Chefs with Hearts of Gold Make Good in Hong Kong
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Dennis and Anouska Villanueva (Photo credit: Kim Bacon Photography).
Delicious Catering HK (www.delicious-hk.com) is considered Hong Kong’s premier caterer, serving the likes of Google, Tesla, IBM, Chanel, Goldman-Sachs, Citibank, BMW, the British Council, and many, many more powerhouse leaders in various industries and sectors. However, respected and sought after as they are, their success didn’t come without a steep price. Dennis and Anouska lived in Hong Kong in their early years, toiling for other people in the food and beverage business. They lived in cramped accommodations, met each other at train stations to hand over their kids from one to the other as one left the house to report for work and the other came back from a shift. They had their own share of lean and hungry years, when only very few relatives and friends could help them get by; but they persisted. And it all paid off. They were finally able to set aside enough money and, together with additional funds from some investor-friends, open Delicious, their very own deli place.
It took a very short time for that deli to become popular among employees whose offices surrounded their strategic location. While that endeavor didn’t last long despite its big draw -- the overheads were really too steep for them to keep up with -- it gave them the confidence to keep pushing. In 2008, they relaunched their presence in the F&B trade with what is now Delicious Catering. And they have never looked back since then. They have even been the backstage caterer of choice for Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, and Maroon 5 concerts, to name just three, and have been featured by various media agencies, including CNN.
In admiring Dennis and Anouska, one can’t help but see that the secret sauce to their successes is in their very long relationship that now spans over 30 years. They first met and dated in high school at La Consolacion College, Bacolod City. At the time, Dennis was notorious for the many summons he received to present himself at the principal’s office. He was the archetypical bad boy that every educational institution seems to have. Anouska, on the other hand, had to keep their relationship on the down-low because of unspoken but strict policies in their private Catholic school. But clearly, the past does not define the future. Over the years, they have become better versions of themselves because of how they inspired each other.
When a couple has been together for over three decades, the dynamics created between the two individuals sometimes brings about a unique way of dealing with crises at work. For instance, when they’re completely slammed with five different catering jobs and must deliver for the five all at the same time, something can get left behind in the whirlwind of action. When Dennis gets wind of the problem, he very quickly calls Anouska, monitoring the outflow from their commercial kitchen downtown. As his name flashes on her phone screen in the midst of all the activity, she immediately knows what’s up and chooses to ignore her hubby. Instead, she and her most trusted crew members jump into action and send out the forgotten item before Dennis has time to call them out for their mistake. Later, it simply becomes something to laugh about, not something that escalates into a big deal. It’s important for Dennis and Anouska to take care of the people who work for them because they believe they are the same people who will take care of making the business a success.
Dennis in action aboard a yacht, a popular catering package they offer.
Today, the love and devotion they have for one another are manifested in their two boys (now young professionals) and two girls. In spite of their often busy calendars, Dennis and Anouska still spend as much time as they can with their kids over—what else—a meal in some restaurant somewhere in the island state, which is haven for foodies; or a holiday in another part of the world. When asked about how they choose which restaurant to dine in, Anouska was very quick to say that it had to serve great food and have great service as well. “No matter how good the food is, everything else can be overshadowed, if the service is lousy.”
In many cultures, the act of cooking, sharing, and eating food is always deemed a special bonding experience and this is certainly true with the Villanuevas. Whether it is to express solidarity with complete strangers protesting on the streets in their adopted home city or to articulate their love for their family and friends, Dennis and Anouska have certainly had food front and center in their lives. And it is likely to remain so, for as long as food is nourishment to body and soul.
The Villanueva family celebrates Anouska’s birthday this year at Feather & Bone.
Agatha Verdadero
Agatha Verdadero is back to her passions of writing, teaching, publishing, and the outdoors, after a long hiatus. She has returned home to Kenya with her beloved poodle mix, Sam.
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