Legendary chef, global restaurateur and educator Alain Ducasse is back in the Philippines for the official announcement of a new Ducasse program at Enderun Colleges and for a charity dinner on March 18 to kick off Youth with a Future, an initiative that aims to provide educational scholarships to culinary students of Don Bosco’s Tuloy Foundation Inc.
The 21-Michelin star French chef runs 3 inns in France and Italy and owns 24 restaurants across 3 continents and has recently been given a Lifetime Achievement Award by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Chef Ducasse passes on his expertise in culinary and pastry arts to the next generation through Ducasse Education, which is available at Enderun Colleges, home of the first Ducasse Institute outside of France and serves as the regional hub in Asia.
Starting this June, aspiring professional chefs and culinary graduates can enroll in the Diploma in Culinary Arts – Chef de Partie program, the first of its kind in the Philippines. Matching the curriculum of Ducasse Education in France, participants of the intensive program will train with world-class chef instructors of Ducasse Institute Philippines within the 6-month duration (3 months of hands-on training and 3 months of internship in a restaurant) and learn advance culinary techniques as well as lessons on mise-en-place, nutrition management, and operations management, among others. Students also have the option to have their internship in one of Enderun’s 250 partners around the globe.
The chef expressed his desire to mold the next generation of culinary professionals – “training professionals according to what the industry really needs” – and bridge the gap between the industry’s needs and the training available, a goal that will be achieved through a “global culinary council that will define new training requirements at an international level.”
During the press conference entitled “Excellence in Practice” (which is also the motto of Ducasse Education) held on March 17 at The Tent found within the Enderun campus, Monsieur Ducasse acknowledged the efforts of Chef See Yeong Chan, Enderun’s Culinary Head, and Chef Marc Chalopin, executive chef of Ducasse Institute Philippines.
He also shared his insights (and a few interesting quips) to members of the press and Enderun students.
What are your tips to aspiring chefs and restaurateurs for a successful career?
The first thing to acquire would be passion. Then you have to work harder and faster than others.
What can you say is the most challenging thing about running a global culinary enterprise?
The most difficult challenge will be the next one.
Why did you choose the Philippines to start the Youth with a Future initiative with the Tuloy Foundation?
It’s very important to look beyond our core activities and look around what we can do for the country and for the community. It started 5 years ago in France, where [Women with a Future] was taking care of women by giving them the chance to get a job and giving them training. It was quite logical to do the same thing here in the Philippines. Cooking is quite an efficient social lift and if you have the skills, if you have training, you would get the chance to do something better.
How do you cope with innovation?
There are needs now that people didn’t have 10 years ago and will not have 10 years from now. We have to adapt to the consumers. Innovation and evolution is very fast-paced in this industry as with many other industries and we have to respond to these new needs as they come.
What is your advice to female chefs?
It’s up to you to put pressure on all those guys around you.
What do you think are the advantages or disadvantages of this generation’s chefs?
[I am] optimistic and positive for this new generation and there are only advantages. There’s an acute sense of competition and great job opportunities.
What is your impression of Philippine cuisine?
The general impression is that Philippine cuisine, and this is also true for all around the world, is improving.
He also shared his impressions of Filipino chefs: “One common thing is that they smile, especially in the morning. They’re efficient and passionate and they’re really empowered by their will to learn.”
He inspired the audience by sharing a time in his life when he wanted to give up. In the early days of his career, he thought about quitting because the work was hard and the pay was low. “But then, [I] got a raise,” he said, which made everyone laugh.
“Look around, share. Knowledge is available everywhere. Get everything you can, make it yours and share that,” he said, something both students and professionals can keep in mind in the pursuit of excellence.
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Enderun Colleges is located at 1100 Campus Avenue, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The Diploma in Culinary Arts – Chef de Partie starts this June. For inquiries, please call Eveth Ella at 856-5000 local 505 or email her at eveth.ella@enderuncolleges.com or at enderunextension@enderuncolleges.com Visit their website at www.enderunextension.com.
