Crew Profile: Chef Danny Shows Us What's Cookin

Chef Danny is the head chef on the MV Explorer. He said he has been working on ship for “forever and ages” and has been the head chef for as long as anyone on board can remember. We follow Chef Danny through a typical afternoon while in port.

One of the two butchers cleans and prepares the fresh fish for dinner.

Chef Danny is responsible for all that happens in the kitchen, from sourcing provisions to tasting the food. Here he tastes soup before it is served for lunch.

Chef Danny inspects the dry provisions. The Skippy peanut butter is special cargo! The Summer 2012 voyage started with 2,089 pounds of peanut butter; Chef Danny explains that typically students eat about 40 pounds per day.

Chef Danny lends a hand to the ships two pastry chefs and puts today’s fresh made rolls into the oven.

Warm bread fresh out of the oven smells great and will be served to students for the next meal. All the bread and pastries onboard are baked fresh daily.

Food safety is Chief Danny’s number one priority; here he is checking the temperature of today’s meat loaf. This dish is a favorite for all and has become somewhat famous on the MV Explorer.

There are 40 crew members working in the kitchen and loading the ship with provisions while the ship is in port. There is a lot of food to haul, but the crew works together like a well oiled machine.

Fresh provisions are taken on while in port. It takes careful planning to make sure the ship is receiving the freshest and most in season items.

This talented crew of chefs feed over 700 students, faculty, and staff three times a day from this spotless kitchen.
The team (L-R) – Ramelito Albesa (Chief Pastryman), Romualdo Bobares (Assistant Pastry Chef), Gonzalo Razon (Assitant Cook, Gardemanger), Allan Murillo (First Cook, Pasta Cook), Danilo Cui Yatco (Executive Chef), Mario Mangaran (Chef de Partie Gardemanger), Jerwin Oliva (Sous Chef), Danilo Gobangco (Chef de Partie Rotissier)

Crew Profile: Chef Danny Shows Us What's Cookin

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