Top 10+1 culinary schools

There are those who travel and those who are going somewhere. They are different and yet they are the same. The success has this over his rivals: he knows where he is going. — Mark Caine

It’s different strokes for different folks. Innate interest, adequate preparation, commitment, perseverance and resolve play a big role in ensuring the probability of success. However, it cannot be denied that different people learn in various ways. While some prefer serious, highly academic and lengthy training sessions, others are happier when following a quick approach. The end-goal is the same: to learn valuable competencies. And, as in most fields of study, this holds true in the field of culinary arts.

Culinary programs nowadays vary to suit preferences and schedules, thus attracting an even wider audience than before. Aside from  people who are eager to tap the employment opportunities offered by a booming hospitality business, there are those who are driven to learn new cooking skills, mainly to liven up the fare of their families and friends. Whatever their motivation, culinary enthusiasts in the Philippines will be glad to know that a slew of reputable culinary institutions has opened their doors to students who are eager to learn new skills.

Real-World Experience At Enderun College

The current Ortigas campus of Enderun College features superior facilities, but the culinary community awaits with eager anticipation the completion of Enderun College’s Fort Bonifacio campus in 2009. Envisioned to be a state-of-the-art facility, the two-hectare campus in McKinley Hill will set new standards for culinary education in the region. As a “campus laid out (like) a microcosm of the Asian colonial cityscape,” it will include facilities like the largest management and hospitality-related library, a student-manned luxury boutique hotel, and recreational facilities (lounges, meeting rooms and restaurants).

Enderun offers a full-range of bachelor’s degree and non-degree courses in the fields of Hotel and Restaurant Management and the Culinary Arts. The mission of the school is “to prepare its students for leadership positions in the dynamic global industry,” and gives emphasis to a globally recognized academic program. Not only are students trained in the professional competencies of the industry, they are also required to take classes that will hone their knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, arts, and practical or physical sciences.

A highly qualified faculty, rigorous curriculum and academic cooperation with prestigious institutions like Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland and Alain Ducasse Formation provide students with the best learning opportunities in the world. Additionally, career guidance is offered from the time students are admitted to the college, so that they are able to take full advantage of the leadership opportunities that await them after graduation.

Enderun Colleges Ortigas Campus is at 2/F Wynsum Corporate Plaza, 22 F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Pasig City, with tel. nos. 638-5555 and 636-1614. The Fort Bonifacio campus is at 1100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill, Taguig City. For more information, log on to www.enderuncolleges.com

Authentic Cuisine At The Chinese Culinary Arts Center

When the Chinese Culinary Arts Center (CCAC) first opened in 1974, it was exclusively for those who could speak and understand Chinese. This was because chef instructor Liong Yu Lu felt it was in this language that he could effectively impart the knowledge to whip up authentic Cantonese and Fookienese specialties. However, due to the clamor among non-native Chinese speakers who learned about the cooking lessons, mainly by word of mouth, chef Lu eventually opened his doors to Filipino students in 1977. His wife, Connie, assisted him when cooking methods became more complex and more explanations were required.

Since then, the number of graduates has grown by leaps and bounds. The roster of graduates reads like the society pages. There are high-profile society figures, beauty queens and media personalities. Chef Lu was even featured in a television show in the early 1980s.

Likewise, restaurant owners who want to open establishments serving authentic Chinese food send their chefs to chef Lu for training and apprenticeship. At the height of the demand for domestic workers in Hong Kong, a certificate from CCAC boosted qualifications and even increased salary grades. Japanese students have also enrolled to master the intricacies of Chinese cuisine.

The two-hour sessions are intensive, but very effective, so that one can learn authentic Chinese cuisine in one to four sessions. The short courses are very enticing for food enthusiasts who follow busy schedules, and we wonder why we didn’t hear of CCAC sooner. One can only surmise that former students wanted to keep this fount of authentic Chinese cooking learning to themselves. But now, the secret is out.

The Chinese Center for Culinary Arts is at 2130 MH Del Pilar Street. Call 525-2720. E-mail ccac01012006@yahoo.com.

ACF-Accredited Education At The Center For Culinary Arts

 “Our curriculum is accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF). It is easy to say that a program is of good quality, but one needs to benchmark and validate the program through a thorough process of accreditation,” says Marinela “Badjie” Guerrero-Trinidad, vice president and CEO of the Cravings Group that runs the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA).

