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Culinary arts in the Philippines may be a budding
industry as compared with its Western counterpart. But that will not
be for long as Filipino chefs are just as competitive as the rest of
the world as proven by the convincing win of the students from the
Center of Culinary Arts, Manila (CCA Manila). This was proven at the
prestigious Food and Hotel Asia (FHA) Culinary Challenge held in
Singapore recently.
The CCA Manila students raised
high the Philippine flag as they competed with students and chefs
from 17 countries who sent the best culinary masters to vie for
honor. The feat is worth mention since CCA Manila competed in five
sessions of the Individual Challenge category and all the students
emerged victorious—garnering medals and citations from the judges.
“We want to place the country
in the culinary map. It’s not easy to win because you don’t
really know what the judges are looking for. Our creativity,
stamina, and patience were all tested,” said James Antolin, chef
and CCA program manager.
Jose Alfonso “Joey” Herrera
won a gold medal in the “Neptune’s Catch” category
(preparation of a seafood dish) with the entry “Poached Sea
Bass.” He is a chef-instructor in CCA Manila and said that he
“practiced a lot” prior to the competition.
Enrique Manuel “Ching”
Yoingco won a silver medal for the New Asian Cuisine for his entry
“Caramelized Salmon with shoyu Grand Marnier.” He is also a
chef-instructor in CCA Manila and vows to “get the gold”
someday.
Mike Yap, who also teaches at CCA
Manila, bagged a bronze medal in the New Asian Cuisine for his
entry, the Thai-inspired “Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Thai Red
Curry, Taro and Purple Rice Galette.” Prior to the competition, he
said he was “nervous . . . but I tried to channel this into
positive energy and focus on the task at hand.” He also did
“four R and D sessions and five practices sessions to prepare for
the competition.”
Cora Apostol, a Baking and Pastry
arts student, bagged a bronze medal for the Pastry Showpiece with
the entry “Filipina,” which consisted of flowers, frame and
shawl made of dead dough (no yeast) that she perfected through
“practice, practice, and practice!”
Walter Wong, another baking
student, bagged the bronze in the plated dessert category with
“Warm Breeze,” a banana cage pineapple pudding served with
orange curd and coconut froth, and “Flavor Storm,” a concoction
of molten chocolate, gorgonzola ice cream and poached pears. He said
that he was “nervous” during the competition, but his
three-month practice at CCA paid off.
With the awards garnered by CCA
Manila in this prestigious competition, the school affirms its role
as the premier culinary education institution in the country
offering innovative ways of teaching, nurturing and developing a
student’s passion for cooking. Its faculty members have guided the
students in local and international culinary competitions armed
strong academic preparation and industry experience, which enhance
the programs’ course content and laboratory activities. 
(Visit CCA Manila’s
interactive website at www.cca-manila.com.)
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