Culinary Brilliance

With his California culinary
background, one could
imagine Myron’s Chef Ramon
Eugenio stooped over a plain
12 inch chef’s knife and a
good paring knife, plus a
micro-planer at all times with
him, meticulously merging
casual gourmet ingredients
into unique, complementary,
and fantastically tasty pieces of
edible art never seen or tasted
by human kind. By Cristine Antonette B. Catu

As Myron’s Steaks Ribs & Seafood Chef in the Rockwell,
Mon Eugenio [LSGH ‘82] heads a team of dedicated men
and women to create the wonderful dishes, desserts, and
backed up with a concise but serious wine list. He has come full
circle as it has been acclaimed as one of Power Plant Mall’s best
restaurants, reflecting his intense passion and dedication to excellent
culinary artistry.
“We always try to be different and unique. We realize that service
should not be rigid. Flexibility and sincerity are keys to winning
the hearts of your guests,” Chef Mon says. “We research and
experiment. We try new things and new ingredients. Basically all
cooking is borne from classical cooking
techniques. That’s why we seek inspiration
from others who have gone before
us.”
Chef Mon’s innovations are evident
in such tradition-shattering creations
such as Baked Oysters with Foie Gras
and Shaved Onions, Cappuccino of Asparagus
Soup, Reuben Sandwich, Linguini
alle Vongole, Crispy Chicken Confit,
US Certified Angus Rib Eye Steaks,
Bacalao a la Myron, to name a few for
which he continuously creates intricate
menus.
A veteran in the food and beverage industry
from Japan and Manila, Chef Mon
was the Food and Beverage Management
Trainee in Nagoya Hilton in Japan in 1991,
whereas his food and beverage knowledge
and service skills grew by working
extensively in all the different restaurants
of the Nagoya Hilton: The Gallery, Terraces,
Seasons, Jurgen’s Bar, Windows
on the World, Genji, Dynasty and Room
Service. In addition, he was also tasked
to do special projects such as the Canadian
Food Festival and the improvement
of personnel grooming standards of the
Food and Beverage department.
Chef Mon applied to San Francisco’s prestigious culinary
school, California Culinary Academy to pursue culinary training in
preparation for his dream of eventually opening his own restaurant.
During his free time, he trained at Ma Tante Sumi, an Asian fusion
restaurant in the Castro district. He did his externship with Chef
Elka Gilmore at Elka’s Restaurant in Lower Pacific Heights. Experience
at these two restaurants nurtured his interest in multi-cultural
cuisine, thus, the future chef graduated with an Associate in Occupational
Studies in Culinary Arts in December 1993.
Thereafter, he returned to Manila and worked with Shangri-la
Manila’s F&B department. He headed Cheval Blanc and Island
Cafe. As a first-time entrepreneur, he was involved personally from
restaurant concept and design, kitchen and dining room systems,
workflow analysis, menu creation, and management of the operation.
It was while Chef Mon was cooking in Katips Bar & Grillery,
which he owns that he experienced the idea of the nouveau Filipino
comfort food and Pan-Asian cuisine – and he was hooked.
In 1988, Chef Mon got married with Monica Papa-Eugenio, a graduate
of the French Culinary Institute in New York, U.S.A. in 1998. She
apprenticed under the tutelage of Culinary Master Chef Daniel Boulud
and Master Pastry Chef Francois Payard of Restaurant Daniel, New
York; as well as Master Pastry Chef Jacques Torres of Le Cirque at
New York. She further honed her culinary skills at the Tivoli Grill under
the close supervision of Chef Norbert Gandler which earned her a
Silver Medal for Set Menu in the Philippine’s annual Chefs on Parade
in 1997. Early culinary influences came from her family roots of the
Lazatins of San Fernando, Pampanga.
Boldly inventive Chef Melanio Resuma joined Chef Mon and Monique
as Director of Kitchen Operations
for their company called More Than a
Weekend Gourmet, Inc. Chef Mel was
named multi-awarded Gold & Silver
Medalist from the local and international
food & beverage associations, Chefs on
Parade and Les Toques Blanches from
1996 to 2002.
The three forms the core of the Culinary
Team of More Than A Weekend
Gourmet, Incorporation. The group has
since been engaged in catering for small
intimate dinner parties.
Chef Mon decided to turn his longtime
dream of opening his own restaurant
into a reality. Standing in the ground
floor of Power Plant Mall, the 40 year old
chef thought about everything he had
done in his life to bring him to this moment.
Over the next few months, they
turned this once raw retail space into a
beautiful and funky high-end eating establishment.
Myron’s Steaks Ribs & Seafood
[which is named after Monique’s late father
Myron Papa] at long last, opened
its doors with the mission to make a difference
in the dining experience of every
guest by committing the highest quality and greatest value to
every client, every team member, and every shareholder we serve.
The restaurant in the heart of Makati, serves up boldly flavoured
Contemporary Asian cuisine, with inventive casual gourmet influences.
For Chef Mon, vision, dedication and a capacity for hard work
are the secrets of being a great chef. Some people think that being
a chef is a glamorous job, well it is not. It is a long day for most, so
get in the kitchen and buckle down to work.
A visit to Myron’s affirms he has succeeded in achieving his vision.
The dining room is warm and inviting with its unique decorations.
Power Plant Mall’s homey and friendly feeling is genuine. After
all, the restaurant is very much a product of the efforts of Chef
Mon and his wife with partner Chef Mel, who have rolled up their
sleeves and given of their time and energy and experiences to help
open the restaurant. Chef Mon hopes all of his patrons feel part of
the extended family when dining at Myron’s Steaks Ribs & Seafood
which is located at the ground floor. A
BrilliancCulinary e