A daring look at the individuals who are not only owning their craft but also their bodies

Almost everyone in the foodservice industry puts up with a lot of pain.

From dealing with shitty customers to fighting for your place in the kitchen and even simply trying to survive the harsh realities of the industry, you can virtually declare that cooking, running a restaurant, and simply being part of the F&B scene itself are the closest anyone can get to endurance sports—without actually participating in one.

Hence, the phenomenon of chefs and service workers sporting tattoos is a deeply symbolic expression of a commitment to embracing pain, identity, and their art. “For us, it’s liberating to be able to get those tattoos,” says chef Jorge Busso in an interview with Mel magazine.

But what I personally love most about the inks in the food industry is that more than just an artistic statement, they symbolize the industry as a safe space for a diverse group of people. It doesn’t matter what you look, how you identify, where you live, what your tax bracket is. You are measured based on your abilities as an individual and what you can bring to the table. Stigma (ideally) doesn’t and shouldn’t exist.

And this is perhaps why restaurants are a haven for creatives. It’s an irreverent fellowship that lets their food, their service, and their “art” speak for themselves. Here, take a trip around Manila and see the individuals who are not only owning their craft but also their bodies.

Miko Calo
Chef/partner at Taqueria Franco, and former chef de cuisine of Metronome 

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

You know how people are like, ‘Oh, you have to think about it because it’s going to be in your skin forever.’ I’m not too precious about that. For me, it needs to make sense in my skin. Of course, my first one didn’t make sense but that for me is part of a transition in life. It’s a reminder of how my life was, I don’t know, 25 years ago.

When I got this tattoo, this was just before I opened Metronome. It’s an old illustration of a pepper plant in those botany books. It’s also prevalent in my cooking. Pepper as a spice can become a main character but it can also have a good supporting role in a dish. It’s super versatile. You can make something sweet or savory. It gives an interesting layer to sweet stuff. It can also be really strong and be in your face but it can also be subtle.

Do you have plans of getting another tattoo?

For some reason, I like plants and leaves. [The new tattoo I’m getting is] also an illustration of a ginkgo plant, which is a symbol of resilience, survival, and strength. That for me is a representation of what I had gone through the past five years and I want to also celebrate stepping out of that tunnel and getting out of that challenge.

So this (pepper plant tattoo) was really kind of me opening my own restaurant and that was very impactful. And it led me to surviving a pandemic, birthing two more brands, being able to work on something playful and relaxed like Taqueria Franco with my cousin and some of our friends, and learning through the process of that and the whole thing with Metronome and me having to let go of something so precious and something so personal.

It’s like you get tattoos to signify impactful moments in your life.

So this (pepper plant tattoo) was really kind of me opening my own restaurant and that was very impactful. And it led me to surviving a pandemic, birthing two more brands, being able to work on something playful and relaxed like Taqueria Franco with my cousin and some of our friends, and learning through the process of that and the whole thing with Metronome and me having to let go of something so precious and something so personal.

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

A lot of it comes from personality but it’s more prevalent in our industry because it’s less formal. There’s always been this culture of having people who are a little bit more subversive and rebellious, and people who had problems who found themselves here. But we cannot also generalize the whole thing, especially now that being a chef has been truly professionalized.

But why get it on the other arm?

Well, it’s the design also. I like a lot of movements in my tattoos and I like them not so masculine but not too feminine as well. It’s a little bit more androgynous if you look at a tattoo. I like seeing it for myself and I feel like the arms let tattoos take various forms. For the pepper tattoo, I was very particular with where I was going to put it because when my arm’s down, you don’t really see it. But when I move and then you see it like, ‘Oh shit, that’s huge’ but it’s not like in your face. And that was one of the things that was important to me. I don’t make it a personality. It’s more for me, rather than to show it off.

John David Ty
Partner and co-head chef, Rabbit Room

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

Nag-start siya kasi ’yung brother ko, nagkaroon siya ng tattoo. Then ’yung mom and sister ko sabay nagkaroon rin. So at that time, mas payat ako, so di pa ako nagpa-tattoo. So ngayon medyo nagkalaman, so ’yun. Gusto ko lang is something nag-si-symbolize sa sarili ko.

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

First tattoo, sa right side ko—Psalm 23 (in Chinese). Tinuro ’to ng lola ko sa akin before she died. Hindi ko na natuloy, so pina-English ko na lang ’yung gilid. ’Yung recent is the Rabbit Room logo. Lima kami na may ganito sa kitchen. Si chef Rap, me, two staff, and our bartender. So bakit kami nagpa-tattoo? Ang cute niya kasi. [laughs]

What’s your favorite tattoo?

