‘Chef-hood’ in flower

We took the liberty of coining the word "chef-hood" after we had an engaging morning talk with Chef Norbert Gandler, erstwhile of the Manila Mandarin hotel, now the Director of Culinary Arts of the newly-opened International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management. From his credentials, he is perhaps the best man to head such an organization, which aims to prepare young men and women for fruitful careers as chefs, a profession that has been elevated to one of respect and prestige.

With the services offered by this institute aspiring chefs and their parents need not worry about the huge expense of going to Europe. Occupying the whole fourth floor of the FBR Arcade on Katipunan in Quezon City, fronting the Ateneo, the institute is still in the process of completion, but already offers neat and functional classrooms/kitchens. On the day we visited, we also met Hans Schallenberg, Director of Hotel Operations, who clarified that this school and the former Institute of Hotel and Restaurant Studies (ihrs) have become partners. That morning Norbert and a fellow chef were instructing some eight students about making the perfect mashed potato.

Those eight are only a fraction of about 130 enrolled in various courses, with ages ranging from 18 to 66. Going back to the time when kitchens were commanded by the "cook" who simply put together a collection of ingredients, today’s chef’s training ranges from the fundamentals of culinary arts to profit-and-loss possibilities of opening a restaurant or joining a hotel, ship or membership club. Different food concepts, their evolution and on-the-job security–these are all addressed at this school.

The school challenges the would-be chef to "Turn Your Passion into a Career". It offers one-year courses in the areas of Culinary Arts and Kitchen Management, Bakery and Pastry Arts, Food and Beverage Management and Cost Control. Latest international food service trends are incorporated into the traditional European dual approach, using practice and theory, a system that has produced, over the past eight decades, the most prestigious hospitality personnel of the 20th century.

Of the short courses offered, we particularly noted the Waiter Apprenticeship Program which one takes for two months, completing 96 hours. This we feel is very important and helpful to restaurant owners who should send their service staff (the front liners) to prepare them better for their jobs. We noted that outside of good grooming, inventory, etc., there is a segment for Sequence of Service and Service Language. We felt this is a "must" after we were served lunch in reverse at our favorite place, Bizu in Greenbelt 2. It could be that people in the kitchen get confused when so many diners come all at the same time. But that day, we had our main courses served ahead of everything else. Then we got the soup and last the appetizers. A complete and most unwelcome reversal!

Needless to say, the session with Norbert touched on why Filipino food has not really achieved international acceptance/approval. He believes its ethnicity is not very strong, so we need to put more effort on this aspect. We also concede that our food is often fat (as in pork lard) based which, in this time of healthy cuisine, makes it only the last choice. He added, however, that using butter in minimal quantity enhances meat. Likewise he subscribes to using salt (a sanitizer) moderately. And can you believe that French cuisine actually started in Italy? That’s because Catherine di Medici brought the culinary techniques of Italy to France when she married Henry II.

There you are, aspiring chefs, young and mature, look up the courses at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management. You might still have the career of your dreams. A word of caution from the wise Mr. Gandler: experience is very important and therefore one needs to start from the bottom. Which, he adds, has not discouraged many of their students (a lot of whom come from well-off families). They plunge into their training without worrying about getting their hands dirty, cleaning up kitchen sinks or even taking garbage out. From all indications, as with any profession, chef-hood needs a lot of discipline and dedication.

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