28 April 2016, 6:00 pm – SENIOR hotel and restaurant management
students from the College of Tourism and Hotel Management (CTHM) brought home
bronze medals in the Food & Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge (FCC) 2016 at the
Singapore Expo held April 12 to 15.

Ace Andaya and Marjorie Rosales, with Chef Reinal Agleam Anday,
won third place with their three layered, UST-inspired wedding cake “Unending
Grace,” covered with yellow fondant and intricately designed with brushed
embroidery, string work, sugar butterflies and a topper that were all edible.

“This was the first international culinary competition outside
the country where UST was able to bag awards. This is proof of the continuing
effort of CTHM as a Center of Excellence in Hotel and Restaurant Management,
not only in the Philippines but also in the international community,” Andaya
told the Varsitarian.

Justine Betina Acoba also placed third after serving four
different dishes in the Brunch Plates category.

Acoba’s first dish was composed of cured salmon with cucumber
sour cream, cream cheese, smoked salmon crepe and potato blinis. The second
dish was a 62-degree-Celsius organic egg with orange foam accompanied by a
salad, truffle, cinnamon croutons and hollandaise sauce; the third dish was
turkey pastrami with apple on oatmeal bread accompanied by organic pumpkin
chicken terrine, soya bean dressing and mint yoghurt. 

A plate composed of compressed carrots with dried cranberry
compote, carrot panna cotta and carrot tarragon muffin completed the four-dish
entry.

“Being able to participate in such a huge culinary competition
was a privilege. In the duration of FCC 2016, I was able to see how other
countries performed in the culinary field and it made me realize how far I
still have to go and how diverse the world of culinary is,” Acoba said.

The duo of John Mark Tolosa and Maximilian Joseph de la Cruz
finished third in the hot cooking challenge or “Two to Tango”
category with their truffled quail egg wrapped in crispy bread. The live
cooking demonstration required them to serve a hot entrée and a cold appetizer.
With three plates each, the duo produced six plates in only an hour.  

Tolosa and de la Cruz presented a prawn roulade with mixed herbs
and remoulade sauce as appetizer. They also prepared seared scallops with
oyster foam accompanied by a summer salad in orange vinaigrette and toasted
almond halves. They then cooked a flat iron steak with herb crust, multiple
fibers and Port Jus sauce matched with mousseline.

“This proves that we are capable in competing in an
international level. This is an impressive feat considering that we didn’t come
from a culinary course. We’re only HRM students and yet we managed to bring
home medals,” de la Cruz said.

The two had a difficult time preparing for the competition. They
had to buy their own ingredients and schedule their own practices.
Nevertheless, both agreed that the opportunity has opened doors and
possibilities not only for them but also for the University. 

“Being able to finish the dish despite the mistakes committed
and the limited time was enough to prove that we can deliver. Being awarded
while holding up our University flag is an achievement that I can proudly bring
home,” said Tolosa.

FCC is said to be the ASEAN region’s most prestigious
international culinary competition. Participants from China, the Maldives and
South Korea also participated. Vianca A. Ocampo

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