Serving up the winning plates
FOOD TOOK CENTERSTAGE RECENTLY IN THE CITY OF PINES WHEN Baguio for the first time hosted the 10th National Food Showdown, the premier gastronomic tournament in the country, during the 13th Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Week.
With the theme “Bringing the Farm to the Table,” other activities seemingly ground to a halt because of The Chef Wars, the final cook-off among the top-tier students and professionals in the country. This year’s protagonists were finalists of the separate qualifying tournaments held in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. They were Luzon’s Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, composed of Prince Jeffrey Tan, Jaime Banez Jr. and Carla Felize Cruz; the Visayas’ Shangri-La Mactan, with Christopher James Solamillo, Analyn Bantucas and Betty Jane Facturan; and Mindanao’s Monster Kitchen Academy, represented by Vahjna Mae Babia and Hosanah Macapaar.
The 60-minute, on-the-spot contest, which emulated the rigors within a kitchen on a busy day, required the contestants to present a three-course classic French meal centered around the main ingredient: white shrimps.
After a highly-charged, tense hour, Team Luzon’s Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) triumphed, with their impressive spread of hot appetizer Anchovy Glazed Shrimp set on Vanilla Scented Beignets, Open Face Thermidor, Salad, Calamansi Emulsion, Potato Leek Soup and Herb Soil; cold
appetizer Shrimp Flan with Calamansi Gelée, Herb Marinated Shrimp, Pickled Vegetables, Coral and Mango Aioli; and main course Shrimp and Lapu-Lapu Roulade, Potato Fritters, Root Vegetables with Bacon Beurre Blanc with Chive Oil. The students were simply blown away by their surprise victory. “We joined just for experience. We never thought we would win,” says Cruz. They were coached and mentored by MIHCA instructor/chefs Joan Pineda and Mike Navarra. Going forward, the trio are all set for internship and aim for a position in a cruise ship. All previous showdowns were held in Manila, and succeeding episodes of the culinary tournament will be hosted in the Visayas and then Mindanao, before it rotates back to the metro. “I’m glad we moved the National Food Showdown outside of Manila. The skills from Manila and the traditional three island groups had a very happy marriage, which helped raise the ante of competition,” shares Myrna Segismundo, overall chair of the National Food Showdown, and a representative of the Philippines to the Madrid Fusion in Spain. We recently spent some moments in the MIHCA kitchens, while the triumphant trio were busy with lunch preparation for visiting VIPs. Let us listen to their respective journeys to success.
Jaime Banez Jr.
The only boy among five siblings, Banez made a name for himself early on as his province’s premier professional basketball player in leagues around Bicol and Cagayan, which became his primary source of income. He later signed on as a varsity player with the National University, followed by a stint at the Technological Institute of the Philippines.
In one fateful game, however, he suffered a debilitating injury which spelled the end for his career on the hardcourt.
With his hard earned money savings, he took a leap of faith, not for treatment at a hospital, but on a career shift – enrolling in MIHCA, influenced in part by convenient cash installment options.
Banez grew up helping out with menial tasks at his mother’s karinderya. However, when she passed on, still in his 20s and without a choice, he had to finally take up the role in the family as the self-designated cook. Though he initially pursued the career in the kitchup en because of the family’s financial need, the challenge and fulfilment of the job eventually grew on him, and he has since been deeply engrossed in the innovative and ever-changing world of food. If given the chance, he dreams of participating in international cook-offs. “I am competitive by nature, due to my background in basketball,” he shares. He digresses from his teammates’ choices for his most-prized ingredient and utensil. “Butter and skillets are my main tools of the trade. I use it in almost anything I personally prepare,” he reveals. He admits that he loves all the little details of French cuisine, but has encountered difficulty in perfecting bouillabaisse. When asked about his favorite comfort food, he brings a curious take on a Filipino classic: adobo with gata and sili, a Bicol specialty. Oh, and of course, fried bangus with lots of vinegar and chili on the side. “Sarap!” he proclaims. On the other hand, his mother’s laing is the most-requested dish he makes whenever he meets family and friends, and looks forward to cooking and sharing meals with his five-year-old son Blake. From time to time, he plays a couple of friendly rounds of basketball, inspired by his favorite team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Soon, he aims to work in the cold kitchen of a cruise ship, but eventually hopes to return home after crisscrossing the high seas, to settle down and establish a local restaurant. “If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will believe in you,” he finishes.
Prince Jeffrey Tan
Prince Jeffrey Tan was not a studious student – not at all. In fact, when he was enrolled in a vocational school for culinary arts in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, he would only attend classes once a week. As he came from a family always involved with food one way or another -- his father owned a bakery, his aunt ran a catering business – he soon felt the familiar tug of cooking. “When I reformed in the province, I realized I picked up kitchen strategies faster than any of my peers. Since I was a fast learner, I believe this was finally my calling,” he shares. He then decided to enrol in MIHCA, to achieve his lifelong dream: to be a chef on cruise ships. His special companions in the kitchen include salt and pepper and his chef’s knife. “I feel like I can make any menu better as long as I have these three buddies with me. I would never want to part with them,” he reveals. He absolutely adores Filipino classics, but what relieves him the most is he finds solace in his food. “The many different kinds of chicken and pork as well as my grandma’s mouthwatering yet simple are my go-to dishes when I am down and feeling stressed. It never fails to lift up my mood,” he says. “And besides, despite all our knowledge, skills and achievements, our cooking will always be infinitely better than ours.” he continues, with a big grin. Though Tan’s favorite cuisine is French, for its various techniques and challenges, he finds shrimp and lapu-lapu roulade as the dish he has difficulties mastering. “It is ex-
tremely delicate, so it could break in the process,” he explains.
Inspired by his idol, chef Ariel Manuel of Lolo Dad’s fame, he dreams of attending Madrid Fusion someday.
Outside the kitchen on his downtime, you may spot him inside the confines of the gym, working out, tuned to the television to watch the game of the Golden State Warriors, or on the court with his friends engrossed in a game of basketball.
“Though a cliché, I truly believe that time is gold, so I always need to be focused,” he ends. Students at the Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts undergo their culinary training in the state-of-the-art kitchen. Carla Felize Cruz With a Business Economics degree from the University of Santo Tomas, Carla Felize Cruz still felt there was a something missing in her life. Hailing from a business-oriented bloodline, Carla, who is the middle child of tres marias, was first introduced to the wonders of the world of food through their culinary-based sources of family income. When she started to delve deeper into the realm of ingredients and utensils, she asked herself, “How do they produce these tastes and colors?” and that’s where it all began. She was introduced to MIHCA through her friends who studied baking and pastry in the institution. “With my curiosity piqued, I set out to learn the trade myself,” she reveals. She would love to cook and work together with her closest friends, and adds that they would likewise enjoy preparing food for the marginalized. “I want them to taste good food – from presentation to taste, I want to share with them the wonders we can create in the kitchen.” “Salt and pepper – I can never rustle up meals without them, and of course, my trusty chef’s knife,” she says when asked about her secrets. Cruz, who considers her Uncle Edwin’s karekare as the ultimate comfort food, also adores Asian cuisine, specifically sushi. On the other hand, she admits that learning how to perfectly treat and prepare eggs continues to be a tough challenge. “Eggs are so versatile, yet so delicate.” On her off days, she loves to travel around the country, to simply take it easy as she immerses herself in nature. “Some days are not so perfect. And when you want to give up, just remember why you started,” she concludes.