Chef Henry Cataquis’ passion for food led him to places he never even planned for himself.
A degree in Marine Engineering took him to places where he was able to practice what he loves doing most — cooking.
His openness to learning new things brought him to international waters where he served as a chef. Eventually, he paid it forward to his home in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, and provided exceptional dishes to residents and visitors.
Here’s the Daily Tribune’s conversation with him.
Daily Tribune (DT): Please tell us about Chef Henry’s.
Chef Henry Cataquis (Chef HC): I am Chef Henry Cataquis, owner of Chef Henry Resto and Sushi House, which is located in Poblacion, Puerto Galera beside the jeepney terminal. My restaurant is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
We serve Japanese cuisine like sushi, sashimi, and rice meals like katsudon, oyakodon, unagidon, tendon, even gyoza, nabeyaki udon, and tempura. We also serve international, European, and Filipino cuisine. I can also curate a menu upon customers’ requests.
I thank God because I have this restaurant even though this is not my plan.
During my time as a chef on a boat, I always made sure I served the best. For Puerto Galera, I thought it was best to put up a Japanese restaurant… this is the only Japanese restaurant in Poblacion.
We have a lot of customers so our long-term plan is to improve the existing cuisine so we can add new dishes. We’re planning to add salads and other Japanese food.
DT: When did the restaurant open?
Chef HC: Last 28 November 2022.
DT: How did you become a chef?
Chef HC: I first worked at Puerto Galera Hotel as a dishwasher, but because I have a Marine Engineering degree, which also falls under being a seaman, I used that and boarded a ship.
When I started working on a cruise ship, I also pursued my passion for food in its kitchen. After that, I continued my position in the kitchen on a running vessel.
I started my position as a Chief Cook last 2001. I board a ship from time to time, depending on my company’s needs.
DT: How will the restaurant stay open if ever you go back to the sea?
Chef HC: I already taught my staff how to run it. If they have questions, it will be easy for them to contact me, even onboard.
DT: Is Japanese cuisine your specialty?
Chef HC: It is. A Japanese person sponsored me to study Japanese cuisine abroad. I continued to work with them for seven years. When I got tired of Japanese cuisine, I moved on to study European and international cuisine. They deployed me to work on Indian cuisine also onboard. When I got off the ship, I went back to cooking international cuisine but I still incorporate Japanese cuisine into my work.
I also familiarized myself with Croatian cuisine.
My specialties are Japanese, Indian, Croatian and European cuisines.
DT: What are your bestsellers?
Chef HC: Sushi and ramen. We already serve 49 different dishes and we always make sure we have ingredients on hand. I learned that trick during my time onboard.
DT: Where do you source your ingredients?
Chef HC: I have a supplier from Manila. When I run low on stocks, I message the supplier and they send it to me. I have a different supplier for steaks. And I also have a supplier here in Puerto Galera.
DT: How has it been since the restaurant opened?
Chef HC: Business is doing good — enough to pay my employees.
DT: Have you experienced any challenges?
Chef HC: Customers who were critical of the dishes even though they knew nothing about it. But, in the end, I always apologized to them and did not engage in arguments anymore.
Tourists may visit Chef Henry’s Japanese Resto and Sushi House at Barangay Poblacion in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro (beside the jeepney terminal) from Monday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.