A Top Chef Reveals What’s In Her Weekly Food Shop

Mangoes: Green mangoes or ripe mangoes, they’re easy to find and there are so many ways to use them. I use them in salads, pickles, marinades, on their own or in a nice mango shake. I love to just shred the mangoes and add in lime juice, chilli, cherry tomatoes and sometimes fish sauce. Almost like a Thai papaya salad. 

Citrus fruits: Normally limes, lemons, orange and grapefruits, I’m not fussy as they’re all very versatile. I always keep the citrus peels, which are great to infuse in oils, and add to marinades or dressings. Bitter, sweet and tangy. 

Kobacha squash: I love to roast or braise kobacha squash, as this has a nice fluffy and sweet flavour.  

Shallots: I’m obsessed with alliums, and I think shallots are my favourite. They’re less punchy and I love to add pickled shallots on my green leafy salad. 

Miso: I love this for a hit of umami. I like to keep a tub of this in the freezer as it keeps longer once open. My favourite use of miso right now is with grilled vegetables such as hispi cabbage or mixed with butter on steak. 

Frozen scallion pancakes: These are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I even use them as a wrap. I’ll usually have tomatoes, avocado and maybe some bacon inside – they’re so rich and savoury. 

Frozen fruits: It's a great hack to always keep fruit in the freezer. They’re a great, easy way to make jams or add into your cake mix. I normally freeze fruits during summer as they’re great for a fruity smoothie when you crave one later in the year. 

Lime leaves: I’ll always order lime leaves, as they’re good to add to all kinds of curries or soups to give them a bold and lemony flavour.  

Kimchi: Homemade or store bought, I always have this in my fridge. Sometimes I’ll add it to soup, I love to pair it with simple barbecued meat, and I’ll often just have it as a little side dish to my meal. 

Camembert: It’s currently my favourite cheese to have, as it's just great with bread, cured meat and fruits. The best thing is to bake it in the oven, and just go wild and serve with whatever you like or have to hand. I normally add garlic, dried chillies and thyme. 

Maple syrup: Growing up, maple syrup is something I always had. It’s a great way of adding a sweet flavour to your roasted veggies. I’ll even put it in my coffee instead of sugar. 

Eggs: Having eggs in the kitchen is always a great thing. I love a good egg omelette with cheese and mushrooms or even just a soft-boiled egg over sourdough toast with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. 

Truffle & pecorino nut mix: When Belazu came over to give us a try of its samples a few years back, I fell in love – and now you can buy this one the supermarket. I find the combination of truffle, pecorino and nuts so addictive. 

Torres crisps: I went to Barcelona and tried these crisps, and I’ve never looked back. I’ll always order them in my weekly shop. It’s got a great gourmet selection of flavours. 

Hummus: Who doesn't love a good hummus? Whenever I have friends or family over, it's something we always have together. I love to add in lots of fresh parsley and toasted pine nuts to store-bought hummus to make it my own. 

Green olives with garlic: I love snacking on these as they have a nice buttery, crunchy tang, as the garlic is lightly pickled. The perfect little snack. 

Jasmine rice: This is something that’s always in my cupboard, as in the Philippines I grew up eating rice almost three times a day. Have leftovers? Just fry some garlic and add in your leftover rice, plus a good fresh grind of black pepper. It's amazing – even for breakfast. 

Coconut milk: Coconut milk is a staple for us back in the Philippines and it’s cooked with everything from veggies, fish and meat to desserts. My favourite thing is greens braised in coconut milk, and it's also great to drizzle over cooked fish or chicken.  

Toasted sesame oil: I always have this to drizzle over a finished dish. It gives a gentle flavour enhancement. It also makes the best salad dressing – a little goes a long way and really packs a lot of flavour. 

Fish sauce: This ingredient is commonly used in southeast Asia. It's always great to have this as it adds so much depth to soups, broths and salad dressings. I also add it into a fresh herb pesto made with parsley, chives and mint. Instead of using salt, add a splash of fish sauce to give it that salty, sweet and umami flavour. 

Roasted rice tea: Genmaicha tea, specifically. It’s nice and nutty, and has a hint of smoky flavour. It’s lovely to have after a heavy meal as it helps to settle your stomach.  

Coconut water: Back home you could find fresh coconut water almost anywhere in the streets. The closest flavour of back home that I’ve found over here is Rebel Kitchen's Raw Coconut Water sourced in the Philippines. It’s so refreshing. 

San Pellegrino: If I need something sweet, flavoured soda is my go-to. I always opt for San Pellegrino orange or blood orange.  

Iced coffee: I can have iced coffee any time of the day or season. My go-to order is an iced oat latte with maple syrup.

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