Chef Jane Pepito
Paris, France
Hello! I’m Jane Pepito
Think big, work hard, push limits, never stop & savor every opportunity that this world has to offer!
As a true nomad, I am constantly on the move, eager to take on new challenges, immerse myself in diverse environments, and explore new horizons. With an entrepreneurial spirit at my core, I’m not one to shy away from hard work, involved in personal advocacies and projects, and always on the lookout for new opportunities. My passion for life is matched only by my insatiable appetite for adventure. I live for stories I can tell about interesting ideas, fascinating people, places, and events that I encounter along the way.
As a professional chef, culinary nutritionist, and a self-proclaimed amateur food and spice anthropologist, I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting flavours and cuisines to add to my repertoire. I’m a global Filipina, and I take pride in my cultural heritage and have a deep appreciation for different cultures. When I’m not cooking up a storm or traveling, you can find me writing about culture, food, lifestyle, nutrition, and travels.
Thank you for stopping by! It’s been a pleasure to share a little about myself with you. Let’s keep in touch and share our adventures!
about the island chef kitchen
Island Chef Kitchen began not so much with a plan, more on a shoestring and with an idea. It is my personal repository – of thoughts, observations on cuisines, culture, yachting, places I’ve visited and people I encountered through my journey.
This site chronicles my culinary adventures, starting from my roots in Cebu, Philippines, and following the trade winds across islands and continents along the ancient Spice Route. Here, you’ll get a glimpse into my legacy project—a cookbook inspired by the Spice Route.
People often ask why spices and why the ancient Spice Route. The more pragmatic inquire, “How can you make this work?”
My aim is to have a central theme for my travels, something that stimulates my mind and revolves around food. I’ve been fascinated by archaeology and desert landscapes since I was seven, captivated by Indiana Jones and fueled by a childhood love for tales like Aladdin and Tarzan. I even dreamed of following in Amelia Earhart’s footsteps as a pilot! I’ve always been a curious soul, drawn to the romance of foreign cultures and history.
When I first envisioned writing a cookbook, I didn’t grasp the depth and complexity it would entail. All I had was a fervent passion for exploring the world, uncovering the influence of spices on various cuisines, and a curiosity about how the ancient Spice Trade and Silk Roads shaped cultures along their paths.
I’m neither a historian nor a sociologist, and this site isn’t meant to be a definitive source of food history. It’s simply a space to share my personal experiences, build confidence in novice cooks, inspire creativity in experienced ones, and revitalize home cooking.
And perhaps, I can ignite a spark of wanderlust in others, prompting them to explore these amazing places for themselves. It’s a long road, full of long-haul flights and island hopping, but I hope that I can sustain it. Because, my friends, knowing the story behind our food enriches our experience in the kitchen. Let’s embark on this culinary journey together!
recipes
This site is about discovering a casual attitude toward cooking, making a new and informal approach to island flavours and “Spice Route” cuisines. Most recipes highlight herbs and spices, produce endemic to a place, that are weaved through stories of adventures.
meet jane
Jane, a true city girl with a love for island life, and culinary globetrotter with a passion for fresh, flavourful cuisine. With a career spanning private cheffing, restaurant consulting, and food writing, she now travels the world as Head Chef on private luxury superyachts.
Growing up in Manila, Jane’s love for food was nurtured by her family. Her mother and grandmother taught her traditional Filipino-Spanish and Indian dishes, while her father, an international airline pilot, exposed her to global flavours. Her early exposure to international flavours ignited a lifelong love affair with food.
Leaving her corporate marketing career in Manila, she embraced island life in Cebu. She established Midori Bento Catering in 2007 which sparked a new chapter in her culinary journey. This venture sparked her interest in integrative nutrition and culinary arts, leading her to study hydroponics and organic farming. She pursued studies in Integrative Nutrition (IIN), and Culinary Arts with International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM) and Culinary Solutions Australia International, with high honors.
Jane’s culinary journey also took her to Los Angeles, honing her skills while working as a freelance private chef for VIPs in Southern California. Her travels to Europe, UAE, Morocco, Tanzania, and Southeast Asia further deepened her culinary knowledge and passion.
In 2015, Jane returned to the Philippines to open as Executive Chef to The Clove on the Quay at the Cebu Yacht Club, and served as Corporate Chef for La Vie Parisienne & La Vie in the Sky. Embarking on her superyacht career in 2019, she became the Sous/2nd chef to the world’s biggest private luxury 86-meter motor yacht trimaran, she quickly rose to Head Chef on both the Research Vessel OceanXplorer in (87-meter, world’s Most Advanced Ocean Research Vessel), in 2022, and a 95-meter motor yacht in 2023, making history as the first Filipina to helm the galley of 80-meter+ private luxury superyachts.
With a deep appreciation for diverse culinary traditions and a commitment to using high-quality ingredients, Jane continues to create extraordinary dining experiences wherever her culinary adventures take her.