‘My food is already out there being executed by chefs’

‘My food is already out there being executed by chefs’

Matthew Astorga

By Mila Astorga-Garcia

(This is a continuation of a series on two Filipino Canadian finalists of MasterChef Canada, Living their Dreams and Two Pinoy-Canadians in top three finalists of MasterChef Canada

What follows is The Philippine Reporter’s interview with MasterChef 2016 finalist Matthew Astorga.

The Philippine Reporter: How did you get into the MasterChef competition?

Matthew Astorga: MasterChef Canada is a franchise…a brand that is all over the world. Not only the US version, but other international versions, like MasterChef Australia and MasterChef UK as well.

When MasterChef Canada finally came, I was excited and I applied. Something that people might not know… I was actually googling MasterChef Canada before it was announced. I actually applied for the show in the 1st and 2nd season. I almost didn’t apply for this season but I’m glad I did. Because in the third season, I actually was able to practice more.

Tens of thousands applied all across Canada. I was asked to go for an interview for the province …(this involved) two days of casting and roughly 25 people per day. I got a call back. It starts with an online application, then a phone call from a producer, then an invitation to an audition.

TPR: What is your educational and career background?

MA: I was born in Makati, Philippines. My family came to Canada when I was 5 years old. Then I moved to Calgary with family when I was 15 and finished high school there. When I was 19, I moved to BC, and have been living in various cities across the province. I went to school and studied graphic design and started my first company when I was 18.

TPR: How did you get to be interested in cooking food?

MA: Food is very much a big part of our culture. Watching my titas and my lolas and my mom cooking. I started just watching. When I was around 4, I told baby sitter and I was allowed to cook. I ended up cooking omelette for my sister.

As I grew up, I got a lot more exposure to food. My level of aspiration just became higher. I fell in love with French cuisine, Italian cuisine, mixing all that together is my kind of food style.

TPR: How do you feel about being among the top three MasterChef Canada Season 3 finalists?

MA: Winning in the top 14 was already amazing. And the top three… there have only been nine of us contestants in the entire MasterChef Canada who have made it that far, who made it to that level. I’m really proud of what I did in the show.

TPR: What doors have been opened for you?

MA: I actually shut down my graphic design business and started working as corporate chef in a big restaurant in Vancouver. I’m also opening up my own concept restaurant (Asian fusion) with the Joseph Richard Group and David Jorge, MasterChef Canada 2015. Apart from creating a menu for this new concept but also doing a lot of wine tasting dinners, and beer tasting dinners, about 13 events per month all over the mainland. My food is already out there being executed by chefs – in all of the Joseph Richard group restaurants.

I experienced so much positive support not only from the judges but form the contestants. It’s so much fun. I never joined MasterChef Canada just to be famous. My goal was to make my dream come true—to open up my restaurant and my dream has come true, and some more, because of the show, and having the dream job of being MasterChef in the Joseph Richard group.

TPR: Any suggestions for young people on what it takes to be successful – in your area or general area?

MA: For me, it is being truly happy with whatever you are doing. Whatever I did I always followed my dreams. I took my chance by joining MasterChef Canada. My food dream, my life dream, I was not afraid to go for it. As scary as it is, what to do is make that decision to do it, and never look back.