The Gala culinary stars

MANILA, Philippines - Before culinary courses became the new nursing, and before culinary schools charging the tuition equivalent of an MBA set up shop in the Philippines, there was Sylvia Reynoso Gala and her one-room culinary studio.

Back in the days before Google Maps, the school landmark, as the staff liked to tell anyone asking for directions, was the Orchid drive-in motel just across the street.

Anyone interested in cooking was familiar with the studio along Shaw Boulevard in Pasig. The coffee (always Café Puro) was bottomless and free, like the soft drinks in the fridge. The staff offered a chicken sandwich at a reasonable price. At the back of the classroom were Café Puro and Ricoa chocolate products for sale.

Johnlu Koa, after attending Sylvia’s bread classes, promised her he would start a bakery using principles she had taught. Johnlu’s French Baker is now all over the Philippines, and L’Artizan is spreading.

Sylvia was pregnant when Jill Sandique first enrolled in the 1970s. Jill is now a chef, food consultant and owner of Delize, renowned for its pistachio sans rival. Based on specifications she provided, a special oven with see-through heat-tempered window was developed and named after her by DCM Ovens in Las Piñas.

DCM owners Dionisio and Tess Molina, along with Jill and Johnlu, were among the many students and old friends of Sylvia and her children Morella and Ernest, who gathered at the culinary studio last May 28 for the inauguration of GalaStars Culinary.

The culinary school at 179 Shaw corner Pasig Boulevard, built beside the old studio, is a state-of-the-art, fully air-conditioned facility that offers complete hands-on training in 14 cooking methods for chef de partie, sous chef and chef de cuisine.

There are 10 workstations crafted by Uni-Fab Metal Industries, each with its own sink, preparation table, high-powered stove with oven, dual deep fryer and exhaust hood. Each workstation will accommodate no more than two students to maximize hands-on training by the TESDA-accredited instructors.

Sylvia will continue to teach, together with her children Ernest and Morella, as well as sister Leni Reynoso-Araullo, a certified instructress in the Wilton method of cake decorating. Lenny also teaches sausage making and, like the rest of the family, specializes in Pampango cuisine.

For the opening of GalaStars last month, friends and sponsors contributed to the food prepared for guests by the school. Johnlu Koa contributed French pastries and macarons plus Chatime tea, Purefoods contributed a large leg of ham, and coffee was, of course, Café Puro.

A long-time family friend, Jessie Sincioco of Chef Jessie, contributed appetizers, chocolate kisses and mini cupcakes. Chef Takashi Kawasaki of Hanaichi Japanese Restaurant, who will be teaching Japanese cuisine in the school, cooked tempura before guests.

The piece de resistance was, of course, a Sylvia specialty: delectable cochinillo or suckling pig.

Guest Letty Jacinto-Lopez recalled Sylvia taking a year off from their Batch ’67 at Assumption Convent to study culinary arts in Spain, where Sylvia was the gold medalist at the Academia de Gastronomos in Madrid. Sylvia then became a member of Batch ’68, whose most prominent member is former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In 1970, Sylvia opened her culinary studio at her parents’ home at 10 Ipil Road in Forbes Park. After marrying realtor and coconut plantation owner Luismil Gala, she moved the school in 1983 to her new home at 181 Shaw Boulevard.

Sylvia, who has been in the business for 43 years, has passed on the teaching torch to her children, maintaining the original school’s motto: “Learn to cook and bake the right way!”

All her students will attest that the school delivers on its promise.

* * *

For details about GalaStars, check out www.facebook.com/GalaStarsCulinary.