It was a scorching-hot afternoon, but it wasn’t because of the summer heat or the wrath of global warming. The smoke billowed somewhere from the second floor of the Eastwood Mall — at the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA), to be exact — where neophyte chefs were grouped into teams for the ultimate cook-off led by master chefs.
These celebrity novices, dressed in the full regalia of chef’s hat, jacket and apron, spent the day mastering recipes in the Kitchen Discovery Course program, suited to raw beginners as well as seasoned cooks. From elegant dishes, quick snacks and indulgent desserts, the results were in fact so impressive that even the most discerning food critic would have been pleased.
We talk to five celebrity students about all things edible … or inedible, for that matter.
Triple-threat model, actor and VJ Victor Basa seems to be well-versed in the art of cooking, minus the disastrous, fishy chewing-gum fiasco he’ll explain later. Other than that, this young man could very well add “aspiring chef” to his already growing resume.
Sam Oh
Hostess with the mostest Sam Oh brings her Korean ancestry and Filipino upbringing to the table — the dinner table, that is. After taking the CCA course for a day, she proves that food can totally be Sarap at Home.
PHILIPPINE STAR: If you were to eat the last meal of your life, what would it be?
Something my mom made. She makes awesome shik-he, which is a sweet Korean rice drink, and I’d drink that for dessert. Making shik-he is a really tedious and lengthy process. It’s all about the love.
You’ve been selected to compete on Top Chef. What would be your signature dish to impress the panel of judges?
New York cheesecake with passion-fruit sauce. I found a bomb cheesecake recipe and I love making it for people who are dear to me. The passion-fruit sauce is something I tried making recently. The sweet-tart flavor and crunchy seeds work so well with the smooth, rich cheesecake.
Tell us about your worst attempt at cooking.
I tried cooking with spaghetti squash once because I thought it was so aliw! Sage and pine nuts were to highlight the dish. The recipe called for an oven, which I didn’t have at the time, so I boiled the spaghetti squash instead, which basically turned it into stringy mush. It was pretty gross.
What is the most disgusting/exotic thing you’ve ever eaten?
My parents tricked me into eating dog meat when I was a kid. I felt very betrayed.
Who is the celebrity chef that rocks your culinary world?
Gordon Ramsay. Talks the talk and walks the walk. He seems to have a lot of heart, too. Very hot.
Bea Soriano
Hip young socialite and billboard beauty Bea Soriano’s palate runs the gamut from fine dining to crunchy critters and everything else in between. When all else fails, her backup plan is an emergency call to the nearest pizza delivery joint.
If you were to eat the last meal of your life, what would it be?
Nothing beats sinigang with a generous serving of rice and Cebu lechon on the side!
You’ve been selected to compete on Top Chef. What would be your signature dish to impress the judges?
My spicy Putanesca — not for the faint of heart. But if that fails, I’ll steal my mom’s salmon, caper and sun-dried tomato pasta concoction. It hits all kinds of notes!
Tell us about your worst attempt at cooking.
Hmmm, let’s just say it was so bad that I had to dial 911 … 11-11.
What is the most disgusting/exotic thing you’ve ever eaten?
I ate various kinds of dried bugs when I was in Thailand — salty, crispy, but just not in the right kind of way.
Who is the celebrity chef that rocks your culinary world?
Tom Colicchio, because I was actually able to taste his food, and for me, it’s a must-try New York experience!
JR Isaac
When JR Isaac is not making his “Circuit” around Manila’s hotspots, he’s snarfing homegrown Filipino dishes just as long as he’s not doing the cooking. Though in our opinion, after a crash course at the CCA, we can attest that this former kitchen-phobe has is now a cooking virtuoso.
If you were to eat the last meal of your life, what would it be?
My last meal would be kare-kare, lechon, chicaron bulaklak with a big glass of soda, so that my gout, body fat and calories would rest in peace with me. Then I would proudly declare to Jesus that I already made peace with issues.
You’ve been selected to compete on Top Chef. What would be your signature dish to impress the judges?
If I knew how, I would prepare dirty ice cream served from a cart decorated in festive colors because the cheese, ube and chocolate flavors define the Filipino sweet taste — both literally and figuratively.
Tell us about your worst attempt at cooking.
I never really attempted to cook in my life because I’m scared of fire and don’t like the heat from cooking. I am glad that I joined CCA cooking lessons, which was my first attempt to cook. I felt it was a breakthrough and am proud of it.
What is the most disgusting/exotic thing you’ve ever eaten?
The most exotic stuff I’ve ever eaten were snake, cow’s balls and bugs. This was when I lived in Shanghai, China. The animal organs were displayed in jars and I just dared myself. This completed my stay!
Who is the celebrity chef that rocks your culinary world?
Nigella Lawson. Hers is the only cooking show I watch because she makes cooking look easy for someone like me who doesn’t know how to cook and boil water.
Mia Ayesa
Quirky runway model of the moment Mia Ayesa’s taste buds are as peculiar as she is. From odd pairings to poo-like substances, she tells us that strange can be good, and in fact, even yummy!
If you were to eat the last meal of your life, what would it be?
It would be something I haven’t eaten in ages because of being a pescatarian, like a huge German frank with everything on it and some mushroom risotto, then mango crepe for dessert.
You’ve been selected to compete on Top Chef. What would be your signature dish to impress the panel of judges?
Zaru (buckwheat) soba. Easy!
Tell us about your worst attempt at cooking.
When I was a little kid, I liked inventing dishes like hotdog in egg soup. Weird.
What is the most disgusting/exotic thing you’ve ever eaten?
Uni (sea urchin), because it looks like baby excrement. Tastes awesome, though!
Who is the celebrity chef that rocks your culinary world?
That Austrian guy Wolfgang Puck because he’s so adorable. He’s like a cartoon!
Victor Basa
If you were to eat the last meal of your life, what would it be?
Probably grilled lamb chops (Frenched properly, of course), marinated with salt, a tiny bit of pepper, and rosemary with pan-seared foie gras, a fig and balsamic reduction on the side. Any chocolate-chip cookie-dough ice cream to finish!
Let’s say you were selected to compete on Top Chef. What would be your signature dish to impress the panel of judges?
A three-part dish: something light cream-based (just slightly truffle-scented), something starchy, then maybe some Wagyu!
Tell us about your worst attempt at cooking.
I tried to cook this blue marlin fillet one time. Sounds good, right? Wrong. I forgot to defrost the thing and just threw it in a pan with smoking oil and boom, the oil splattered all over the place! I was almost scarred for life. Oh, the humility! I ended up eating it anyway. It reminded me of fishy chewing gum!
What is the most disgusting/exotic thing you’ve ever eaten?
The most exotic would probably be shark’s fin soup, but that was a long time ago and I didn’t know it was the actual thing. A bit fishy.
Who is the celebrity chef that rocks your culinary world?
Most definitely chef Gene Gonzalez of Cafe Ysabel, and maybe myself! (Laughs) Kidding.
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For inquiries about the CCA, Manila, call 426-4840 to 41, e-mail marketing@cca-manila.com or visit www.ccamanila.com.