Chef Jessie launches Hapag Movement Menu to support program against involuntary hunger

Renowned Filipino chef Jessie Sincioco is helping feed the hungry in a whole new way.  

Chef Jessie, a top chef who has made meals for global dignitaries, has launched the Hapag Movement Menu, which includes four set meals that patrons may enjoy while also helping address involuntary hunger.  

The special menu is part of Sincioco’s commitment to the Hapag Movement, a Globe-led community program that aims to alleviate involuntary hunger through supplemental feeding and sustainable livelihood opportunities. 

The meal sets, which include a salad, soup, main course, dessert and hot drink, are available for lunch at P1,200 and dinner at P1,500 at Sincioco’s well-loved restaurant, Chef Jessie Rockwell Club in Makati. For every meal served, half of the proceeds will be donated to the Hapag Movement. 

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell

“I salute Globe for this timely and much-needed movement for the whole country.  We know very well that hunger is a reality here. We make it a point to give back whenever we can. That’s how we came up with the Hapag Movement menu. This way, our diners can support the advocacy,” said the chef. 

The Hapag Movement Menu features a healthy selection of salads for starters and a variety of Filipino and fusion main dishes, from the familiar yet elevated beef morcon and caldereta to fish fillet florentine and baked parmesan-crusted chicken.  

In strengthening her commitment to the Hapag Movement, Sincioco also said she would invite top chefs from the Philippines and abroad to be part of the movement, as well as enlist the help of neighboring restaurants in Rockwell to further the advocacy.

“When I learned about this credible and realistic movement, I did not hesitate or think twice about helping out. Let us all do our part in making this movement a smashing success,” she said. 

Chef Jessie
Chef Jessie

Chef Jessie has cooked and created many dishes for world leaders, big movers in the business industry, well-known personalities, and even the Pope. But what she finds most fulfilling is providing food for the most marginalized in society. 

Chef Jessie supports the Hapag Movement through her company’s membership at the Rotary Club of Makati Business District (RCMBD), which recently signed a four-year partnership with Globe to raise funds for the Hapag Movement. Her Mana Cuisine Corporation is among the earliest corporate members of Rotary to support the undertaking.

“We are excited to have Chef Jessie on board as we continue our fight against hunger in the Philippines. We are grateful for her commitment to find ways to raise funds, including the special Hapag Movement menu. We  look forward to expanding the Hapag Movement globally through enlisting a global network of chefs for the initiative,” said Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer at the Globe Group.

RCMBD earlier pledged to raise P10 million in funds for the Hapag Movement through various initiatives involving individual members and corporations. By making this commitment, the Rotary chapter has become one of Hapag Movement’s most dedicated fundraising partners.

Globe leverages partnerships to raise funds and deliver critical support to affected families. The program aims to rally Filipinos behind a collective effort to feed the hungry and provide empowering livelihood training, as an estimated 15 million Filipinos continue to suffer from involuntary hunger. 

To learn more about Globe, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/

Details provided in a recent press release.

#UnniesTimeOut at Chef Jessie Rockwell Club

It’s been quite some time since I enjoyed a sojourn at the posh Rockwell area in Makati. With all the upheaval in the metro caused by the pandemic and the recent elections, I have not been able to re-explore a lot of my favorite haunts.

That’s such a shame as one of benchmarks for a fine-dining experience remains to be Chef Jessie Rockwell Club.

Having re-opened after pausing its operations due to the lockdown measures in the city, Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is all set to provide the metro’s foodies with well-crafted gourmet dishes and a luxurious environment in which to enjoy their meal.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie Rockwell

Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is helmed by Chef Jessie Sincioco, a pioneer in the locak culinary scene. Having won the baking category grand prize winner in The Great Maya Cookfest in 1983 and becoming the very first Filipina Pastry Chef in 1990, she furthered her illustrious career by managing upscale restaurants through her own company JCS Gastronomie, Inc. In 2015, she received the distinction of being hand-picked to cook for His Holiness Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s visit to the Philippines.

I was happy that during our recent trip to the Rockwell area, my fellow unnies Jen of Sand Under My Feet and Nix of IEatAndIWander, were able have a sit-down meal at Chef Jessie Rockwell Club to enjoy Chef Jessie’s celebrated culinary creations.

