A LOVER of food, photography, and travel—indeed it is a proud moment for Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino as it welcomes internationally-acclaimed chef, Simon Sperling, as its new Executive Chef.
Born and raised in Germany, Chef Simon’s passion for cooking began at an early age.
With a budding enthusiasm for the craft, he decided to pursue a career in the industry soon after finishing high school. His early years as an apprentice chef were spent in his homeland where he rightfully earned his Master Chef title. Seeking to advance his skills, he went on to join Celebrity Cruise Lines as the cruise ship’s Executive Chef.
Following this were his stints in international hotels & resorts in different parts of the globe, particularly Asia and the Middle East.
With a remarkable 30 years of valuable experience in restaurants, cruise ships, hotels and resorts, learning about people and their culture is an opportunity he deems valuable. The culinary genius considers guest satisfaction as one of the greatest rewards of his job. He notes that the interaction with guests, the fulfillment of their wishes, and the ability to make them happy with simple pleasures drive him to be better at what he does.
Chef Simon reveals his masterpieces are greatly influenced by his love for Mediterranean cuisine. He enjoys making dishes that are light and tasteful; one of his cooking principles to always keep the main ingredients the star of the dish.
As a traveler, he also gets his inspirations from the different countries he has had the pleasure of visiting. “It is like putting pieces of a puzzle together when I mix and match seasonings and ingredients from different continents.” he says.
Even with his global stints, the renowned expert is no stranger to the Philippines as he spent his first 2 years in Asia working as the Executive Chef for a business hotel in Cebu. The country seems to be close to his heart quite literally too, as his wife is a Filipina.
When asked about his greatest accomplishment as a chef, he says “I can’t think of a single point, my career itself is my accomplishment.” He feels grateful for the respect he gains from people in the industry who looks to him for his input. But ever the family man, he says his biggest blessing is still his family and their good health.
Chef Simon has undoubtedly established a name for himself as a distinguished international culinary expert. But he proves his creativity extends well beyond the kitchen as he is also a promising photographer and is quickly gaining a crowd of followers for his works. Having been to four continents and having worked in 12 countries, he shares his dream to see more of the world and take photos of it. He adds that his love for photography grew mainly because of his desire to share what he sees of the world.
With a talent of his caliber, Chef Simon is certainly accomplishing his aspiration to share his view of the humanity through food and photography. (Fiona S. Escandor)