Because Candy Says So....: King of Grill, Chef Robert Rainford.

When I first read that the King of Grill will be in the country, I was so excited. I learned about him when my brother, Cedric would watch his show LICENSE TO GRILL. He has this charm and charisma in front of the camera that makes you just sit there and watch him grill to perfection all sorts of things. After his show, all I can hear are stomach growling with hunger. That's what I like about Chef Rainford's style. He has the ability to stimulate your appetite thru the tube. I can actually smell what he has on the griller. That is what makes him such a success and effective TV personality. He connects to his viewers. He has a direct line to my hunger pang.

But let me tell you something first, when I came home to spread the news, I came into the door, told my girls,

ME: Guess who's coming to town!
J and J: WHO!!?? (Obviously caught my excitement)
ME: ROBERT REDFORD!!!!
J and J: Eh??? Who's that???
ME: WHO'S THAT? Gosh girls, you need to be updated in other things too besides the Jonas Brothers!!
J and J: But we don't know him! Is he someone from the 80's again??
ME: Robert Redford, the CHEF! That guy from License to Grill!!! (rolling my eyes)
Jody: Mom, don't you mean Robert Rainford???
ME: Get out of my room, you are grounded....

Of course she is right and I was wrong. It's one of my blonde moments???

Anyway, Chef Robert RAINFORD dazzled us in Mandarin Oriental's PASEO last Sunday with his grilling skills and easy to follow recipe. A little bit of this and a lot of that. All too easy he says. You just have to find what suits your palate. He likes it super hot and spicy as he adds all sorts of pepper, chili and red things in his marinade. He talked with so much ease and you can tell that he enjoys what he does.

I can only smell the chicken and pork he put on the grill and tried my best to keep my stomach silent. I have a reputation for making super loud growling sounds when my stomach wants something. And I wanted to EAT!
My family, his fans. We were very happy campers.

During my one-on-one with the Chef, I asked him if he uses moisturizer. I just saw that he had smooth and healthy skin. And with all the sun exposure, the smoke from the grill and the stress of being on TV, I wanted to know how he takes care of himself.

His answers are in green.

My wife gives me all that stuff for my face. I don't know what brand. But yes, she takes care of me.

I ask about his clothing sense. What he wears when he's not in his chef uniform.

Just jeans and custom made shirts by a very talented man, Marlon Durrant.

If my brother wanted to have a kitchen just like yours, what would he have to sell besides his children?

Lynx grill

Weber.

Napoleon Grills

But remember, it's not about the brand of your griller, it's the way you grill. You have to learn the correct way to do it. Use the right amount of heat. This is the most important part of grilling.

What do you think of Iron Chef?

Love it! Want to be in it so bad.

Who do you want to go against with?

Anybody there. One hour of making 4 to 5 dishes. It's a challenge but it seems like a lot of fun. And the who knows, the mystery ingredient might not be a mystery to me. I might have already worked with it a few times so who knows. We do this everyday, cook and challenge ourselves to do better. We just gotta get the work done.

Out of the blue, I asked, "What's the brand of your shoes?"

KM SHoes

I don't believe in wearing Crocs while cooking. I don't want to wear rubber. It's not safe when I grill.

And how do you like the Philippines? BE HONEST!! Have you been outside Manila?

I really love it. This is my second time and out of 3 Asian countries that I have been too, I would say Philippines is my favorite. Unfortunately, I have not been outside Manila but I would love to.

I stood up, had a photo opt and left the room with a smile. I like him. He's really nice.

To Erika Aquino of Mandarin Oriental, THANK YOU for giving me this chance to be part of this special event.

Now, the good part, THE FOOD he grilled right in front of our eyes! I LOVED IT!!! Oh no, my stomach is growling again.