Chefs Kitchen: Ponti Seafood Grill, Executive Chef Alvin Binuya, Owner Richard Malia, Ship Canal, Fremont WA, South Seattle Community College culinary program, complexity of soy sauce, Rosellini's Other Place, Cafe Sport, Chef Bruce Naftaly, Tom Douglas

Chef's Kitchen

Each month we bring a guest chef into our Chef's Kitchen column to give us tips that elevate their cooking (and hopefully ours). They also provide a recipe that showcases their tips. Our guest chef this month is Executive Chef Alvin Binuya of Ponti Seafood Grill. Alvin was the opening chef 20 years ago, then returned in 2009 to re-take the kitchen. Ponti has been at the forefront of fusion since the beginning, offering amazing flavors that have continued to delight customers over the years. Owner Richard Malia's commitment to wild, sustainably-caught fish started in the '70s. They are also known for their great happy hour and one of the best patios in town--overlooking the Ship Canal. Their private dining rooms all have windows and extraordinary views, also an unusual combination. Ponti is a quiet retreat in a bustling city--a wonderful spot to enjoy great food, atmosphere, views and service.

Chef Alvin Binuya grew up on Vashon Island, graduating from Vashon High School, and then attending the culinary program at South Seattle Community College. He worked at Rosellini's Other Place with owner Robert Rosellini and head chef Bruce Naftaly, starting in pantry and working through all stations. He left to attend Washington State University's hotel and restaurant program for a year, then returned to work with Bruce Naftaly. He moved on to the Sorrento Hotel and Hunt Club where he was promoted to the position of banquet chef at the age of 20. Alvin was then recruited to Café Sport where he worked as assistant to Tom Douglas for three years. Taking some time off, he spent several months in the Philippines, returning to meet with restaurateur Jim Malevitsis, owner of Adriatica. He signed on with Jim and restaurateur Richard Malia (Snug, Mrs. Malia's, Malia's Northwest) for their new project, Ponti Seafood Grill. While Ponti was being built, he worked at Adriatica. He designed and ran the Ponti kitchen from 1990-1997. When Malia and Malevitsis opened Axis, Binuya became executive chef for both Axis and Ponti (1997); he moved to Axis full-time in 2001. In 2005, he opened his own restaurant, Madoka, on Bainbridge Island. When he closed Madoka in 2009, he closed the circle by returning to Ponti in October 2009 .

Light, quick, tasty food, by Chef Alvin Binuya
Early on in my cooking career, I found myself looking for light and quick foods to prepare to eat during any short breaks I had. One of those items was usually a salad made with mixed greens and any crisp vegetables we had on hand. What I used to dress the salad was a light sprinkle of soy sauce and olive oil with a squeeze of lemon and fresh ground black pepper. I realized that the complexity of soy sauce went quite well with the fruitiness of olive oil.

It also works well as a baste on seafood and steaks. At home when I grill steaks on the BBQ, I usually give them a quick 1-2 hour marinade with a mixture of soy sauce, olive oil, minced garlic, and black pepper.

One of Ponti's signature items is the 'sauce,' (somewhere between a sauce and a pesto), that we use on salmon, squid, and sometimes on halibut. It is also very good on grilled vegetables.

Ponti Seafood Grill
3014 3rd Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
206-284-3000

www.pontiseafoodgrill.com

Click here to see Executive Chef Alvin Binuya's recipe

June 2012

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