Guest Chef Nokee Bucayu joins Chef Ouita Michel in our Holly Hill Inn kitchen for an evening filled with the bright and vibrant flavors of her Filipino cuisine. And on Saturday, January 20, her special menu will make an encore performance, prepared by our talented Holly Hill Inn kitchen crew.

Nokee Bucayu’s passion for cooking started at a very early age, helping her Lola (grandma) make traditional foods like ube halaya and rice cakes in the Philippines. She moved to Kentucky when she was 10 and turned to Filipino food to remedy her homesickness.

As she learned more about Kentucky cuisine and produce, she fell in love with merging the two in her own unique way. As a chef based in Louisville, Ky., Nokee and her childhood friend and fellow Filipina Aileen Brua currently host the ongoing Kanin Pop-Up dinner series.

In 2022, Nokee competed in the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship Gingerbread Showdown, winning the dessert baking challenge component with her bourbon pecan pie. She was named Best Pastry Chef by the ACF Kentucky Chapter in 2019.

“Nokee’s food is stunningly delicious and a warm combination of her Filipino and Kentucky heritage. I’m thrilled to welcome her into our kitchen.” Chef Ouita Michel.

Chef Nokee’s multicourse dinner, with vegetarian options available, is $70. Award-winning wine list and full bar with premium spirits and bourbons available. Click here to return to dining experiences.

DINNER WITH NOKEE BUCAYU

THE MENU

WELCOME COCKTAIL CALAMANSI OLD-FASHIONED

AMUSE BOUCHE

LUMPIA SHANGHAI, MINI EMPANADAS

FIRST COURSE

ADOBONG PUGITA Crunchy octopus, garlic soy sauce, black peppercorn aïoli, fried garlic

BISTEK TAGALOG CARPACCIO thinly sliced tenderloin, calamansi gel, horseradish cream, caramelized onion soubise, tobacco onions, soy-calamansi vinaigrette

ENTREE

KARE-KARE SHORT RIBS peanut sauce, Kambosha squash, green beans, eggplant, bok choy, jasmine rice

SHRIMP PALABOK BUCATINI shrimp and pork ragu, pork belly, crispy garlic, cured egg yolk

GINATAAN NA GULAY coconut-stewed vegetables - Kambosha squash, bok choy, green beans, eggplant, jasmine rice 

DESSERT

UBE TART with pandan mousse and coconut milk crumbs

BOURBON PECAN SANS RIVAL pecan dacquoise, bourbon buttercream, caramelized pineapple and Chantilly cream

FOUR COURSES $70 | A vegetarian option will be available in each course