New York
Dinner time
October 2016
After trying Loel's sinigang gravy with beef and his spicy adobo, Thirdy is thoroughly impressed. He even asks if he can put those creations on the menu of his future restaurant. To complement the meal, Thirdy bakes some crabs and grills lobster tails.
He doesn't know this family's youngest daughter yet, but he already knows the De Leons are very close to his heart. Elmer walks into the kitchen, looking around, but he doesn't find his son anywhere.
"Chef Thirdy, where's Loel? Tinakasan ka ba?"
"No, sir. He's done already. Taste that sinigang gravy. Loel is better than me, really. I don't even know why I'm here training him," he chuckles.
Elmer gets a spoon to taste the sinigang gravy. "Loel really did this?" Elmer asks, a little surprised.
"Yes, sir. Our challenge for today was that he needed to do something peculiar with all the dishes I showed him how to cook."
"This is good, ah," Elmer praises his son's cooking.
"I even asked him if pwede ko ilagay 'yan sa menu ko sa future restaurant ko," Thirdy states with a big smile on his face.
"Speaking of your own restaurant, Luis told me about it. Nabanggit daw ni Van na you are planning to build your own restaurant na."
"Alam po ni Sir Luis?" gulat na tanong ni Thirdy.
"Yes. Kaya nga when I asked him if pwede kita hiramin to train Loel, pumayag siya at sinabing you needed the money to start your own restaurant." Medyo naluha si Thirdy sa narinig. Bigla namang tumunog ang oven, meaning luto na ang baked crabs niya.
Nilabas ito ni Thirdy at ipinatong sa stainless work table ng kusina.
"Wow. Is this for Beatriz?" Elmer asks, quite surprised.
"Yes. Nabanggit po ni Loel na she's home from a very long medical mission, so it's good to taste a favorite when you did well, 'di po ba?"
"She'll like it. I hope she won't fall in love with you because she's a pain in the ass. I swear, baka takbuhan mo kaming lahat." They both chuckled.
"Should I just hide my identity, sir? And just tell her na the helpers did it?"
"She'll know. The helpers only make one kind of dish among those. I feel like inaalisan mo na ng trabaho yung mga 'yon." Tumingin si Elmer sa paligid at nakitang si Thirdy lang ang laman ng kusina.
"Hindi naman, Tito. Pinagpahinga ko lang po saglit."
"Exactly. Ever since you came, you did all the cooking na. Kaya mahal na mahal ka ng buong bahay namin, eh."
After a few minutes of Elmer trying out the dishes, Det comes running into the kitchen and shouts,
"SHE'S HERE!"
All the helpers come out, and Elmer walks toward the dining area. Thirdy removes his apron and asks the helpers to help prepare and serve all the dishes.
Thirdy is fixing the table and putting on the finishing touches when she finally takes a seat in the dining room. Mukha siyang spoiled na ewan.
"I'm famished," she says, waiting for everything to be set on the table. She looks up and notices him.
"Are you new?"
Thirdy just laughs softly.
"Bea, no! He is Chef Thirdy from the Philippines. He's one of the best chefs in Asia, so I asked him to train your Kuya," Elmer explains.