We started with Chef Jessie’s Ciabatta, a long, flat and rustic-looking loaf that’s sets the tone for a great meal, especially since it’s accompanied by Chef Jessie’s Special Dip made with finely chopped red and green bell peppers, pimiento and grated parmesan in herbed olive oil, along with bread rolls and butter.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell

We had our taste of fresh produce thanks to the Salad ala Judy Ann, composed mixed greens tossed with bits of fruits in season along with slivers of brie and bleu-cheese in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell

To further whet our appetites, we had our serving of Cream of Carrot and Pumpkin Soup, a thick and creamy bisque made with wholesome ingredients with a final seasoning of freshly ground black pepper upon serving.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell

One of our main dishes was a serving of US Beef Tenderloin Tips Salpicao, made with the nicely trimmed and flavorful ends of US beef tenderloin, stir-fried in Worcestershire sauce, butter, garlic, and other spices, and served with creamy mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables in season.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell

We also enjoyed another tasty viand: the Pan-Fried Salmon in Mariner Sauce, a succulent fillet of Norwegian Salmon on a bed of creamy, herb-infused sauce, garnished with chopped parsley, and served along with creamy mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables in season.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell

To cap off our sumptuous meal, we enjoyed a decadent serving of fluffy Chocolate Souffle drenched in vanilla sauce.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie Rockwell

We also accompanied our meal with both cold drinks – Freshly Brewed Iced Tea and Fresh Lemongrass Tea – and hot beverages – Freshly Brewed Coffee and Basilur Tea from Sri Lanka.

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Freshly Brewed Iced Tea
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Fresh Lemongrass Tea
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Brewed Coffee
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Basilur Tea

For this group of unnies, our sit-down dinner at Chef Jessie Rockwell remains one for the books!

Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell
Chef Jessie, Rockwell

Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is located at Ground Floor, Rockwell Club, Amorsolo Square, Rockwell Center, Makati, open daily from 11am to 11pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 88906543 or +63 2 98907630.

Know more about Chef Jessie through her website or follow Chef Jessie on Facebook and Instagram for more details about her restaurants’ latest offerings.

Check out my previous posts about Chef Jessie.

Chef Jessie’s Place in Makati soon to open

Chef Jessie Sincioco, Hotel Intercontinental Manila’s very first Filipina pastry chef and recipient of multiple international awards and recognitions in her field, never dreamed of having her own building.

The renowned restaurateur behind culinary brands such as Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie and Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, now has another feather in her cap (or toque blanche, to be consistent with her profession): a newly constructed building set within one of the Makati suburbs surrounding the Central Business District.

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

The structure is designed to house, not just Chef Jessie’s corporate offices, but various dining choices that showcase the chef’s culinary creations as well.

At the ground floor, which will house a bakeshop and a coffee shop, diners can relax and unwind with their favorite brew and Chef Jessie’s signature pastries.

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

The mezzanine will be the home of a restaurant that features intercontinal fare, while the third floor will be made available for rentals and events as a function hall that can cater to small groups or large gatherings (or the oft-maligned tita conferences :-)).

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

The upper floors will house the corporate offices of JCS Gastronomie, Inc., the company that manages her culinary establishments.

Given Chef Jessie’s religious bent, a small but beautiful chapel which will hold masses every Friday is also given pride of place in the building.

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Anticipating that ample parking space will be a major consideration for her diners, she acquired another lot near the building to serve as a parking lot.

The new building, Chef’s Jessie’s Place is something that the chef can consider all her own, a significant portion of her solo ventures. She credits the acquisition and construction of the building to a special blessing, along with the honor of being tasked to prepare all of His Holiness Pope Francis’ meals during his celebrated visit to the country in 2015. This same year was coincidentally the year when the lot on which the building was erected became available.

Chef Jessie has definitely come a long way. From joining and winning the Great Maya Cookfest in 1983 with her now iconic mango cake recipe, to getting hired immediately after the competition by a top honcho of Intercon, to launching Le Souffle with expat partners, to now being the name behind top restaurants, she has proven, time and again, her strength, culinary genius and her mettle.

And with all that’s in store with the highly anticipated grand opening of Chef Jessie’s Place, slated to be in early 2019, we can look forward to more exciting things from Chef Jessie.

Chef Jessie’s Place, Makati

Chef Jessie’s Place is located at the corner of Pililia and Obrero Streets in Tanay, Makati City.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to an exclusive sneak peek of Chef Jessie’s Place prior to its official opening.