CCA is the first culinary institution in Asia to be given accreditation by the ACF, the biggest and most prestigious organization of professional chefs in the world today. And undoubtedly, training in a learning institution recognized by the ACF that has a membership of 19,000, opens numerous doors of opportunity for CCA graduates. The school offers a two-year (diploma) program in Culinary Arts and Technology Management and a one-year (certificate) program in Baking and Pastry Arts.

 “We try to keep abreast of what the other schools are doing, but at the same time, we focus on what is best for our students. The place of the chef is not just in the kitchen,” says Trinidad. “We want to open up all opportunities for them — in research and development, manufacturing, academics and writing — so that they can succeed wherever their passions may be.”

“We keep ahead by exposing our faculty and students to competitions to challenge them and expose them to new trends,” says Trinidad. “Although some are afraid to compete, thinking that their reputation is at stake, we always think that it is more important to do your best. Practice is important. Commitment is important.” This year, CCA chefs excelled in the Food & Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge held in Singapore. The contest is Asia’s most recognized culinary competition, and attracts the world’s best chefs. Hundreds of chefs from 17 countries competed in a battle of the best culinary talents. What is notable is that CCA competed in five sessions of the Individual Challenge category and won medals for all.

Center for Culinary Arts, Manila, Katipunan main campus is at 287 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, QC, with tel. nos. 426-4840 to 41. For more information, log on to www.globalacademyph.comwww.globalacademyph.com.           

Tackle The World With The Global Culinary & Hospitality Academy

The disposition of the Filipino — friendly, welcoming and sociable — makes him a shoo-in for the hospitality industry. Add to this his innate love for food, and he will be hard to beat in the field. However, one factor that may keep him from attaining success in the industry is the financial constraints that can hinder good training.

“Making the culinary dream a reality for millions of Filipinos” is the tagline of the Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy. By offering a full range of technical and professional courses at reasonable rates, the institution makes it possible for more people to receive world-class education and training. With its primary goal of “securing immediate employment for its students,” the school plays an active role in linking up students with industry partners and Academy-owned food service and hospitality businesses.

 “Now is the time. Take advantage of the opportunity and learn from the experts. Perfect your passion. Embark on your global career with the fastest growing team in Culinary and Hospitality Education,” encourages the Global culinary and hospitality academy, and we are inclined to agree. The school, after all, is managed by a reliable team with several successful years of experience in technical education.

Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy is at 2F, Don Escriva Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City with tel. no. 638 5949. Visit their website at www.globalacademyph.com.

Recipe For Entrepreneurial Success At Ecmi-Le Cordon Bleu, Manille

This is the Philippines’ pioneer culinary school. Founded in 1948, mainly for the homemaker, its goal was to “assist women in the care of the nutritional needs in their homes.” By teaching numerous women the best foreign and local cooking techniques, Le Cordon Bleu’s founder, Pat Limjuco Dayrit, was instrumental in enriching ordinary home cooking to include special continental cuisine.

Pat Limjuco Dayrit was the first Filipino to receive a grand diplome for French cooking from Le Cordon Bleu in New York. Since the school opened 60 years ago, it has been instrumental in teaching numerous students the finer rudiments of the culinary arts.

The school’s current directress is Loudette L. Dayrit, who continues her mother’s legacy of fine cooking and intensive training. In tune with current trends of these modern times however, Le Cordon Bleu has expanded its mission “to train competent food entrepreneurs for culinary excellence” as well. A “Food Entrepreneur Starter Workshop Course” has been designed for this purpose and the school is recognized as an institution “for the quality food entrepreneur.”

Aside from the regular courses (beginners/advanced cooking, basic cake decoration, cake and pastry course, etc), demonstration courses and one-on-one cookery courses, the school organizes educational and gastronomic tours and projects for students to show off their skills and talents. Best of all, scholarship grants are given to deserving students.

For more information log on to www.lecorcami.com or e-mail ecolcuis_mnl@yahoo.com.

