Global Academy: Top Chefs, Great Facility and Culinary Education in Modest Price

June 12, 2011 Ruth Dela Cruz

Back in College, I hated the day of our Catering Classes. It means I would have to wear the sooo unfashionable Chef’s Uniform. I even had the pants customized so I would still look stylish – mine was bootleg – but just the same I hated it.

Until after a few years, I realized wearing that double breasted long sleeves and checkered pants would mean glamour. Studying in a culinary school and working with pots and pans is a thousand-peso career – and I am not just talking about the tuition fee. With so many culinary schools offering expensive classes, you can just forget about your dream of being an Executive Chef (or even a Sous Chef), and just settle with your instant noodles.

But there’s hope. The Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy invited us to their open house and I know there is hope.

Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy‘s mission is to provide aspiring industry professionals with relevant education and training at modest rates in order to prepare them for the growing opportunities of the international culinary and hospitality industries.

During the open house, we get to see and tour the new site of the Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy in Ortigas. Its 500 square meter property is boasting with Modern Asian interior design. There are two kitchen labs, two 23-theater demo rooms (and when I say theater, there are LCD screens and cameras – not to monitor if the students are sleeping, but to better present cooking demos) – I am impressed. There is also a library and a well-maintained washroom (I am always particular with washrooms :))

How nice to work in this kitchen!

Ladies locker room. When we entered the premises, it just smelled like a deluxe hotel.
No hint of garlic or onions!

I love the washroom – it is well-kept!

The demo room has cameras installed.

Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy not only has a good, top of the class facility, but also top caliber chefs and students. They dominated the recently concluded HOFEX last May in HongKong. Students and chefs topped several categories, just goes to show that this institution does produce good students and graduates.

Students preparing some macaroons.

Awards and medals displayed in the reception area.

The highlight of the event was the cooking demo. I was excited to see how the camera and monitors work – as this is the answer to the old-school mirror attached on top of the working table to show the audience how to mix, fry and assemble food.

Chef Terence Fereday (with student assistant, Mike) prepared two dishes for us – the Paella ala Filipina and Chickin Ballotini. Chef Terence earned his Essential Culinary Skills Diploman at the Professional Culinary Institute in Campbell, USA and has worked and earned certifications in USA. He has 20 years of kitchen experience and I am not surprised how he can cook 2 dishes at the same time (it always impressed me how chefs can cook 2 to 3 dishes simultaneously). I, even need concentration when doing pancakes.

Voila! A desk!

So that’s how the cameras work. Brilliant!
I am not really a fan of Paella – I don’t like Paella actually but to be honest, this one is just soo good. It’s a good mix of chicken, seafoods and meat. We were given a copy of the recipe and I am hoping I can produce something as tasty as this one. Yum!

Paella ala Filipina

Chicken Ballotine

After a good sampling, it is time for dessert! We transferred to another demo room and we not just watched a cooking demo but also had a good quick lesson in baking from Chef Roel Vargas. Chef Roel has won several local and international awards and has worked in Le Coeur de France, Cravings and Bread Talk Philippines. With that said, we know he knows baking by heart.

Chef Roel shows us how to sif a flour

While the mixer blends the ingredients, I remember when I used to bake and don’t have a mixer at home. I would manually beat the egg whites until I get those smooth soft peaks! No wonder I always feel tired after baking!

Now the food coloring has been added – a view from the one of LCD monitors.

I once again tried my hands on baking that day, but I was unsuccessful in doing those meringue. I guess, I really need to enroll in Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy.

A created kisses not macaroons!

Time for dessert! It is yummy and chewy – not the usual meringue you buy from sari-sari store! 😉 The Chocolate cake is just soo heaven. It is just like a molded ganache!

Yum! Just Yum!

If the facility and quality of training still cannot convince you to enroll, I think Chef Rob Pengson’s presence would. He is the co-founder (along with Chef Benny Ledesma) of Global Academy and CEO. I am just so excited to see him in person as we only get to watch him on TV then (glad that he’s back for that Del Monte show). Chef Rob is not only a pretty boy chef, but he has a degree in Culinary and Entrepreneurship with 12 years of experience from Philippines, US, Japan and Singapore.

Chef Rob and the team visited us during the cooking demo.

Chef Rob welcomes the new comers

Chef Benny Ledesma Jr, on the other hand is not just a chef, but a wine connoisseur as he also took up wine studies in Australia, where he also studied Culinary Arts and earned his degree in Restaurant Management.

Chef Benny welcomes us to the new site!

All throughout the event, we were treated with good food prepared by the students.

Burp! Burp!

I am already thinking if I should enroll and relive my love for baking and food (no matter how unfashionable Chef’s Uniform is!). The Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy offers Grant Diploma in Professional Culinary, Baking and Pastry Arts, Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts and Certificate in Professional Baking and Pastry Arts.

What is good about the program is that students would be mentored one-on-one with Chefs, and they get to cook and bake on their own. It is not as if you were back in College where students pass their course/subject, without even learning anything but to operate the dishwashing machine.