Birthday ng buong family ko. Mahina kasi ako sa dates so pina-tattoo ko na because when I was working sa Singapore, ’yung kailangan kong mga certificate of employment para makabalik, may pa-birthday ng parents and sister. Nakakalimutan ko eh. 

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

’Yung bike group tattoo ko, Manila Banditos. So lahat kami merong helmet. Ako kasi sa kitchen, may knife. Kay chef Rap, iba din. Eto, stupid. Sa ex ko. [laughs] ’Yung mga couple-couple na tattoo. Actually, ayaw kong magka-couple tattoo kaso sabi niya, ‘Sige na! Sige na!’ Di naman siya words, di ba? So di naman halata na couple tattoo.

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

Art kasi siya eh. Since art siya, na-tra-transpose ko sa plate ang art na ginagawa namin. So sa tingin ko doon siya nag-co-connect. ’Yung food as a form of art and sa tattoos sa self-expression. 

Rap Cristobal
Partner and co-head chef, Rabbit Room

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

Very singular because I want it isa-isa lang. And very personal, I guess. Not sleeves.

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

My first one is the one on my back. It’s my personal quote, ‘It’s better to be bruised for something, than to be flawless for nothing.’ My most recent one is a pig drawn by chef Rob of Purple Yam, one of my mentors. Mahilig kasi siya mag-doodle and walang logo ang Purple Yam before. Eto na ’yun. Ang cute eh.

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

This one, it’s a leek. Pag extend, it’s a leek. Niloloko ako kasi pag hindi daw [extended] parang shuttlecock. [laughs] Also the rabbit, kasi most of the people namin before, wala silang tattoos ever. First tattoo nila ever [was the Rabbit Room tattoo]. Kasi fresh graduates sila, binigyan namin ng opportunity. Sabi namin, “Bawal sa kitchen na ’to walang tattoo. Pag kusinero ka, bawal.” [laughs] So ang pamangkin ng head bartender namin, who’s a tattoo artist, came here. Dito kami nag-session while binubuo pa ’to.

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

The kitchen kasi, it gets people from all walks of life. For example, ’yung isang kitchen staff ko dito used to be a carpenter. Isa siya sa mga nagbuo nitong Rabbit Room. As in zero knowledge of the kitchen, but nag-study siya ng saglit for culinary. But for the longest time, part siya ng team ng carpenters. Then we took him in. Our other staff was, and up until now, a courier.

Jorge Mendez
Owner and chef, Tadeo, Some Thai, and Modan

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

It’s more personal kasi there’s a story behind it. So, meaningful siya for me.

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

My first tattoo was an orange-beaked bird. This was when I first entered the kitchen. I worked at Gallery by Chele. Kasi high-flying bird siya. My most recent is the hairy crab na may skull.

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

My stained glass tattoo. ’Yung brother ko gumawa nito. Medyo hindi maganda ’yung past ko before—barkada, the way I treated my employees before. So I prayed a lot and [it reminds me to] choose God before everything else. And I also have a taco on my calf. Usually every time mag-open ako ng restaurant, I get a new tattoo. [The taco] was for Tadeo.

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

Yes, chefs kasi are creatives. This is where we get our inspiration. Sometimes, when we’re stressed, dito namin ilalagay ’yun. [Nakakarelieve] ang tunog [ng tattoo]. Pero siyempre, ’di ako ’yung reckless na, ‘Oh sige, magpapa-tattoo ako kasi na se-stress ako.’ I need a design, di ba? So at least tuhog siya. Hindi siya para magkaroon lang. Outlet namin ’to. 

Rej Casanova
Executive chef, Westin Manila

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

In terms of tattoos, medyo contradicting. I’m a very minimalist guy, like in terms of food presentations, I keep things simple and clean. But with [tattoos], I love doing art on my skin. I like things that have a connection to me or what I’m doing in terms of my passion, which is food.

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

You can’t actually see my first tattoo anymore. It’s a tribal tattoo with a chef’s knife in the middle. So apparently, as years go by, nawala na sa trend ang mga tribal tattoos. So just to make sure I’m still aligned with what’s going on now and the theme I want to do, I covered it up. 

Tattoos and food have a lot of things in common—it’s about expression. We chefs cook based on our emotions, so it happens in both professional operations and sa bahay

My most recent one is my farm-to-arm one. I got it in 2021. That’s around the time I won the plant-based challenge from Marriott International. All the vegetables [in the tattoo] have a unique story that’s related to my job. 

