From Jeepney Barker to Culinary Icon: A Mindanaoan Chef's Journey of Grit and Excellence
Some stories demand to be told in full—not because of the awards at the end, but because of the courage at the beginning. Chef Alex’s life is one of those stories. Long before he became the man behind Robata and Alfonso’s Café—or the Mindanaoan chef honored with the country’s highest tribute for OFWs—his journey began in places most people spend their whole lives trying to escape.
Beginnings Built on Hardship and Hope
Before he became a chef known across Mindanao, Chef Alexander Sebastian was a young boy from Ormoc, Leyte, raised in a landscape shaped by responsibility. He worked as a fisherman and sugarcane farmer while studying—roles no teenager should have to hold, but ones he carried with quiet resilience.
When he graduated high school, he didn’t celebrate. He left. Manila became his next frontier, armed only with a bag of clothes, his school records, and the belief that somewhere out there, a better life existed.
His first job was at a construction site for the Tutuban Market. When an accident forced him to stop, survival pulled him toward the streets, calling out for passengers in jeepneys. The day’s earnings were barely enough for food, yet he showed up anyway. That grit would become the blueprint of his life.
Still, he persisted—submitting his CV to every 7-Eleven, Jollibee, and McDonald’s he passed, waiting for someone to see his worth.
First Steps in the Kitchen
The break came in the form of a small Korean restaurant in Ermita. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a doorway. He learned noodles first, then stocks, then the rhythms of an actual working kitchen.
Underage and often unqualified for regularization, he jumped between restaurants—Hap Chan, Dencio’s—collecting skills like a man determined to rewrite his story.
Then one day, the life-changing newspaper ad appeared:
Kitchen Stewards Wanted — Dubai.
He applied, clueless about visas, documents, or where Dubai even was. But he passed every interview and left the country at 18, carrying the same quiet courage that brought him to Manila.
Dubai: The Turning Point
His first uniform in Dubai was blue—not the chef’s white he dreamed of. As a kitchen steward, he cleaned. Watched. Absorbed.
But life has a way of honoring those who refuse to give up. A half-Greek, half-French chef saw something in him and began training him nightly from 6 p.m. to almost midnight. Days were spent cleaning; nights were spent learning the craft.
When training ended, his blue uniform turned white. From there, his world widened:
He worked in renowned hotel kitchens.
Studied culinary arts for 18 months at the International Center for Culinary Arts, Dubai.
Helped open more than five hotels and two Japanese restaurants.
Worked in Turkey for two years.
Became Executive Chef at W Hotel Hong Kong under the Marriott Group.
This was no longer passion. This was vocation, built with calloused hands and an unwavering will.
Craft, Philosophy, and Identity on the Plate
Across continents, Chef Alex discovered his culinary identity: simplicity with integrity. He refuses to mask ingredients with unnecessary flavors; each plate must show what truly matters.
In his kitchens, he teaches his staff to treat every dish as a representation of themselves—authentic, honest, and rooted in respect for ingredients. His approach has always been clear: food made with honesty and love is something guests can feel even before the first bite.
And this philosophy anchors everything he does.
Coming Home: Robata and Alfonso’s Café
In 2019, Chef Alex listened to the tug of home. He wanted Mindanaoans to experience world-class dining without the high cost. So he returned and built:
Robata
An izakaya-inspired restaurant bringing together Filipino and Japanese grilling traditions. Its signature dishes—like baby back ribs finished on the robata grill—became instant favorites. After opening the first branch in General Santos City, Chef Alex expanded Robata with new locations in Davao and Kidapawan, bringing his elevated grilling experience to more of Mindanao.
Alfonso’s Café
A Western Mediterranean café honoring the flavors and techniques he learned abroad.
Both spaces elevated the dining scene in General Santos City and later expanded, proving that Mindanao doesn’t just deserve great dining—it can lead it.
Community at the Heart of Every Plate
His success didn’t detach him from his roots. If anything, it deepened his commitment to community.
He works with Blaan farmers to grow western vegetables needed for his dishes—lettuce, herbs, cherry tomatoes—providing steady income and sustainable farming. He sources from local fishermen, turning Mindanao’s seas into centerpieces of world-class plates.
This partnership didn’t just enrich his restaurants. It uplifted livelihoods. It strengthened supply chains. It celebrated Filipino produce.
Chef Alex’s return became bigger than business—it became contribution.
A Recognition That Hits Close to Home
This year, Chef Alex received one of the Philippines’ highest honors for overseas workers — the 2025 Bagong Bayani Award. And for him, the moment was deeply emotional.
He carried the award with the quiet pride of someone who never forgot why he left home in the first place: to give his family a better life. Standing among fellow modern-day heroes felt humbling, reminding him that heroism isn’t always loud — sometimes it’s found in years of unseen work, service, and sacrifice.
He expressed deep gratitude to the DMW, the Bagong Bayani Foundation, mentors who believed in his potential, colleagues abroad, loyal patrons, hardworking staff, and the people who supported him every step of the way. Above all, he dedicated the award to his partner, Ana, and their daughter, Brie — the two people who anchored him through every challenge and triumph.
A Life That Proves Grit Can Rewrite a Story
Today, Chef Alex stands as a testament to what determination can build: from streetside hustle in Mindanao, to back-of-house work abroad, to leading kitchens across continents, to becoming a culinary icon back home.
His award may honor his achievements, but his life honors the power of grit, grace, and choosing to rise again and again.
And in every kitchen he builds, every young person he mentors, and every plate he serves, the message is clear:
Your beginnings don’t define you — your hunger does.
Full Circle, Full Heart
Despite global experience and acclaim, Chef Alex remains simple, grounded, and faithful to his roots. His favorite comfort food is still pancit canton with hotdog—proof that the heart remembers where it first learned to hope.
His life is no longer just a success story. It’s a reminder.
That beginnings do not dictate endings. That excellence is a daily discipline. And that the truest measure of success is the good one brings home.