HAVE you ever wondered why there seem to be a lot of restaurants all over the city, many of which are good. Maybe not excellent, just as there are not so excellent student in a class, but all learned the basics.
I get to see how young people are learning cuisine twice already, and that makes me look forward to a lunch invitation by my schoolmate and friend Archt Agatha Salanatin-Valencia. Her youngest daughter, Anna Paulina, is learning to be a chef at the Institute of International
Culinary and Hospitality Entrepreneurship (ICHEF), where she is now in her final year for BS International Culinary Management.
Last Tuesday was their end-of-term restaurant service operation, where once again, the students took on different restaurant roles, and this time came up with “Salinlahi, a halal lunch buffet”.
They whipped out Tiyulang Itum for their soup; they made an appetizer, the name of which escaped me but which I liked; it’s a bola-bola fish that you get to try with sambal or with fully spiced vinegar. I went back for another round. There was another one that had sliced potatoes.
Main course was Chicken Piyanggang, a Tausug way of preparing chicken with charred grated coconut, giving it that black sauce, and giving you a black smile as well. They also made Beef Rendang, which was really good and spicy (again), as many Moro food are. This was topped with dessert of durian sticky rice and a sapin-sapin cheesecake with caramel toppings. I like the durian sticky rice; it was very light, as I told my tablemates — Klaus and Noelle – it doesn’t make me feel fat. The sapin-sapin was good but was constantly reminding me of my belly fat, as cheesecake and caramel would. Haha.
Anna was the one in charge of the dessert. Congrats!
So, who were behind that magical buffet (magic ‘cause we were told the ingredients arrived on the day of the buffet, the team had to flex everything they had to finish within lunchtime)?
Manning the front of house (FOH) or the students right in the restaurant area were RM Cassandra Tolentino, Head Server Danica Pactol, and server - Cyrus Hanes.
In the kitchen were executive chef Prince Gabbro Abala and Sous chef Ellen Lopez, with appetizers prepared by Andrei Kaslani and Marie Shamia Deniega; Hors D’oeuvres & Salad by Prince Gabbro Abala and Nymes Suyo; Soup by David Franz Matabia and Ellen Lopez; Main Course 1by Shoti Coscos and Glad Ubas, Main Course 2 by Angel Fernandez; Dessert 1 & 2 by Anna Paullina Valencia and Faith De Pedro, and beverage by David Franz Matabia and Ellen Lopez.
Soon they will move on to their actual practice in real restaurants next term, before they finally graduate and move on to build their name in the culinary world, and yes, more good food all over Mindanao.
Sorry, we were the fourth table to get our food, so the food were no longer photogenic by then.
But trust me, they know their stuff, by the fact that they were able to whip out a buffet in the little time they had.