For the tomatoes, it’s interesting because it’s a fruit, so there’s a debate about that. I also like making non-tomato food in tomato form. For the eggplant, it was the main ingredient in a major competition [my team and I] joined way back in 2013. And we won the grand prize in the Philippines during the national food show event. Cauliflower was also the main ingredient in the plant-based challenge that I joined.

The small carrots symbolize the first farm-to-table project I had at my old property at the Manila Marriott. Literally kami ’yung nag plant ng lahat ng seeds sa Tagaytay.

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

I really love dogs, and my dream is to have a wolf. So I have a tattoo of two wolves sa calves ko. There’s a black wolf and there’s a white wolf, which symbolizes yin and yang. I relate it din with my patience sa pagluluto, in terms of [my] personality sa kitchen. Sometimes you need to be aggressive with your team to make sure they’re focused. And, of course, sometimes you have to be light para mas maganda ang harmony. 

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

Tattoos and food have a lot of things in common—it’s about expression. We chefs cook based on our emotions, so it happens in both professional operations and sa bahay, na when you cook when you’re happy, mas masarap luto mo. Nag-re-reflect din ang opposite. It’s more on the expression of your emotions. Just like tattoos. May emotional expression or attachment ka sa tattoos you want to get. 

Angela Escudero
Partner, Bolo Coffee Club

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

Well all my tattoos, I want them to mean something. And I guess that’s why right now, I only have three. I’m very mindful about making sure each one means something significant to me.

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

My first tattoo is a dagger with a poppy flower on it. I read that daggers with flowers in it means ‘protect the family.’ So I got a poppy flower because it’s my parents’ birth flower. My most recent tattoo is a lucky cat that waves at you because we have one at Bolo and I wanted to get something that reminded me of this business venture.

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

To be honest, I saw the [lucky cat design] in one of those flash bowl things and I was like, ‘I have to have it because it looks just like the one we have at the shop.’ It’s really cute, I got it at 9Lives; Camille did it for me. So yeah, it looks like the one on our counter. It also has the face of a Sonny Angel.

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

People in F&B, technically, they’re creatives. And a lot of creative people want to express that on their skin, so it makes sense. At least to me.

Simoun Mendoza
Partner, Bolo Coffee Club 

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

For me, it’s more of just winging it so it’ll have that patchwork look. It’s not really like a planned out sleeve or anything like that. 

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

First is this [Virgin] Mary tattoo, the one with the seven swords, back in 2018. And the most recent I think are these two: the cherry and the sunset anchor.

In my experience, it’s a good conversation starter, like if you’re interacting with customers. Some of them go, ‘Oh! That’s cool!’ or ‘What is that?’ versus when you’re in the office setting, you have to hide it

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

When I got my first [tattoo], obviously my parents weren’t happy. But during the pandemic, they were here in Manila and I was in Hong Kong, so I just got more. And every time I’d catch up with them via video call they’d just notice that I got more. So by then, there was no stopping that. Now they just appreciate the design more instead of associating it with prison.

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

In my experience, it’s a good conversation starter, like if you’re interacting with customers. Some of them go, ‘Oh! That’s cool!’ or ‘What is that?’ versus when you’re in the office setting, you have to hide it. 

Effy Ang
Bartender, Bolo Coffee Club

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

For me, [getting] tattoos is self-expression. I treat it as art. Like the art that I can’t personally draw. I just want it on my body.

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

My first tattoo is this “X.” When I turned 18, sabi ko ‘I want a random ass tattoo.’ I got it. My most recent tattoo is this one, the lightning. Today lang.

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

Usually my tattoos are bands or songs that help me through my depression. That’s usually my theme. 

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

Well bartending for me, art na rin siya. You know, you think about recipes. It’s also customer-oriented, so I think nag-mi-mix siya. Like, people are comfortable when they see someone with tattoos.

Kevin Navoa
Chef and owner Hapag

How would you describe your approach to tattoos?

It started off as experiences kasi I started getting tattoos when I was backpacking a while back. So the story is, just experiences when I visit different countries, what do I bring home with me to the countries I go back to? Say, for example, I started in Cambodia, and I’d always go back to get new tattoos depending on the stories I come across during that time.

What was your first tattoo? And your most recent tattoo?

My first tattoo was a dapper-looking guy with a cool mustache. I liked the lines of it, really. It reminds me of Westerners during my time backpacking in Cambodia. My most recent one might be the one I have sa neck na marigolds. The story naman with marigolds is that we use a lot of marigolds here sa [Hapag]. And doing research on it, the symbol of marigolds is supposed to be creativity. And I got the word ‘grace’ along with it, across on top. So ‘grace’ is how I want to do things for the rest of my life.

Do you have any interesting stories about your tattoos?

