Are you ready for Moderne Clulinaire Academy to make your mouth water!
Being the new scene-stealer in the culinary school trade in the country, they are so much aware of the need for the growing demand for well-trained chefs. Maybe you are thinking of getting a Culinary degree but are confronted with doubts where you will go after the training. Some people might assume that the goal of any culinary student is to
become a chef. While many culinary grads do take this career path and assume positions on five-star hotels, grand cruise ship lines and top of the line fine dining restaurants, many
other options are available. On the list are going into catering, might be made into a good cook-book editor for those with a flair for writing, work as a food service manager, discovered as a Pastry chef while some do well in owning a specialty food shop.
MCA was formed by a
dynamic trio, young yet have excelled in their own individual fields even before the thought of putting up the school have been conceptualized. They share a common belief that the gauge for a culinary school's growth can only be found in the quality of graduates they will produce, and how they will fare in the tough food service and food retail market. Who knows, in a year or two, we might see one of their students to be next to Gordon Ramsey or as a contender in Iron Chef!
As the Head Chef and Culinary Director of MCA, Bernardino Guingona, known to many as Chef Dino had been immersed on extensive culinary rendezvous both here and abroad. He graduated at California Culinary in San Francisco. The only rose between the trio is Chef Aileen Digman-Palomares is Chef Dino's Co-director and Events Manager. She on the other hand have been an expert in food retail and business management and have operated a booming fast-food franchise in the province of Rizal. Another MCA Director on the roster is Chef Raymond Martin "Raymar" Reyes. He also is the school's Catering Manager, specializing in commercial cooking. If you know the shows Sapul sa Singko and Kumare Club on Channel 5, he is part of that, having a regular segment in the said shows.
Last March 14, I witnessed the launching of MCA at their school building in Taguig.
the traditional ribbon cutting ceremony was done by Chef Dino. Prior to that we were introduced to some of the staff and the chefs of the school and with a short video and a list of activities for the said event were presented, which had us bursting bubbles. Let me share you a short video as a teaser to what MCA can offer.
After which, we were led to the next room where we met Chef. Armed with a "thingamajig" from Thailand, and his personally designed fruit carving knife, he gave us a demo of how to carve a flower design on a watermelon. This is one of the workshop the school offers to culinary students and to those who wants to do workshops without intending to have a degree in culinary, like me...
We then proceeded upstairs for a trip around the school and a view of their facilities.
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| The Lobby |
On the second floor...
More spaces for unending challenges in the culinary world...
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| Classroom |
The place, by its namesake is indeed very modern. The vibe is very much chic and clean on every corner with its white walls and white granite floors. The kitchens named after expensive herbs (such as kaffir lime and saffron) were high-tech and stainless steel furnishings accentuate the modern feel, as if you are already working at a five-star hotel's kitchen.
The tour then was followed by a quick workshop on cheesecakes. Chef Kevin Mize is the instructor who have studying and working with a gamut of cheesecake recipes, who even posed up a challenge if we can think of an ingredient he haven't tried with cheesecakes. He is so amazing even with our own fruit, joking even of telling us the forty Filipino words that he knows are mostly names of foods. You catch him at Mercato Centrale on weekend nights and check out his unbelievably perfect cheesecake creations.
We were blessed with not only the knowledge of how simple yet complicated making a cheesecake can be, but also tasting unusual desserts. I did find his procedure different from the ones I use and see on the internet. But his is more creamy but not "liquidy", stiff but not rock hard, and crumbles perfectly when ran with the fork. Funny how he managed to build up tons of recipes for cheesecakes and we were able to taste three of them.
Can you believe that the last slice on the row is partly made made and flavored with beer? Interesting isn't it? To judge it would be inappropriate, but the verdict is awesome. I don't drink beers actually, but I found this particular flavor to be a gold medalist, just a subtle note of bitterness form the beer is experienced.
Moving on with but more grubs, we head to the top floor, Airstrip, as it is called. And low, a circumferential view of Taguig and Makati is upon us.
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| Seafood Salad with Fish Crackers |
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| Croquettas |
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| Chicken Eggplant Roulade with Napoleon Sacue |
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| Dulong on Sticky Rice |
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| Seasalt Truffles for Dessert. |
Everyone enjoyed the buffet which the chefs themselves prepared, even the kids. And yes let me just inform you that they welcome kiddos, to be trained in their state-of-the-art kitchen. Workshops will be posted soon, just do check this blog out regularly. Can't wait to have my kids be developed by world-class chefs into loving not only eating the food but whipping up by themselves.
Do check out their list of courses to see how they differ from other Culinary schools
here. Where can you find a culinary school that has yoga classes under
Physical Education for the Culinary Industry?
For more information about Moderne Culinaire Academy, visit their website or give them a call.
NB: Thanks Ms. Thei Palijo of
Nufnamg for the invite!
Address:
155 Diego Silang St., Phase 1 AFPOVAI, Fort Bonifacio
Taguig City 1630, Philippines
Contact numbers: 02 622 9656 or 02 8438071
Website: www.moderneculinaireacademy.com
