not of ingredients, but of meaning.

“When I wrote my first book, I only wanted to tell our story—to show that Filipino food is intelligent, beautiful, and rooted,” he shared. “Along the way, I realized this work isn’t really about recipes. It’s about remembering—giving words to what we already know by heart.”

Pinas Simpol reframes Filipino cooking not as chaos, but as coherence—a living system shaped by geography, history, and heart. At its core are the Four Legs of the Filipino Table, the moral architecture of our cuisine:

●          Rooted — carrying history while adapting to the present.

●          Resilient — turning thrift into sustenance and grace.

●          Respectful — where every meal is an act of hospitality.

●          Responsive — embracing change without losing essence.

“Our cuisine has never been improvised; it has always been intelligent,” Chef Tatung explained. “The laga, the ihaw, the gisa, the gata—they’re not just techniques. They’re gestures of care, proof that simplicity can hold great wisdom.”

The Simpol Way: Wisdom for the Modern Kitchen

To bring this philosophy to everyday life, Pinas Simpol introduces the Simpol ABC Framework — Assemble, Build, Complete — a three-act method that turns recipes into living stories.

It invites home cooks to trust intuition over perfection, embracing the Filipino value of tantsa—that deeply cultural instinct to cook by feel.

In her foreword, Nicole Ponseca, Filipino American restaurateur and author, writes:

“Chef Tatung doesn’t erase the complexity—he reframes it. Through his Simpol ABC Framework, he offers a way into the maze... Simpol—but never simple.”

Beautifully photographed and thoughtfully written, this 208-page, full-color edition blends cultural storytelling, culinary science, and practical wisdom, serving as both a teaching guide and a love letter to the Filipino kitchen.

A Journey Ten Years in the Making

The release of Pinas Simpol marks a decade since Chef Tatung’s debut as an author—a journey that has redefined how Filipino cuisine is written, taught, and remembered.

Over ten years and three bestselling titles, he has earned four Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, with international recognition for his Simpol series:

• Philippine Cookery: from Heart to Platter (2017) — Best TV Chef Book Outside Europe

• Simpol: The Cookbook (2021) — Best Easy Recipes Book & Best Television Chef Book in the World

• Simpol Dishkarte (2023) — Best Celebrity Chef Book in the World

These milestones are more than accolades—they represent a movement to simplify, dignify, and celebrate Filipino cooking.

GET YOUR COPY NOW — BRING HOME THE WISDOM OF SIMPOL

Pinas Simpol: The Love and Lore of Filipino Cooking retails for ₱790.

• Online: Available now on all major e-commerce platforms.

• In Stores: Coming soon to leading bookstores nationwide.

This 208-page, full-color volume belongs in every Filipino kitchen— a  book to cook with, learn from, and pass on.

Discover the Filipino table as it was meant to be shared.