A matter of good taste
For chef Chele González, good taste isn’t just about what’s on the plate. It’s also about the people and brands he chooses to work with. His collaboration with German premium appliance brand Miele reflects the Spanish chef’s preference for partners whose standards and sensibilities align with his own.
“I am very picky,” he says. “I only work with brands that I feel connected to.”
For Chele, that connection goes beyond a brand’s name or reputation. He values products that combine thoughtful design with practical function and appeal to the senses.
Four inventive dishes at the Miele Innovation Series x chef Chele González showcase how familiar ingredients can take unexpected turns. The pop-up runs at the Miele showroom until Oct. 23.
“I like luxury, but I like luxury that is functional. I don’t like luxury that serves no purpose and is only about status. I like luxury that brings pleasure, something you can really feel, touch and experience,” he says.
This philosophy also shapes his approach to cooking at Gallery by Chele, which was awarded one Michelin star. Rather than rely on costly ingredients such as caviar or truffles, he focuses on quality local produce and the skill and technique needed to bring out its best.
“At Gallery, we redefine luxury dining by using local, humble, quality ingredients. We don’t do expensive items like caviar or truffle. It’s more about the art of cooking and the technology behind it,” he says.
Serving up the unexpected
The interplay of technique and technology comes into focus at the Miele Innovation Series x chef Chele González, running at the brand’s showroom until Oct. 23. The showroom’s sleek appliances and built-in units blend seamlessly into the interiors, creating a clean, uncluttered look.
For the pop-up, Chele created four dishes inspired by Miele and prepared using its ovens.
Miele brand activation manager Cynthia Farhat, who flew in from Milan for the event, explained the thinking behind the collaboration.
“We thought it would be great to collaborate with him because it’s very important for us as a brand to adapt to and integrate into the local culture, rather than the other way around,” she said.
For Angela Sy, chief financial officer of Focus Global, Miele’s exclusive Philippine distributor, the collaboration with chef Chele González reflects a partnership built on shared values.
“Focus Global and Miele have been partners for more than two decades, united by Miele’s philosophy, Immer Besser—forever better,” Angela says. “The Innovation Series brings together technology, creativity and people who are always looking for ways to improve. We see that same spirit in chef Chele, whose talent our family has admired for years. His commitment to getting things just right makes him a natural partner for the brand.”
Away from the professional kitchen, Chele’s approach to cooking is simpler. After work, he prefers to cook without a plan, using whatever ingredients he has on hand. It could be an omelet with a little salad on the side or pasta made with leftover meat from the fridge.
“I’m not a very fancy person,” he says.
His comfort foods are equally down-to-earth and distinctly Filipino. He loves soups such as pork sinigang, tinola and binakol, as well as chicken inasal, monggo and pares. When it comes to eggs, a fried egg or an omelet will do.
For Chele, an appreciation for quality doesn’t have to mean elaborate cooking. At the Miele pop-up, he brings his own culinary perspective to four dishes inspired by the brand’s German heritage.
The Coffee & Honeycomb Cheesecake, for instance, draws inspiration from Miele’s coffee machines and the honeycomb-shaped structure of its washing machine drum. It’s an unusual source of inspiration for a dessert.
His Dark Beer & Pretzel Cheesecake offers another playful take on a familiar dessert. Chele learned to make Basque cheesecake in San Sebastian, and he and his wife, Teri, later began baking it together for family and loved ones. Over time, the recipe evolved into this version, which combines dark beer and pretzels in a nod to Miele’s German roots. The presentation adds another surprise: Chele serves the cheesecake in a takeaway box. Beer in a cheesecake? It’s certainly not the usual pairing.
The Pastrami Sauerkraut Flatbread brings Chele back to his Spanish roots. His take on coca, a traditional Catalan flatbread, may sound comforting and approachable, but there’s considerable technique behind it. Both the bread and sauerkraut require fermentation, while his signature pastrami goes through brining, curing, smoking and roasting. Fresh herbs bring the components together, balancing the rich, smoky meat with brighter flavors.
Rounding out the tasting is the Miele Chocolate Shortbread, which begins with a delicate almond sablée layered with 77% Auro dark chocolate and toffee. The surprise is caramelized German sausage, a savory addition that challenges expectations of what dessert should be.
The four creations show how technique and imagination can transform familiar ingredients into something unexpected. For Chele, the collaboration is less about what an appliance can do than what a chef can do with it. Technology becomes another tool for exploring flavors, reworking familiar ingredients and keeping diners guessing. Sometimes, good taste is knowing when to follow the rules—and when to break them.
Focus Global is the exclusive distributor of Miele appliances in the Philippines.
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