Live Your Dream At Heny Sison Culinary School

Heny Sison is the perfect example to show you can reinvent yourself and live your dream. Heny started her professional career working as an economic researcher and financial analyst, but turned her back on that path to become one of the country’s most well-known culinary experts. Her fabulous cakes are focal points in many occasions, while her food column in The Philippine STAR educate the reader, occasionally causing him or her to salivate from the description of the food.

An interest in baking and cake decoration encouraged Heny to enroll in formal classes and in 1985, she put up the Heny Sison School of Cake Decorating and Baking. The name was changed to Heny Sison Culinary School after more comprehensive culinary programs were added to the repertoire. Along with Heny, a roster of respected and talented chefs facilitates cooking programs at the school.

Sison trained in various elements of cake decorating and baking at the Wilton School of Cake Decorating and Confectionery in Woodridge, Illinois; L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Maryland; Maid of Scandinavia in Minneapolis under Roland Winbeckler, Marsha Winbeckler and Marie Grainger; the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, Napa Valley; and Draeger’s Culinary Center in California. Aside from her creative culinary masterpieces, she is currently writing a cookbook.

Heny Sison Culinary School is at 33 Bonnie Serrano Avenue, corner Sunrise Drive, Crame, QC, with tel. nos. 726-5316, 412-7792; fax 412-7792; e-mail henysison@pacific.net.ph

Fun In The Tiny Kitchen

Vicky Veloso Barrera has fond memories of learning how to cook. The fascination with cooking started at seven years old. “I remember making a banana pie once that had no butter in the crust. I don’t know how it stuck together! I liked cooking so much that when my cousins came to visit I would be in the kitchen preparing merienda instead of the garden where they were playing,” she shares in her website. With a Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls serving as her guide, we can easily picture little Vicky cooking and having fun in the kitchen.

From her early interest in reading, cookbooks and food, it is not surprising that Vicky in adult life is the author of several food-based books. These include From Vicky’s Kitchen, Edible Gifts, Cooking for Two, A Worldwide Feast and Kape. Of special interest to youngsters who enroll in Tiny Kitchen are Tiny Kitchen and Not So Tiny Kitchen that contain recipes taught in her cooking school.

“Both in my classes and cookbooks, the recipes are meant to be hands-on activity for children, although the constant attention of an adult is best,” she says.

Still, she cautions over-anxious adults from jumping into the activity and taking away the fun from cooking. “The younger the child, the more attention must be given. But as much as possible, children should be allowed to do all the steps that they can by themselves. I’ve noticed that some adults — parents and yayas — are quick to step in and take over what the child could be doing by him or herself. Remember that some children move more slowly than others.”

At Tiny Kitchen, cooking lessons are also lessons in discovery, self-sufficiency, independence and fun. “My aim is to get kids interested in cooking, not to teach them healthy eating habits. (But of course) the salad recipes are a subtle way of introducing them to healthier alternatives in the future.”

For inquiries or correspondence, call 410-2279, 0916-5165035. Visit http://tinykitchen.com.ph.

Cooking With Sylvia Reynoso-Gala

Believe it or not, there was once a time when a career in the culinary field was not considered as acceptable and glamorous as it is today. During that bygone time when parents scoffed at the idea that their children pursue an interest in culinary arts (forcing them to take up medicine or law, or something like that), Sylvia Reynoso-Gala was an icon to be emulated and held in awe.

Gold Medalist at the Academia de Gastronomos in Madrid Spain, she held reign in her family’s Ipil Road, Forbes Park kitchen and supervised her students as they whipped up delicious concoctions.

Sylvia Reynoso-Gala’s great advantage is that she comes from a family that believes in the importance of food. Her father, architect and builder Jose Reynoso, was an epicure, and so was her mother Africa, of the aristocratic Valdes clan. Not surprisingly, the love for good food has been passed on to the next generation. The Gala offspring — Morella and Ernest — are themselves highly qualified chefs who have opted to enrich the cooking skills of this generation of food aficionados.

Morella was valedictorian of her class at IHMES International Hotel School in the United Kingdom, while Ernest graduated from various cooking institutions in Italy, France and Thailand. He also writes a column for The Philippine STAR.

 “Whether you’ve been cooking for 30 years or 30 minutes, our state-of-the-art kosher culinary studio offers cooking classes and demonstrations with your tastes in mind. You’ll meet celebrity chefs, learn new recipes, discover exotic ingredients, and create and enjoy delicious dishes,” states Sylvia Reynoso’s website, tempting me to enroll. It is an affirmation of my belief that food is always a pleasurable and constant adventure.

