Pinoy flavors take home gold for Global Academy

Deconstructed pinakbet, sinuglaw and kalderetang kambing wow judges

Global Academy’s Garlic sinangag with two kinds of longanisa and two kinds of duck eggs (top) and Kalderetang Kambing, stew of rack of goat in liver and tomato sauce, as the main dish (bottom).

The Pinoy flavors of Global Academy wowed palates at the 2013 Philippine Culinary Cup, earning them the highest gold in the category. Global Academy’s talented chefs masterfully captured the delectable flavors of Filipino cuisine and impressed judges with their unique dishes.

Their complete meal for the Filipino Cuisine Challenge was composed of sinuglaw, calamansi and lemongrass marinated tanigue and grilled pork belly with cucumber ensalada, as the starter; kalderetang kambing, stew of rack of goat in liver and tomato sauce, as the main dish; garlic sinangag with two kinds of longanisa and two kinds of duck eggs as the starch; and deconstructed pinakbet with stuffed squash blossoms and sautéed vegetables in bagoong.

“We made sure that everything would taste exceptionally good, and that among the 40 other teams, our dishes would stand out. We crafted a balance of flavors from all the dishes in our entry,” said Global Academy culinary instructor Chef Vic Sanchez, who has coached for the Filipino Cuisine Challenge for the past three years. Global Academy has won one bronze and two silver medals in the previous years.

This year, Chef Vic took on the challenge and together with teammates, head of purchasing and culinary instructor Chef Joi So and culinary arts student Baste Sagun, whipped up one-of-a-kind dishes worthy of recognition. Coached by Chef Greg Villalon, Global Academy took home the highest award for the category.

Chef Vic reveals that the menu was a close collaboration between their coach Chef Greg, culinary instructor Chef Niño Runas, and himself. “We didn’t focus on adding a twist to our dishes. We wanted to stay true to the dishes, with the elements and flavors still being very familiar,” he said.

The team developed and executed their entry guided by Global Academy’s core values of passion, reliability, integrity, commitment and excellence. “If you are dedicated, work with love and passion, and put your heart into it, you’ll be able to develop an award-winning signature dish,” said team member Chef Joi.

As the competition drew near, the whole team learned to seamlessly execute all the dishes. “In the event that we would need to adjust, any one of the team members can do the task that needs to be done,” said Baste, who became exposed to the culinary arts as a former steward in Global Academy. He experienced a “burning desire” to learn more as he worked for the school until he finally decided to pursue a diploma in professional culinary arts.

“Joining competitions is a great a way of testing our skills,” said Global Academy co-founder, chief financial officer and president Chef Benny Ledesma, Jr. “Whether we win a medal or not, what we are really after is self-improvement every year. Winning gold is a great validation that our chefs, our school and our whole team are doing a great job.”

Global Academy’s Deconstructed Pinakbet with stuffed squash blossoms and sautéed vegetables in bagoong (top); and Sinuglaw, calamansi and lemongrass marinated tanigue and grilled pork belly with cucumber ensalada (bottom)

Global Academy takes home highest gold for Filipino Cuisine at the 2013 Philippine Culinary Cup. Photo shows (from left): Global Academy culinary instructor, Chef Vic Sanchez; head of purchasing and culinary instructor, Chef Joi So; culinary student Baste Sagun; with their coach, Chef Greg Villalon.

About Global Academy
Global Academy is an award-winning culinary academy recognized for its world-class excellence and competitiveness. The academy offers professional courses for aspiring chefs, pastry chefs and hospitality professionals for affordable tuition fees. As the first culinary school in the Philippines recognized by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), Global Academy is distinguished for its quality education and unmatched culinary standards. For more information, visit http://globalacademyph.com.