A FEW years ago, when Serendra first opened to the public, I wrote a wrap on the newly opened restaurants in what at the time was the latest addition to Ayala Land?s massive real estate expansion. Mamou was not yet in existence at the time and parking was not yet a problem. Of all the restaurants, I had thrown full appreciation to only one restaurant: Silk. (Sonja?s Cupcakes does not qualify as a restaurant.)

I had no idea who the owner was, only that she was in Bangkok at the time we dined, shopping for more ingredients to maintain the authentic flavors the restaurant boasted of. I was impressed by the effort to bring Bangkok to Serendra and by the execution of Thai food.

That she was married to Louie Ysmael was not a factor that I considered at all in my review of this restaurant because, having had a curfew all throughout college and never really getting the hang of hanging out, I had no idea who Louie Y was ? and could care less. I later learned that he was the male Paris Hilton of the Philippines ? meaning a party is not a party and a club is not a club without him, and for the past three decades at that (He is the Enrile of the party world, heh heh!). Of course, the only thing that mattered to me at the time was that at Silk, they served really good Thai food. Taguig finally had an answer to Makati?s People?s Palace.

Cut to a few years later, when Terrace at the 5th opened in yet another Ayala mall, Greenbelt 5. There went Cecile, saying hi to guests at each table in an apron and bright red heels. She was so tall and chirpy and beautiful that it was so easy to label her a ditz. I thought, ?This is definitely the wife of partyman Louie Ysmael.? And at the same time, in consternation, ?This can?t be the hard core girl behind Silk.? It was like watching one of the girls from Sex and the City open a restaurant; I doubted that the food would be any good.

The story was that it was a restaurant owned by ladies who reeked of chic: Maricris Zobel, Menchu Soriano, Carol Garcia, Ching Cruz, Ivy, and Cynthia Almario. No offense to high society but the immediate prejudice was that this translated to a restaurant with a lot of press but with subpar food.

I write this because I confess that I was wrong about Cecile all along. She is living proof that stilettos don?t puncture to bits a pretty woman?s brain, or a good cook?s ability to serve good food. And every time I speak to her, the impression just gets better and better. It?s not just the energy that she has which makes you want to travel the world with her; it?s the vast expanse of culinary knowledge that she has up her sleeve that gives the diner comfort knowing that the lady knows her food.

The best thing is that two years after Terrace?s opening, she?s still around, attending to the restaurant hands on. There are benefits to this, too, that other restaurateurs might like to pick up. This is one woman who knows that attendance is a must. Because Cecile is always around, she is able to personally guide the customer to the best table (she will set up a table in the garden if you please). She knows there is Cerveza Negra hidden in the kitchen somewhere, although not printed on the menu, for the dark beer drinker. She is able to personally recommend what is new, now that she changes the menu every three months, while also being able to tell you the story behind each classic recipe that she and the other owners have offered to share, like Cynthia Almario?s artichoke dip or Louie Y?s vongole pasta (a recipe from his mother).

Of course, she will never tell you the secret to her adobo, except for the painstakingly slow cooking; or the secret to Silk?s pad thai or Terrace?s drunken shrimp, only that it uses prime ingredients flown in from Thailand and Hong Kong, respectively.

What she will tell you, indirectly, is that her food shines because she is inspired by Louie Y, with such quotes as, ?He says the sauce for my steak is better than those he?s tried in Paris.? She says this with matching beautiful eyes, although it?s very possible that the kilig (swoon) relates not just to the person who gave the compliment but the compliment itself! She will also share that she loves to go to the market, ?You have to come with me to the markets of Bangkok!? and is proud that she is able to bond with her staff instead of being on a high horse and unable to relate to her crew.

I think her mother must be credited for Cecile?s work ethic. While in grade school, she worked as her mom?s assistant in the school canteen, helping out in everything, down to preparing the ingredients and even washing the dishes. ?If I didn?t wash the dishes, I wouldn?t get an allowance!? Cecile remembers.

It is this humility, hard work and continuing desire to please through good food that makes me remember Cecile?s story alongside those of other great Filipino chefs. Because in our country, the best chefs have been home-schooled and proud of it. Think Gaita Fores, Ed Quimson, Myrna Segismundo, and Claude Tayag.

I hope Cecile continues to be humble as she finds success and makes a name for herself in the culinary scene. Anyway, she seems to enjoy the recognition, sharing details about herself without any sense of embarrassment whatsoever, ?I used to model. Now I?m asked to model for patis (fish sauce). Hahaha!?

How can you not love a woman who can crack herself up like that? She may be a sexy society scene stealer, making you wonder how she can grill steak in stilettos. But for Cecile Ysmael, passion for food exceeds passion for shoes. This is one lady chef whose stilettos have only brought her to greater culinary heights. ?

Terrace at the 5th. Ground floor, Greenbelt 5. Tel. 7296860.
Thai at Silk. Piazza Serendra. Tel. 8560386. Both wheelchair accessible. Major credit cards accepted.