According to Dr. Michele Bathan-Vatanagul, she never intended to enter the food business. Let me tell you a story:
Dr. Michele and her husband, Dr. Jarungchai Anton S. Vatanagul, own Cracking D Boards Study and Review Inc., for whom she operated a dormitory for the review students. Meals were provided to support their stay-in program.
After hiring Chef Eddie Chua, whose meals soon captured more than just the taste buds of the students, Michele asked him if he was willing to get into catering. That’s where it all began. Starting with just one booking a month, Gourmet Secrets soon expanded considerably. “We kept on accepting orders, but soon realized we demanded quality over quantity,” Michele asserted.
She also saw the business as a way of uplifting her staff, and enrolled them in Hotel and Restaurant Management courses, equipping them with necessary skills in food preparation. And it has paid off. Gourmet Secrets now counts large corporations as their clients.
Their menu reflects both flexibility and Filipino favorites. Among them: barbecue, humba, fresh lumpia, leche flan and more. But they still believe that their edge is generosity. Customers say the food seems unlimited — they always prepare for more!
The virtue of generosity was very evident during the pandemic when the company shifted to packed meals to show support at a difficult time, says Michele. But beyond catering, Michele’s personal passion lies in culinary medicine. Since cooking is her forte, she has enrolled in a Lifestyle Medicine course. In short, she can now design nourishing menus to counteract diabetes and/or hypertension. This is her way of supporting lifestyle medicine — helping individuals and communities prevent chronic disease, improve overall well-being and experience the joy of healthy living without compromising on taste.
Indeed, Gourmet Secrets, through this advocacy, hopes to inspire people to see that wellness can be celebrated at the table!
And while we’re on the subject of meals, Dr. Michele can also determine what to eat — and what not to eat — to gain or lose unwanted pounds. Eat healthy and still look good!