The Secret Recipe to Success
Three words. One name. One of the best in the culinary field, filled with motivation and determination to impart knowledge. Someone known as one of the most legendary veterans in Enderun colleges is Chef Cheong Yan See.
I was scared when I first found out that I’d have to converse with the “God” In Enderun. More than being scared of saying nothing, I feared I would stutter. My deadline came closer and I hadn’t approached the Chef yet.
Then I just decided to make a move and knocked on the swinging door between the kitchen and the hallway. I opened it and asked, “Chef are you busy?” He answered, “I am always busy! Why?” I gave a simple introduction of myself being one of the writers from INK and if I could ask him a few questions regarding the article I was working on.
I froze for a moment and thought about every single word I was about to utter and I bravely asked him, “Chef, what are the new trends in the culinary industry and how do you think it affects the curriculum as well as the students?”
He started by asking me if it was international or Philippine based. I responded by saying Philippine based. He stated that the main problem now is that there is an explosion of franchise restaurants from abroad, which is hitting our land. He mentioned, “Enderun students need to be super trained and we need to hone their superior set of skills.”
“Enderun Students are affected in such a way that, the student shouldn’t strive to be ordinary but they need to be skilled culinary chefs and entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs because we must sense new possibilities in the market and take advantage of it.”
Chef See talks about the spirit of entrepreneurship by making money ethically. Ethically in the sense that you should consider aspects like the society, community and moral impacts it might have on a big population. Chef See said, “In whatever we do we must apply the training we have received.”
“Enderun students have the advantage of going to an excellent college and we shouldn’t settle being recognized as ordinary. We shouldn’t be satisfied with a good dish, we should think outside of the box! We should seize new opportunities and achieve something beneficial from the education, which we are provided with,” the Chef continued.
Chef See elaborated, “We must fully utilize the training we have received and apply this in making something remarkable. We may not be as influential as Alain Ducasse but the mere fact that you have made something of yourself is a big accomplishment on its own. No award or trophy signifies your skill. They are only proof that other people acknowledge it but the ways you perform in the kitchen reflects who you are and what you can bring on the table.”
Chef See’s words of wisdom: “The key to survive and succeed in this industry is to know and smell all the opportunities you can find, Use your resources wisely, plan and organize. Most importantly make your dream into reality”.
