Gelyka Dumaraos
From an IT desk to culinary school, kitchens in Australia, and a Grand Prize bulalo, the Tagaytay chef serves his journey one plate at a time
TAGAYTAY CITY: Chef Ben Cruzate’s ten-course “Culinary Story,” presented at Sol Victoria’s Tagaytay on October 2, followed his career in order, with every dish marking a chapter and a short introduction from the chef himself.
Ramelyn Francisco and Chef Ben Cruzate with the Sol Victoria Tagaytay kitchen and service team behind the ten-course “Culinary Story” dinner.
“Savor the moment,” he told the room, “and try to feel every flavor of the food that will come out tonight.”
The opening: roots and regulars
The first three courses, which he grouped as his entrées, set the stage for who he is. Sun-Kissed Garden arrived first: a bright mix of dragon fruit, green apple, cherry tomato, cream cheese, and basil, finished with a creamy gazpacho sauce with a surprising kick.
A bright starter of dragon fruit, green apple, and cherry tomato, finished with a creamy gazpacho sauce with a surprising kick.
Next came Sisig, Reimagined, a soft taco filled with crunchy pork sisig, avocado, salsa, and calamansi. Sisig has been a favorite at Sol Victoria’s since the restaurant opened in 2014 in Parañaque and in Tagaytay in 2019, and Ben says regulars always ask for it.
Sol Victoria’s signature sisig as a soft taco, topped with crunchy pork, avocado, salsa, and calamansi.
The third course reached back to Australia. Working a dinner-show kitchen, he made ceviche every day until it went from unfamiliar to a favorite. His version, A Kiss of the Sea Ceviche, uses kingfish, pickled red onion, jalapeño, cucumber, and coconut milk for a Filipino finish.
Kingfish with pickled red onion, jalapeño, cucumber, and coconut milk, Chef Ben’s Filipino take on the ceviche he cooked daily in Australia.
The middle: home and the leap
The second zone turned to comfort. The Comfort of Home Lasagna, built on handmade pasta sheets, beef, sausage, and a tomato base, honors the dish that first made him want to cook. It recalls his late mother’s kitchen, where meals were also the time for stories.
Handmade pasta sheets layered with beef, sausage, and mozzarella in a tomato base, a tribute to the dish that first made Chef Ben want to cook.
A Tang of Memory Risotto, a saffron coconut crab risotto, marks the decision that changed his path. Ben was working in IT when he told his mother he wanted to become a chef. She told him to go and study. With modest savings, he enrolled at Moderne Culinaire Academy and later won bronze in the Local Fish or Seafood category at the 2016 Philippine Culinary Cup. He calls going back to school one of the proudest moments of his life.
Saffron coconut crab risotto that recalls Chef Ben’s return to culinary school and his bronze medal at the 2016 Philippine Culinary Cup.
The main event: Sydney, Tagaytay, and kimchi
The protein zone carried the heaviest chapters. Embers of Home Chicken Inasal served thigh meat with anato, atchara, and chicken-oil chili. East Meets Manila Hokkien Noodle Pares came from Sydney, where he was asked to create a special lunch and offered beef pares over soft Hokkien noodles with garlic, crispy onion, and bean sprouts. It was a hit. Slow-Braised Reverie Pulled Lamb Shoulder recalls a month when his head chef went on leave, and Ben cooked lamb every day. “You will never know it’s lamb,” he told guests.
Grilled chicken thigh served with anato, atchara, and chicken-oil chili.
Fire Meets Tradition Kimchi Bulalo was the night’s centerpiece. Ben had the idea before any competition, and he says some diners hesitated over the pairing. On September 14, 2024, the dish took the Grand Prize at the Creative Bulalo Challenge, hosted by the Tagaytay City Tourism Office, beating 14 other restaurants. “We never know the timeline of our success,” he says. “We stick to what we do, and God will lead you to the right timing.”
The Grand Prize winner at the 2024 Creative Bulalo Challenge, with homemade kimchi, beef, and rich broth.
The finish: a beautiful disaster
The meal ended with Beautiful Disaster Volcano Mousse, named for the year Ben came home. He returned to Manila and took over the Tagaytay branch in 2020, during the pandemic and the eruption of Taal Volcano. “Times were challenging, but it led to where Sol Victoria is today,” he says. “The volcano is a witness to all of it.”
A dessert named for the year Chef Ben returned to Tagaytay, during the pandemic and the Taal eruption.
Chef Ben did not tell his story alone. Songwriter Ramelyn Francisco launched her second album, Love Stories Retold, at the same table, sharing the stories behind her five dance tracks between his courses. After a first album written through grief, her new songs are made for moving, and for the kind of evening where a good meal and a good song leave guests wanting to stay: https://album.link/LoveStoriesUntold
Taste the story
Sol Victoria’s Tagaytay is a family-owned restaurant named for Ben’s grandparents, Soliano and Victoria, serving modern Filipino food with a twist. It is in Barangay Maharlika East, Nagsubu, Tagaytay City, in front of Wind Residences.
Visitors can dine in and order the Kimchi Bulalo and the sisig. For private dinners and special occasions, Chef Ben also takes bookings as a private chef, with menus built around the stories and occasions that matter to the host.
For reservations and private chef inquiries, contact: cruzatebenjamin@gmail.com and through social media: @benjamincruzate
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