Sylvia Reynoso Gala Culinary Arts Studio is at 181 Shaw Blvd., Pasig City with tel. nos. 671-4472, 671-4489. Visit her website at www.sylviareynosogala.com.

Magsaysay Institute Of Hospitality And Culinary Arts Is All About Jobs

 “Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) is about jobs,” touts the institution’s site. When the school was opened in January 2007, its main mission was “To provide exceptional training for global careers.” Through excellent training, graduates are equipped with the necessary skills to prepare them for the challenges of a global hospitality, cruise and tourism industry.

MIHCA is part of the Magsaysay Group of Companies, which also owns Magsaysay Maritime Corporation (MMC). Although one option for MIHCA graduates is to apply for employment at MMC, they are also encouraged to explore other profitable paths. MIHCA assists their graduates with their job searches as hotel, restaurant or resort personnel. Of course, it helps that The Human Resource Group of MMC serves the human resource requirements of the world’s largest cruise lines, resorts and tourism operations.

“Our aim is to get you job-ready as soon as possible,” says MIHCA’s website, and two to four months of intensive training should be enough time to qualify the disciplined student for his new career. Of course, a big plus factor for the school is the reasonable and affordable tuition rate.”

Contact MIHCA at 3F Times Plaza, United Nations Ave. corner Taft Ave., Manila, with tel. nos. 542-9996, 526-1721. Visit their website at www.mihca.com.ph.

Cooking Is Fun At Kitchen Hobbies

Kitchen Hobbies Cooking Center started in November 2004. The cooking center run by the husband-and-wife team of Jerry and  Eleanor Ty was conceptualized because of a shared passion for cooking, and eating, good food.

 “Oftentimes, friends and relatives would give us very good feedback on certain dishes and would ask us to teach them the recipes,” says Eleanor. “When it came to preparing food for their family, there was always a dilemma on what food to cook for lunch and dinner. They would say, ‘Is there another way to cook fish other than frying it? My kids are complaining about my cooking. Nagsasawa na raw sila with always adobo.’ Because of this, we thought of putting up a venue for people to learn to cook and serve good food to their family and friends.” 

Kitchen Hobbies offers a variety of cooking modules, including Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and an Asian cooking series. There are also courses on beef, chicken, seafood, desserts; and baking classes once in a while. Cooking classes are held from Wednesday to Saturday, with sessions lasting for three hours. Also available are special classes like Basic Cooking Workshop and Advanced Cooking Workshop for those who want to learn the basics of cooking — from proper measurement of ingredients to developing their knife-chopping skills and proper cooking techniques.

The people who attend cooking classes are homemakers, working moms, teenagers/students, young professionals, grandmothers — added proof that food is a topic of universal interest for all age groups. A maximum of 12 students can be accommodated in the regular classes.

Kitchen Hobbies Cooking Center is located at Rm. 203, Victoria Villa, 28 M. Cuenco Street, QC, with tel. nos. 742-3627, 776-5373; e-mail kitchen_hobbies@yahoo.com.

The Academy For International Culinary Arts

Both professional and recreational courses are offered at the Academy of International Culinary Arts (AICA). Whatever program, one is assured of a hands-on learning policy. This is in line with fulfilling AICA’s mission of “providing its students with the finest education and training available in the Asia-Pacific region.” 

Students are trained to develop good leadership skills and use state-of-the-art facilities. The support does not end with graduation. Through partnerships with industry players and Academy-owned businesses, graduates are able to find fulfilling careers.

For students who want to work their way to an executive chef position, AICA offers a nine-month diploma in Culinary Arts and a Professional Kitchen Management course. Those content to acquire certificates can take up Fundamentals of Professional Cooking (16 four-hour sessions), or Fundamental of Professional Baking and Pastry (24 sessions).

Chef Joseph Armando “JA” Ventura is the newly installed culinary programs director of AICA. His goal is “to make sure that AICA produces professional cooks who can manage a kitchen and think.”

AICA is at Suite 207 Skyway Twin Towers, #351 Capt. Henry Javier St, Pasig, with tel. no. 672-2271; e-mail info@aicaculinary.com.