A San Carlos City-born chef currently based in the South of France made an impression by cooking Filipino food in an international competition, The World Cook, in London.
The 41-year-old Cristina Jade Batusin was one of the finalists among the 16 participants of The World Cook, a cooking show streamed via Amazon Prime and BBC UK, where she cooked Ginataang Hipon with Squash and Chili during the panel audition, showcasing Bisaya food during the contest.
Batusin said joining the contest paved the way for more opportunities for her, including an invitation to join Masterchef France, internships with the famous British celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver and more clients.
She urged fellow Sancarloseños to follow her Instagram account @aupetitcebu and like the random Filipino food she posts which she said will definitely help her once she joins other competitions.
Batusin is married to Stephane Collin and they blessed with three children: Danielle, a 22-year-old Pastry Chef who graduated with honors in Marseille, France; Gabrielle, 13 and Marielle, 9.
She is also affiliated with Amandine Chefs, works as private chef during summer and winter and owns the catering company Petit Cebu which serves dishes like paklay, escabeche and lumpia.
She is also pushing Filipino style humba and dinuguan which are slowly creating buzz in the food industry at their area. She said that in God’s perfect time she would love to put up a small but cozy restaurant which she will name after her grandmother, Lola Kikay.
She has also engaged in charity works in San Carlos City through tips she received from her clients, although she preferred not to provide further details.
“Anyone can cook but not anyone can be a chef, so be resilient, humble and learn from the best. And most of all, believe in your own cuisine, the ones you eat when you were a kid, serve them to anyone who are not familiar with the food and eventually sell it,” she said.*
