Real master chefs coming to PH

CHEF Christian Tetedoie

While we know Master Chef as the popular television show, in France, membership and recognition by the invitation-only Master Chefs Association or Maitres Cuisiniers de France (MCF) association is the ultimate accolade for a chef.

The MCF is an association of chefs committed to preserving and spreading the French culinary arts, encouraging training in cuisine, and assisting professional development. Its members include the world-renowned Alain Ducasse and, I am proud to share, our very own Chef Cyrille Soenen.

The current president of this association is Chef Christian Tetedoie, once an apprentice of no less than France’s most revered Chef Paul Bocuse. He also has the highly prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France and a Michelin star under his belt.

Here’s the good news: students of the Center for Culinary Arts–Manila (CCA Manila) will have the rare opportunity to be taught by this Master Chef!

CCA Manila is opening a new branch in Salcedo Village in Makati and will have a tie-up with the Institut Culinaire Disciples Escoffier (ICDE).

The ICDE is a culinary institute accredited by the French Ministry of Education and delivers a government-regulated National Diploma in French Cuisine (the Certificat de Fin de Formation en Cuisine Francaise).

Chef Christian has been a visiting guest Master Chef at the ICDE since the school opened its doors in Hong Kong.

So the first batch of this CCA-ICDE branch will be very lucky because no less than Chef Christian will give the introductory class this coming September.

“CCA, Manila is extremely honored and pleased to have the presence of Chef Christian Tetedoie . . . It’s not every day that you get to celebrate and interact with a Michelin-star French master,” said Liza Hernandez-Morales, CCA Business Development and PR Director.

It’s not only Chef Christian whom the students will have the honor of having as their mentor. The groundbreaking partnership signed between the CCA Manila and ICDE promises to also bring in other French Master Chefs such as Chef Robert Fontana and ICDE Director Chef Vincent Leroux.

These master chef-instructors will handle the culinary classes and programs related to French Cuisine, starting with the Disciples Escoffier Diploma in Culinary Arts, a six-month program that could be expanded with shorter courses in French Cuisine for amateurs and professionals.

Students of CCA-Salcedo will  also have the distinct honor of being the first to experience Escoffier’s renowned French culinary program  in the Philippines.

For their part, though, Benjamin Grenier, Chief Operating Officer of ICDE, considers this venture part of Escoffier’s pioneering legacy in the Philippines.

“Right now, we are starting the program in the Philippines little by little, but we are expecting to gain ground in the next months, expecting more students by the second session which is happening January next year. Applicants don’t have to have basic skills, what’s important is that as upcoming Escoffier students, they must possess the interest and passion for cooking and willingness to learn,” said Robert Fontana, Chair of Disciples Escoffier Asia.

“We look forward to training and inspiring new culinary talents in the Philippines,” Grenier added. “As Auguste Escoffier used to say, good food is the foundation of genuine happiness, and we strive to share our passion for French gastronomy.”

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Enrollment for the CCA-ICDE Escoffier French Cuisine course program is ongoing. For inquiries, call (02) 218-8566, email: [email protected] or visit cca-manila.edu.ph.  CCA Makati is located at 139 H.V. dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City.

More from the author at margauxsalcedo.com. Follow @margauxsalcedo on Twitter and Instagram.  Email [email protected].