I was invited to join the American Hospitality Academy (AHA) Philippines to celebrate the appointment of the famous Chef Philip John Golding as Vice President for Culinary Arts and Linkages. It was a night of fine food and wine, a showcase of simple healthy dishes at the Upper East Restaurant in Salcedo Village, Makati City. The dishes that came out of the kitchen one by one was a revelation of how the British chef has the heart and tummy of a Filipino, yet has the very signature of a world-class chef.
Chef Philip has trained in the best kitchens in Europe before trying his hand at kitchens in Asia. Here in the Philippines, he has endeared himself to the public because of his long career as an executive chef, chef patron, wine connoisseur, product endorser and as a TV personality with his stint at "Secrets of the Masters," a TV program on QTV Channel 11. Now, his training and exposure to the global arena will bring about some remarkable developments in the cooking school and their restaurant, Upper East, as well.
I must mention that I harbored a crush on Chef Golding for a good full year of my sophomore year in high school because he appeared in television back then. I ogled at the TV set because I especially liked his commercial for Del Monte Pasta Italiana. Funny, because the ad was passing him off as Italian when he's in fact, British! I've grown old and the crush has faded, it's just surreal that at one point in my life I'd actually meet him and snap a photo with a free hug! LOL Serendipity, really.
Here's Chef in action at Upper East's open kitchen-- so open, you can see every drop of ingredient that goes into each dish the student chefs are making. I love this kind of set-up. You can chat with the chefs while they go about their business, see how they work, admire their fast knife skills and get a live demo of the processes they do to create little works of art in white ceramic plates. I got a demonstration of this unique process called "Sous vide,"a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath at a unfailing constant temperature, slow cooked to bring out all the flavors and a texture in meats or fish unique to sous vide.
Chef Lerma Leus and Chef Philip talks about what kind of learnings a student gets by studying at the AHA. The students learn from criticism by actual customers, and not by having to critic each other's work. In AHA they are taught how to describe the dish, provide a background, science and history of the food they serve, and be proud about what they created because it is in essence, a very sensory experience for a diner-- it is a work of art. Chef Philip actually called one of the student chefs from the kitchen and said that last Mae, that student chef didn't even know how to hold a ladle but by July, here she is discussing the food she cooked for us!
"My objective is to develop world-class Filipino chefs by ensuring that they receive a hands-on approach and the theories and tools to succeed by teaching them to cook and feeding them a lifetime of knowledge and skills." Golding said. On this dinner, Chef Golding prepared something special and not your ordinary restaurant fare. We're actually going to do a full course comprised of only healthy stuff that leans toward the Filipino flavors! Appetizers started with Monggo hummus with fresh herbed bread. The hummus was yum. Economical, creamy and very easy to make!
To cleanse our palate a little, we were offered shooters of Pakwan Mint. The chunky, sweet cold watermelon was given an alter-ego when fused with the tang of mint--- refreshingly sweet in all its minted glory.
Next came a really pretty ratatouille! Pladina Fresh Ratatouille, Anchovy and Honey Dressing. The piadina is actually an Italian tortilla. It's a carnival of flavors on my taste buds, it's really good. The natural flavors of the vegetables came out with the right crunch-- cooked just right. The light bitterness of baby arugula tempered the savory base, the sweet honey dressing brought the flavors together and the parmesan slice gave the salty kick. The pickled gooseberry was the most welcome addition because it's the sour surprise at the center. Carnival, did I say?
Another healthy round prepared by one of the student chefs, Chef Reggie, was the surprising Minstrone Soup Kesong Puti with Malunggay Pistou. I thought the malunggay would taste bitter (an expected outcome when malunggay is pureed) but it didn't. Instead, it provided a mellow herbal flavor to the bland pasta, the bitterness of the sauce was a welcome addition to the salty kesong puti in the center of the folded ravioli. I never thought I'd find malunggay in my pasta. The crunchiness of the cubed beets and tart mushrooms was a good contrast to the softness of the pasta. Soupy slurpy!
A kitchen-full of staff made me feel so special, the event was so intimate --- all my senses were at work. Here's the kitchen captain making the final touches to our next course.
And this is the climax of our meal--- "Sous Vide" Tarragon Chicken, Laing, Pumpkin Risotto, Rosemary and Lemongrass Reduction.
The laing, mashed to a fine consistency went very well to the opposite spectrum flavors of the pumpkin risotto. It was creamy over the top heaven, with the creamy texture and intense flavor of chicken sous vide, which you bite along with the crackle of the camote topping. The sauce, definitely a marriage of Asian and Western, fused all parts of this dish in harmony. Splendid.
At this point, I'm already filled to the brim. But I couldn't say no to this beautiful Lychee Pannacotta, which allegedly took the student chef who made this 4 days to perfect. (4 days to perfect and 10 mins for me to eat LOL) It is divine! With Passion Fruit Sauce drizzed on top of the Pannacotta, the creaminess becomes a whimsical number of passion fruit married to cream--- sweet, tangy, made crunchy by the candied cassava chips. Hit!
We were personally attended by AHA's Marketing Director Daki Fernando, who was so much fun to talk to. He's also a professor at UP Fine Arts! Here he is explaining AHA's history being the first International American School in the Philippines. Formerly inaugurated on Oct 22, 2006 by then US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenny, AHA Philippines is part of the International Hotel Management Schools (AHA-IHMS) with sister schools worldwide. With the many links and connections of AHA, students are given the extra mileage of placement at top kitchens all over the world as part of their learning curriculum.
After dinner, Chef Golding sat with us for a more relaxed conversation over wine, and told us more about what they will be revamping in the new AHA lab restaurant. He just came back from a stint as executive chef for New World Hotels in Saigon, and before that he spent the better part of the decade in Clark Freeport, Angeles City, Pampanga. He was General Manager-Culinary Specialist of Yats International Club, Restaurants and Cellars ('04-'11) and before that, at Azzuro Bistro and Wine Bars in Manila for 5 years. He plans to bring the wine-pairing to Upper East and make a wine-pairing setup with tapas and a good wine selection after their renovations. But more importantly, he wants his students to have the best exposure to the best restaurants in the world. Being married to a Filipina, he shared his love of Filipino food and that he wants to incorporate this into the dishes the students will prepare in Upper East; and in the process, make them feel prouder of their food heritage.
For inquiries and courses offerings, please visit www.ahaphil.com or call (+632) 218-4334; 0916-286-7615
