Serving Up Success | Netflix's First Original Filipino-Produced Series 'Replacing Chef Chico’ Deserves a New Season

Written By Niko Del Rey

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

WARNING: DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW… on an empty stomach!! This is probably the biggest disclaimer I can give to new viewers and you have been warned. 

I had such a fun time binge watching Replacing Chef Chico on Netflix, starring Sam Milby (Chico), Alessandra de Rossi (Ella), and Piolo Pascual (Raymond), which is an 8 part Netflix series that just came out recently at the end of 2023. Aside from the mouth watering on-screen dishes, a star studded cast, and a heart warming storyline, what makes Replacing Chef Chico so unique is that it is the first Filipino-produced Netflix Original series. Could this be the start of the rise to global appreciation of Filipino made shows? Let’s look at what a winning recipe looks like to create Replacing Chef Chico.

First and foremost,the food in this series is not just the focal point for our protagonists but you can tell the production made it a priority as well. From the opening scene in episode one, Chef Ella is preparing a sisig lumpia dish and showing true culinary skill from the preparation, to the cooking, and to the presentation. However the real life culinary genius behind these irresistible works of art is Chef Mae Montalban. And according to her profile on Take A Chef, Chef Montalban has over 28 years of experience working in 5-star hotels, she once headed a culinary team as the Executive Chef during the Papal Visit in the Philippines hosting the Cardinal delegates from the Vatican in January 2015, and in addition to being a professional Chef, she is a part time instructor at the Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts while also being a culinary consultant opening restaurants and hotels.  

Secondly, the character development won me over and made me Team Ella by the end of the show. Replacing Chef Chico is a story about a struggling fine dining restaurant, Hain, and its Head Chef Chico, who had an unfortunate car accident and left it on the shoulders of the remaining chefs at Hain to figure out who will carry on the name and legacy of Hain in his absence. The series does a great job at highlighting different personas in the kitchen, front of house, and even the diners who come in. Exploring themes like gay rights, ageism, or women’s rights, it’s really easy to gravitate to any character on the show and connect with its viewers on a deeper level. In each episode, I honestly found myself resonating with a character or theme in one way or another, making me want to watch more.

Lastly, the way Replacing Chef Chico ties the storyline and the food presentation is very original and my favorite part of this series. We see cooking shows present fine dining dishes in a competitive format or even as interview based narratives but never have we seen a show tie the characteristics of its food into the drama or story telling part of a series. Doing my best to not give away any spoilers, the show essentially will create a dish, beautifully craft it on camera, and then explain how the dish's ingredients / origin can correlate and represent an issue for one of the characters in the episode. It sounds corny but trust me when I say that not only does the story telling of the food help us buy into the dish more but it works inversely and helps us relate to the character more due to the dish’s allure and history. And let’s be honest, anyone who enjoys a k-drama or a teleserye needs a little bit of cheese and corniness to really make us kilig and self imploding on the couch. 

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

If you’re in the mood to binge something short but something with value, I think Replacing Chef Chico is the perfect show for you. The essence of a telesyre, the allure to a cooking show, and it’s not a huge commitment with eight short episodes, you won’t regret spending your time on this first Filipino-produced Netflix original series. 

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

If you’ve already watched it (or rewatched it, for that matter) the hot topic everyone is curious about is whether there will be a second season of the series. 

Asof January 2024, a second season has not been officially announced. Fans are eagerly awaiting news, hoping that Netflix will renew the series. Although details from the cast and crew are scarce, the show's popularity could be a key factor in its renewal, according to sources.

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Written By Niko Del Rey

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