Setting the Table: The Chefs of Best Fest is a storytelling podcast where food becomes the lens for culture, identity, and human connection.

In each episode, host Tay Westbury sits down with the chefs behind Best Fest—exploring not just what they cook, but why they cook. These are conversations about origin, memory, discipline, and the values that shape a life in hospitality.

In this episode, we meet Gerald Dimabuyu, a chef whose journey begins in the Philippines and stretches across oceans, kitchens, and communities. Raised in a culture rooted in family, humility, and hospitality, Gerald’s approach to food is grounded in respect—for ingredients, for tradition, and for the people he serves. From cooking alongside family at communal tables to feeding crews across the world on merchant vessels, his philosophy is clear: treat ingredients right, and they will take care of the dish.

Now the force behind The Fifth Taste, Gerald centers his cooking around umami—the “fifth taste”—that indescribable depth of flavor that lingers, connects, and evokes memory. But his story doesn’t stop in the kitchen. Balancing life as both a chef and a nurse, Gerald brings the same intention to both worlds: to nourish, to heal, and to serve others with care.

This is more than a conversation about food. It’s about generosity, cultural respect, and the belief that one meal—shared at the right moment—can transport you home or introduce you to somewhere entirely new.