Cooking school with a view

MANILA, Philippines – How many culinary schools in Metro Manila can boast a fantastic view from the lecture room that can arouse the desire of any aspiring student chef to learn the creative rudiments and hone his or her culinary skills in an inspired setting? The First Gourmet Academy at Capitol Hills in Quezon City is nestled amid a golf course overlooking the Marikina Valley with Antipolo in the distance. But the view is just the icing on the cake, so to speak; something that makes this culinary school, not yet one year old, enticing. Instructors seasoned through years of professional experience, as well as state-of-the-art learning and kitchen facilities, are the main ingredients that give substance to the promise of jumpstarting a rewarding career in the culinary world.

First, there are the three pillars on which the academy stands: Mats Loo, school director of First Gourmet Academy and chief instructor for diploma course classes; Dennis Nakpil, treasurer of First Gourmet Academy and instructor for entrepreneurship; and Romy Mercado, president of First Gourmet Academy and instructor for entrepreneurship.   

Those in the food industry will know Nakpil as the moving force behind the popular Filipino casual dining restaurant Dencio’s, which he has parlayed into a thriving franchise brand. Mercado, on the other hand, belongs to the family that started Red Ribbon Bakeshop, which had grown into a successful global business even before its change of ownership a few years ago. With 50 years of combined experience in the food industry between them, Mercado and Nakpil are eager to share with their students firsthand information they have gathered through the years, not only in the kitchen but also on the business front, particularly in starting a new restaurant business. All are not success stories. “We talk about our failures, too,” Mercado shares, “and the lessons learned in the process.”

First Gourmet Academy offers an eight-month diploma course in Commercial Cooking, Culinary Arts and Entrepreneurship, designed for aspiring chefs who dream of opening their own restaurant, bar or catering business. Also giving support in the entrepreneurial courses is Antonio Magcase, a recognized consultant for various successful business enterprises. “The First Gourmet Academy trains students not only to become chefs but also prepares them to become successful entrepreneurs through a distinct culinary program designed to impart the business side of a culinary endeavor including the management, operation and finance aspects,” Mercado explains.

The six-month diploma course in Commercial Cooking and Culinary Arts prepares students for employment as chefs here or abroad. The course is followed by a three-month internship (OJT) in a restaurant, hotel or resort that’s approved and acknowledged by the First Gourmet Academy. Chief instructor Loo is also responsible for recommending students for internships to global hotels, restaurants and cruise lines around the world. Loo (he prefers to be called simply by his name, rather than “chef,” which he says means “king” or “the best”) began his own culinary journey in his native Sweden where he earned his university degree in Social Science and a diploma in Culinary Arts from Virginska Skolan in Orebro, Sweden. From his first chef job in Sweden, he went on to work in top restaurants and hotels in England and then on cruise ships, which brought him all over the world. This was where he met his Filipina wife, Reggie, with whom he has now chosen to live in the Philippines.
“The Philippines is an interesting country when it comes to cooking,” he says. “You have so many years of being influenced by foreign countries with strong culinary flavors like China, Spain and the United States. Asian food is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. It is very exciting as well as rewarding to be a chef here. More restaurants are opening and even wine bars as well as bakeries and delicatessens. Filipinos are open to new ideas. It is fun.”

First Gourmet Academy also offers short certificate courses on Fundamentals of Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, Artisan Baking, European Culinary Arts, Asian Culinary Arts, Gourmet Cooking, Wine Appreciation and Bartending. These are ideal for food enthusiasts and entrepreneurs who want to open a small food business or already have one but want to further add to their skills and knowledge. There are also short courses for teens, with Frances Chantal Aguila as instructor. Completing the faculty are Imelda Ramos, instructor for baking and pastry, and Michael de Villa, instructor for Asian and Wellness cooking, food service and wine appreciation courses. Besides teaching baking, Ramos also has her own business, Blossom Tree, supplying pastries as well as wedding cakes. De Villa just recently returned to the Philippines after working for the past 15 years in top restaurants in the US.

First Gourmet Academy’s strength lies primarily in the wealth of real-world experience that the teaching staff is ready to share with their students. “We’ve been there. We have done it many times,” Loo says. “It’s a good team, pulling the train in the same direction.” Classes are limited to 12 students per class with two instructors for a 6:1 student-teacher ratio for a more efficient monitoring and hands-on training. “The only way to become an excellent chef is to do it yourself,” Loo noted. “You will not learn the proper way by looking at an instructor showing you how to braise a beef shank, for example.” That is why the school makes sure that students spend a good portion of their time cooking in the kitchen. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a glamorous job. It requires a lot of discipline. “Being on time, wearing the proper uniform, working clean and fast” are essential to survival in the kitchen, Loo remarks. The easiest way to deflate a so-called “chef’s ego” is by having them wash the dishes, carry heavy pots, and clean the kitchen.

“Filipinos are easy to work with,” Loo says. “They are easy learners. They take instructions very well, whether given in English or just by showing them how. They are serious about their work.” It would be easy to say that all one needs to become a good chef is to have the passion for it. But instead of mouthing such pie-in-the-sky notions, Loo has more practical advice: “What you need is a strong back, knees and feet.”

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Morning classes at First Gourmet Academy start at 8 a.m.; afternoon classes, 1 p.m.; evening classes, 5:30 p.m. The next batch starts on June 22, 2009. For inquiries please call 951-1687 and 951-9655 or +63908-259-2639; email: info@firstgourmetacademy.com; website:www.firstgourmetacademy.com. First Gourmet Academy is located at Capitol Greenstreet, Capitol Hills Drive, Old Balara, Quezon City.