The letter ‘M’ tattoo I have is the logo of where I got my tattoos in Cambodia. So the idea of the shop was that it was actually a bar and tattoo parlor, so that’s where I got the majority of my tattoos from. The owner is Japanese and the tattoo artist is Hungarian, who did most of my pieces.

I also have a Nordic compass. During the peak of my backpacking, I wanted to get a tattoo that was supposed to protect me while I was traveling around Southeast Asia because what I was doing then was getting on bus rides for about 15 hours by myself just exploring.

During the peak of my backpacking, I wanted to get a tattoo that was supposed to protect me while I was traveling around Southeast Asia because what I was doing then was getting on bus rides for about 15 hours by myself just exploring

I remember going to Koh Chang in Thailand, getting into multiple bike accidents. I learned how to ride a bike in Cambodia but never here.  And I thought since natuto na akong mag mano-mano, kaya ko na mag-motorbike. So I ended up renting a motorbike in Koh Chang and getting myself into a shit ton of accidents. Then I thought, ‘Maybe I should get a tattoo again.’ Just for the sake of getting a tattoo, and maybe getting one that would protect me.

Restaurants, kitchens, and the food industry in general seem to be a safe space where tattoos thrive. Is there a deep connection or significance between foodservice and tattoos?

I think people in the food industry really like to express themselves, and I guess it’s through tattoos. And that’s just the best way I can put it.

The Hapag team on their favorite tattoos

Esmerson “Emeng” Calupas
Chef de partie of sauté station

“My favorite tattoo is the mushroom… different kinds of mushroom. Lahat ng tattoos ko may meaning but mainly they are just to remind myself of everything I’ve gone through in life.”

Ralph Justin Rondain
Line cook

“I have three tattoos. This is my station when I was working in New York City. So the pizza has eight slices because I did eight months in a pizza station. The steak is the photo of the first tomahawk steak I ever made myself and the guest really loved it. And lastly, the station that I finished my one-year contract with, the pasta station. So technically that’s the main meaning, when life throws you around, the best thing to do is finish strong.”

“My favorite tattoo is on my leg, a compass. It reminds me to have direction in life,” says Hapag line cook Jed Ragay

Jed Ragay
Line cook

“My favorite tattoo is on my leg, a compass. It reminds me to have direction in life. And then my second favorite is this Buddha na naka-blindfold.”

Manuel Lapuz
Bartender

“I have three categories when it comes to my tattoos. One is religious and then two is career and then the other one is life. My favorite tattoo is this one about my career but my most interesting tattoo is my daughter’s foot and hands and also the octopus, which symbolizes my life because it’s a very multitasking animal. The full-sleeve tattoo is my way to keep in touch with God when I’m down and a reminder that we have guidance on our side.”

Rodel Berdeyo

“I only have one tattoo (a kiss mark), which is about sa ex ko. Pinatattoo ko talaga para sa kanya, pero siguro design na lang [ang tingin ko dito].

Miguel Seville
Chef de partie

“I have an American traditional tattoo here—there’s a heart and mom. It symbolizes my love for my mom. She inspires me every single day and she’s the reason why I’m doing this. Another interesting tattoo is the date of my accident. I had it tattooed since marami siyang lessons and just as a reminder.”

Andrei Brawner
Line cook

“My favorite tattoo is the knife and the skull on my outer arm, which is actually inspired by Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Cook Free or Die’ logo. The purpose of that logo is for suicide awareness and I like the design because I’m a cook as well. I liked the design, but I put my own twist on it.” 

Carmelo Tianzon
Staging cook

“I only have one tattoo, which was made by my cousin. I wanted to support her. Basically the eagle symbolizes me and the snake symbolizes all the negative energy—my fears, my insecurities. Me being the eagle is overcoming that, or being on top of the food chain type of thing.”

Ken Reyes
Line cook and pastry chef

“Eto ’yung favorite ko na tattoo. Si Jesus Christ.”

Keith Allen Relucio
Chef de partie

“I have a pineapple with three stars at eight crowns, parang flag ng Philippines. Literally Filipino hospitality ang meaning niya kasi ’yung pineapple symbolizes hospitality. Sa amin din sa Camarines Norte, we have the sweetest pineapples, ’yung Formosa. I drew this, actually. I designed all of my tattoos.”

Kamille Cate
Sous chef

“My favorite tattoo is on my back. It’s in alibata and it says ‘puhon’ or ‘in God’s time.’”

Noel Saraus
Bartender

“I have a tattoo on my neck in Japanese, it says ‘kaizein.’ So every day you need to do at least one percent. And kung fail pa rin ’yun, it’s still one percent kasi nag-learn ka sa mga pagkakamali mo.”