The life that shaped the genius

CEBU, Philippines - Looking at Chef Angel and hearing him talk about his work; you will be amazed to know that he did not start out making pastries. He was actually a long-haired rock n’ roll drummer in his youth, who played in clubs along Ermita in Manila. It was not until his sister cut his hair short and ordered him to do something serious with his life when he decided to become the head baker for a teacher in one of the schools in Manila, who was restricted to have a business. After making tons of breads, he applied to become a pastry chef for Manila Peninsula and the rest is history.

The drummer turned baker turned pastry chef showed the world what he was capable of through learning by experience and veering away from the conventional. Chef Angel graced such places and hotels as the Intercontinental, Manila Midtown and the Sheraton in Abu Dhabi as well as Palau in Micronesia, Kuwait and Montenegro in Yugoslavia.

It was in April 2009 when he became the pastry chef of Imperial Palace after just being interviewed over the phone. Now, he is capturing the hearts of a lot of sweet toothed patrons who come to the resort not just to enjoy its amenities, but also to enjoy his tasty treats.

“I did not study, what I only have is my experience. At first, I was not even interested in the recipes, it was just all play for me, but then came a time when I thought about my family and how they needed my help, that was when I started focusing on learning more,” Chef Angel said.

He stressed, “For me, experience is better than studies. Anything you see on the street can be your guide in making a design for your cakes and pastries. And, do not be idle. If you are not doing anything, think of what to do next – think up of new cakes – always come up with new ideas.”

The pastry chef also added that while he does have books, he only uses them as a guide for what he should do next.

“I look at the photo on the book and I think about how I can change the decoration. Making pastries is just like singing a cover of a song – you have to make your own arrangement,” he said.

By these last words, we can all say that we have an artist in the person of Chef Angel, a true pastry artist who is not afraid to make a statement through his pastry creations. (FREEMAN)