The humble origins of Chef Philip Nicolasora began taking a vocational course in Commercial Cooking at the Manpower Learning Program. However, his culinary journey began as a boy at the age of 10 learning from his mother and grandmother cooking dinners, holiday events, and family banquets. While he briefly lost his way from time spent in computer shops and eventually taking up Computer Science in Jolo Sulu State University, his true passion called him home to the promise of his potential as an epicurean culinary artist.
He cut his teeth in the industry at the Norman Lacson Catering Services and it there that he got his obsessive penchant for high standards and valuable experience in serving huge banquets and large events, but more importantly, the necessity and value of consistency of experience that many chefs aspire to. Like most journeymen artisans he spent the next decade honing his craft at a variety of restaurants (Petaling Street, Bistro San Francesco) and cafeterias (Spice Beach). He got his in-service experience at the Vertigo Café and Grill and Palestine Commercial Center in Saudi Arabia, and while managing the kitchen for banquets and events he developed a deep love for regional American and Italian cuisine. He perfected restaurant servicing and operations at the Country Club Solaire in 2015, where his perfectionist streak served him well in producing the highest quality of food for the myriad events and parties that made the club its venue.
Now he comes full circle at Caffe Primo and Don Jaime Ristorante as a master of his craft and bonafide chef de cuisine of multiple restaurants. He is making waves in the Naga culinary scene with his fusion of Filipino, Italian and Regional American cuisine. His menu is generous, unpretentious, and perfect for banquets, parties, and events; it is both comfortably familiar and subtly nuanced. Philip Nicolasora is unsurpassed in his alchemist-like ability to bring out the fiery native palette and cool it down with modern American culinary science and the simplicity of bringing out all the flavors of each ingredient which is truly Italian.
