Chef Tristan Encarnacion savors the best of both worlds

MANILA, Philippines - Charming and confident with a straightforward, rustic-cooking style, Tristan Encarnacion is one of the country’s top celebrity chefs. With a status admired by many, Chef Tristan though swears he himself never imagined achieving such fame, as he never thought he can make a career out of cooking.     

“Cooking for me then was enjoyable as I love to eat. My family and I are food lovers; we love to eat out and eating was a fundamental part of my childhood. What I originally wanted was to become a TV reporter or a media personality. Whenever I join my dad (the late hair fashion guru Jun Encarnacion) in his TV guestings, I get fascinated with the camera, lights and all the activities,” he mused.   

From being a communication arts student at the University of Sto. Tomas, he chose to enroll for a culinary diploma course at the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila.

“At the time, I was made to choose by my parents, either I was to go to the US and take up a course related to cosmetology which I didn’t like or simply pull myself back together and be more responsible and focused while studying here. Of course, I chose the latter, and thankful that I did,” he said.

CCA Manila became his only choice because of its global standards. As a pioneer institution for culinary education, it was the perfect training ground for an aspiring professional cook like Chef Tristan.

“I never appreciated and enjoyed studying that hard before. The mentors are knowledgeable, strict yet approachable and I could tell that they genuinely cared about their students. I loved the environment. I really matured and gained focus. I really enjoyed my student life at CCA. It brought out and nurtured my interest in cooking,” said Chef Tristan.

Shortly after getting his Diploma in Culinary Arts, Chef Tristan went to the US to work for a new hotel, the Marco Beach Ocean Resort in Naples City, Florida.

He came back for a vacation in 2003, but this short stay became a permanent one — under the spotlight that is, when he was offered a hosting stint for a TV cooking show segment. The opportunity allowed Chef Tristan to explore the world of entertainment, reaping the perks while further honing his craft as a culinary artist. Bigger breaks soon followed: He opened his own bistro, Bambouche; he was also chosen by Sunnex, an international cookware brand, the first Filipino to endorse his own signature line, Tristan’s Chef’s Classics.

“I still have a long way to go in my career. I’m thankful with what I have become now, being able to practice my profession and at the same time impart helpful information on food and cooking to TV audiences and food fans all over. I’m actually grateful and blessed to having experience the best of both worlds,” he noted.

Still active as TV host and as CCA Manila’s Kitchen Discovery mentor in charge of screening prospective culinary students, Chef Tristan said being ready for the career takes more than interest or basic technical know-how.

The country’s premiere culinary institution, CCA Manila has successfully produced many of today’s experts in both local and global fields. The academic experience imbibes the essential rudiments through realistic, hands-on experience of both the science and the art of professional cooking.

(For details, call CCA Manila at 426-4840/41 or 994-2530/40 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit its website at www.cca-manila.com. CCA Manila is located at 287 Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Application is ongoing.)