Gallery by Chele x Huset: A taste of the North Pole
In Svalbard, Norway, every morning routine takes careful planning. You need extra time to dress properly for temperatures that drop to minus-20 degrees, and snowmobiles must be warmed up before use. People must also leave home armed when venturing out of town—polar bear protection is mandatory. These are some surprising details about life at 78 degrees North, where chef Alberto Lozano Avilés runs Huset, the world's northernmost fine-dining restaurant. Last Dec. 10, he brought Arctic ingredients and flavors to Gallery by Chele, trading sub-zero temperatures for Manila's heat.
"It's a cultural exchange," says chef Chele González of the collaboration. "What we have in common is cooking with what we have." After a month of exploring the Philippines, from its produce to the beaches, chef Avilés, alongside chef González and his team, crafted a menu that bridged Svalbard and Manila.
The menu spotlighted cold cuts of reindeer, veal, duck, tuna kinilaw with dayap, and even a sweet potato injected with penicillin to make it cheese-like. Each dish on the menu represented a painstaking craft. I spoke with chef Avilés about his month-long stay in the Philippines and what life is like in Norway.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR: What drew you to Nordic cuisine, and how did your journey to the North Pole begin?
ALBERTO LOZANO AVILÉS: My personal life drove me there. I spent 10 years in France, based in the Alps at 2,300 meters altitude. That's when I fell in love with what real winter brings and got attracted to cooking in cold places. When I received this ambitious offer in the North Pole, I discovered that Nordic cuisine was far more complex than I imagined. Norwegians weren't always seen globally as super high chefs, but they truly are.
Your cold cuts were a highlight of the dinner. Could you tell us about these unique Nordic ingredients?
AVILÉS: The first servings represented the pure nature of what we do at Huset. We served Ptarmigan, a bird that stays year-round in the North Pole, and various preparations of reindeer, including parts that might be controversial elsewhere, like innards. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well these were received here. I understand that the Philippines is like Spain—we share an appreciation for the whole animal, understanding that organs provide special textures and flavors.
The reindeer tongue tartlet was particularly interesting. How do you approach these traditional ingredients with modern techniques?
AVILÉS: There's a thoughtful process behind each dish. While we respect Norwegian traditions, I blend in French techniques and my Spanish heritage. The tongue, for example, undergoes a two-week pickling process, then curing and drying, with a subtle touch of smoke. The result is a consistent yet tender piece with an elegant taste. It's about finding that perfect balance.
Nordic cuisine is known for its preservation techniques. Which ones fascinate you most?
AVILÉS: I'm drawn to fermentation in all its forms. We do extensive lacto-fermentation in the restaurant with vegetables. But what interests me is smoking, specifically making it elegant. It's easy to smoke food, but it's challenging to do it in a way that doesn't overwhelm the wine pairings. It's about achieving that delicate balance of flavors.
(For those new to lacto-fermentation, the process entails combining vegetables with precise amounts of salt and water, sealing them, and letting time work magic. It's a traditional method that creates complex flavors, connecting us to age-old preservation techniques. Examples are yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles.)
Have you discovered any surprising similarities between Nordic and Filipino cuisines?
AVILÉS: Yes, particularly in fermentation techniques. What struck me was the shared obsession with acidity in Filipino cuisine. In Nordic cooking, despite our generally plain approach, we also constantly seek that perfect acidic note. This common ground and aromatics create an unexpected parallel between our cuisines despite the geographical distance.
What's it like running a restaurant in an extreme environment?
AVILÉS: Everything takes longer in Svalbard. You must dress for minus-20 degrees, and vehicles must warm up before use. Interestingly, we're required by law to carry arms when leaving town for polar bear protection. We're in our three-month period of complete darkness, alternating with three months of constant daylight in summer.
What's your take on our food culture after a month in the Philippines?
AVILÉS: As a Spanish chef, I've had the best lechon of my life here. The technique, the crispiness of the skin, the tenderness—it's mind-blowing. But what captured my attention was discovering the depth of Filipino aromatics and even simple ingredients like green peas, which Chele calls “green caviar.” Your soups have also amazed me, each with its unique fermentation and acidity profile. And let's not forget what I call the “Filipino power”—properly cooked garlic rice. It's like what bread is to Spain, a simple but crucial foundation of the meal.
After a month here, what will bring you back to the Philippines?
AVILÉS: The smiling attitude of Filipinos will stay with me forever—the world needs more of that. I've traveled extensively and learned that even if a place is beautiful, if the locals aren't welcoming, I won't return. But that will never happen with the Philippines. You have the purest, most genuine attitude towards visitors, which makes an already beautiful place even more special.
I'll come back not just for what I've seen but because I now understand the vastness of these islands. You don't truly grasp what having more than 7,000 islands means until you're here—I've only visited 10, so I have a long way to go. While the food is undeniably important, the human side of the Philippines will stay in my heart forever. These three things will surely bring me back: the warmth of the people, the vastness of what's left to explore, and the continuing discovery of Filipino cuisine.
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Follow Gallery by Chele (@gallerybychele) for more collaborations. To learn more about Nordic cuisine, check out Svalbard's historic restaurant Huset (@huset_svalbard) and Chef Alberto Lozano Avilés (@albertolozanoaviles).
