I am not usually the type of person who goes to parties and social gatherings. The glitz and the glamour associated with it is an all together different world for me.
I would rather be in meetings picking the brains of people in the room or be just in my bedroom playing music and singing along to them no matter how awful I sound.
But there are some exceptions, especially when they are individuals who I have known for some time who invited me. I just tell myself to just brave such activity and try to enjoy it. I mean there are always things to learn from such experiences, right?
So, one late afternoon, dressed in a suit, I walked to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Ayala Avenue station, thinking that during this Christmas season, it would still be more convenient taking the train than waving a taxi and agonizing through very horrible traffic. And it is way cheaper, too.
At the MRT station, I was nodding my head after seeing people really falling in line at the train entrance. There was discipline. Until this dimwit cut through the line after the train arrived. I guess some Filipinos will never learn.
The train ride was fast and I arrived at the Shangri-La Plaza with plenty of time to spare. I am just amazed at how this mall has evolved. It is still a mall where people can still feel relaxed. I love the way they structured it with wide open spaces.
It was also a comfortable walk to Edsa Shagri-La Manila, where I attended the Center for Culinary Arts (CCA) 20th anniversary celebration. With the theme “Old, Gold, Bold at 20”, I figured everyone will be coming in with their Sunday best. I really do feel like a fish out of water.
With 15 minutes before the start program, as the invitation indicated, I was at the venue but the place was still being fixed a bit. So I figured that I go upstairs first to and do some people watching.
After about 30 minutes, I went back to the venue and cocktails were already being served outside. I registered and looked around. The glamour part was already definitely there. I was just glad to find seat and send messages on my mobile phone because there were still some unfinished work. I should have not people watched earlier.
Then I saw ICDE Culinaire Disciples Escoffier President Chef Robert Fontana in one corner together with Chef Philip Golding. I shook his hand, said my hello, and welcomed him back to the country.
He is one of those responsible for the successful partnership now between ICDE of Hong Kong and CCA Manila.
Before everyone was asked to go inside the Isla Ballroom, a lot of individuals suddenly started circling around this individual who just arrived. Wearing shades in the evening and with blue-colored hair and a very unique fashion sense, this guy literally stood out from the crowd.
I know I have seen that person before, but I just could not figure it until seating in table 10 for some minutes already, I realized that it was 3-Michelin-starred Chef Alvin Leung.
If will you tell me Leung, who? Well, he is one of the judges over at MasterChef Canada. That is him with the unique accent and sound advises to contestants.
So, there you go. If there was one good thing that came out from me attending CCA’s 20th anniversary celebration, Leung would be at the top of my list. He just has this captivating and engaging personality.
During one of the breaks, I saw him walking out the ballroom. I took it as an opportunity to approach him, take his photo while my phone still had some battery life and maybe have a minute or two of conversation with him.
Leung is a celebrity and a darn good chef. But you know what? He is also very much down-to-earth person. When I asked him if I could take his photo, he said we should have it together. I told him it is for my column and politely declined. Ugh. I am really regretting that decision now.
Anyway, Leung told me that taping of season 4 of MasterChef was already completed two months ago. And if you are wondering, well, he never told me the name of the winner.
Leung also told me that he is also doing more television shows with one of them in South Korea and the other in Hong Kong. I just hope the cable channels would air them locally.
Leung said he was in the country to celebrate with CCA its anniversary. He was also here to provide one-day training to CCA students. That is just one unbelievable experience for those students.
Look, that evening was a just a list of superstar chefs. Aside from Leung, Fontana and Golding, seen celebrating the evening were 2-Michelin starred Chef William Mahi, Chef Gigi Angkaw, celebrity chef couple Roland and Jackie Laudico, Chef Nancy Reyes-Lumen and pioneering instructor Chef Menoy Gimenez.
Fontana, together with CCA Culinary Director Chef Sau del Rosario, Michelin-starred French Master Chef and concurrent President of the French Christian Tetedoie and Edsa Shangri-La’s Executive Chef Martin Frowd prepared the gold prize-winning dishes of CCA that was served that evening.
Outside of Leung, I also had a good conversation with French Embassy Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs Yves Zoberman. We shared one common sentiment. We wanted to taste and experience some good food that evening.
Trust me. People who attended that evening were not disappointed. The five-course meal was simply outstanding.
Served were original creations of Chef Lally Comia de Leon (Bangkok Salon Culinaire 2003, On-time Seafood challenge), Chef Michiko Suzuki (FHA 2006 in Singapore, Field and Forrest category), Chef Michael Cheng (Hofex 2013), Chef Miguel Lorino (Hofex 2015, Gold with distinction, Western Cuisine: Golden Bauhinia Cup) and Chef Sonny Mariano (FHA 2016, Tapas category).
The surprise part for me in the dishes was that I never knew that I was seated beside Chef Michael Cheng and a few seats away from me was Chef Miguel Lorino. I was in the company of master chefs that evening.
CCA Manila President Susana P. Guerrero was correct when she said Filipinos are now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the culinary world. Guerrero was also proud of the fact that their students have found employment in some of the best hotels and restaurants in the world. She said CCA, after 20 pioneering years, is now stronger, mightier and bolder.
That 20th anniversary celebration of CCA was not bad at all. It turned out to be a real fun evening for me.
Oh, and I also saw two ladies in almost identical gowns.
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