Students remember chef Dan Basilio, master patissier

Dan Basilio (second to the right) with other Pastry Alliance Board of Directors (fromleft) James Antolin, Penk Ching, Jackie Ang Po and Buddy Trinidad. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The culinary world lost another great a few days ago: chef Dan Basilio, master patissier and the only ambassadeur du pain in the Philippines. He was only 56 years old.

Personal tributes to chef Dan flooded social media the other day, especially from bakers whom he was with in international competitions as well as former students whom he molded to become well-respected bakers and thriving entrepreneurs in their own right.

Chef James Antolin, founder of the Philippine Culinary Cup and Pastry Alliance of the Philippines (PAP) remembers the birth of their friendship that led to many international competitions. “We hit it off when I first met him at the Culinary Institute of Aristocrat where he was teaching. I invited him to be part of Pastry Alliance and the rest is history.”

Together, they trained and brought Philippine teams to compete in Singapore, Hong Kong and the last one in Nantes, France, for the Mondial du Pain (World of Bread contest). It was chef Dan who was the coach and mentor for the first Philippine team, which did very well.

Chef Jackie Ang Po was also constantly with him in competitions. Together with Antolin and chefs Buddy Trinidad and Penk Ching, they competed or developed teams to compete in Singapore, Hong Kong, Italy and France.

She remembers him with pride and gratitude: “Dan is our mentor, our teacher, our papa and our ‘pusher’ … He has pushed so many of us to better our careers. Many of us who you see flourishing in the industry are built or influenced by Dan. And through all these events, he has always been on the side and never wearing the medals we all wore that were truly, truly his.”

Ching, on the other hand, says, “He was a true leader. He left a big shoe which no one can fill.”

I personally witnessed the hard work and genius of PAP at the World Pastry Cup in Lyon, France, in 2015 when the Philippine team won the award for best ice sculpture at the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie (sculpted by Vicente Cahatol). The team also did well in other categories.

This was where I met chef Dan. It was such a proud moment for the Philippines.

These names are the Olympians of the pastry world. And Chef Dan Basilio became one of their greatest coaches.

But he did not only coach for competitions. He was well known as a mentor of many entrepreneurs and home cooks.

Aleth Ocampo, now known for her sourdough bread, is one of those entrepreneurs. It was chef Dan whom she met when she enrolled in a bread making class hosted by her sister, Anna Ocampo Sarmiento of OC’s Kitchen. Ocampo remembers he was so generous in teaching her, accepting calls and messages even late at night when she was learning.

“He is like a doctor, on call 24/7 when I would have questions,” she recalls in Filipino.

When her breads became a hit and she messaged him to tell him that his sourdough was making raves, he told her, “No, that is your bread now.”

Her daughter Gabby Mapa later learned to make ensaimada from chef Dan and now it is likewise getting rave reviews from the likes of Sandy Daza.

“His legacy will continue so long as we bake artisanal breads using his starter and the techniques he taught us,” Ocampo says. She is now taking care of starters that he gave her, naming them Dan and Basilio.

Incidentally, chef Dan is also a potter and even had his own skincare line.

He will be remembered for those, too. But most especially by his many culinary students whom he pushed to get the gold, in competition or in life.

Po recalls, “Dan was always making sure that his students got medals, even from the sidelines. His students shine because he tells them the truth, kaya ang gagaling nila (that is why they are good).

He would also push his peers to do better, like telling me to start online teaching. He would also even go to the provinces just to teach.”

Basilio gave his final bow at the last competition in France, writing this on his Facebook wall: “Mondial du Pain 2019. Nantes, France. (This was the) second time I mentored the Philippine team with PAP in the World of Bread competition … I think this will be my last competition. As I bid farewell to my younger and (more) competitive years, I would reminisce all these memories of trying to put the Philippines on the world stage of bread and pastry. Taking my last bow …”

And so we give a standing ovation for an outstanding chef and coach. Thank you, chef Dan, for bringing honor and glory to the Philippines through your toque and diligent coaching. May the Lord bless you and keep you.