The luster of the 22nd Graduation program of Cagayan de Oro City’s leading culinary and baking institute shone with an even brighter glitter following its recent triumph in Kumbira 2015.
Held last September 27, 2015 at the posh Xavier Sports and Country Club, the evening rites seemed brighter with the sheen brought by its first ever Overall Championship in the 18th edition of the country’s largest culinary event outside Metro Manila.
MKA Culinary Graduates
Jan Michael Uy, MKA and Monster Kitchen CDO general manager, said the school decided to focus this year on the students following its unprecedented three-peat as the Kumbira Overall Champion in the Professional Category from 2012-2014.
“This is the first time that we’ve won in the student category,” Mr. Uy said. “We’ve been overall champion for the professional category for three years in a row, from 2012-2014 and we’ve decided to focus on our students this time.”
Besides garnering the overall championship, MKA also won golds for Creative Cake Decorating, Salads & Sandwiches, silvers in the Artistic Bread Showpiece and Chef Wars (where students and professionals competed on the same playing field for the first time), and bronzes in Pica-Pica Platter, Plated Dessert, and a diploma in Sugba de Oro Platter with Condiments,
It was a worthy follow-up to the MKA Silver Medal finish in the overall championship in the 17th Kumbira with 2 golds, 2 silvers, 1 bronze and 1 diploma in the hotly contested Student Division.
On top of its triumph in Kumbira 2015, the MKA faculty showed where the heart, guts and savvy from that came from by holding the MKA banner high at the Philippine Culinary Cup 2015 held August 5-8, 2015 at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Chef Cathy Dano’s winning entry Sous vide cooked port loin filled with mushrooms, cave aged gruyere cheese & herbs with gratinated bramata mais polenta
Chef Cathy Dano garnered a silver medal in the US Pork Category for her Sous vide cooked pork loin filled with mushrooms, cave aged gruyere cheese and herbs with gratinated bramata mais polenta, while Chef Rachel Baclay-Ng bagged a bronze medal in the pastry competition with her three-tiered fondant cake decorated with paintings of sugar paste flowers, gum paste couple topper with piped string works of royal icing, depicting a Love Story (Cake Decorating).
Chef Rachel Baclay-Ng’s winning Love Story Cake (left) and receiving her award from PCC committee
And that’s no fluke as the team of Chefs Cathy Dano, Albert Chiu and Ramon Cárdenas, Jr. also had a sparkling silver medal finish at the Chef Wars Battle Royale of the 2014 held Sept. 23-24 last year at the World Trade Center in Metro Manila.
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For its 22nd graduation program, MKA graduated its 10th and 12thbatches of MKA Culinary Arts (FCA) with 13 graduates, and 20th, 22nd, 23rd and 24th batches for MKA Baking and Pastry Arts. (FBPA).
“MKA taught you leadership, professionalism, respect, hard work, and humility,” said Chef Cathy in her words of gratitude to the graduates.
“We chose this path knowing the profession we’re in is not a piece of cake. It is only our skills and passion and love for what we do that makes it possible to provide the guest with an incredible experience.”
MKA offers two flagship programs which give the student three options on how to take it: 4 months (2x a week) or 6 months (every Sunday). Maximum class size is 16 though the average class size ranges from 10-12 students.
MKA Baking & Pastry Graduates
Besides learning the art of baking and culinary, students also get hands-on immersion by creating an event in consortium with MKA’s sister company Thai Me Up/Fil Me Up through which they undertake everything from the planning, cooking, and selling their own event.
The MKA Baking and Pastry program is on-going. The tuition package includes MKA Chef’s Jacket, Cap, Apron, Bag, Recipe Kit, Wilton Cake Decorating Kit and all baking ingredients.
The MKA Culinary Arts tuition packages include MKA Chef’s Jacket, Cap, Apron, Chef’s Knife Set, Binder and Bag. The tuition covers all cooking ingredients all throughout the course.
However, for those who don’t have the luxury of time, MKA offers an Intensive 12-day Intensive Workshop for both Baking and Culinary. Batch 5 for Intensive Baking starts November 23 on a MWF schedule 5-8 pm. Schedule for the Intensive Culinary will be on November 20, 2015 every Friday, 2-6 pm.
MKA Schedule for November
For more details, contact 0917-707-1245/ 8512019 or visit Monster Kitchen Academy at its main kitchen at the 2nd floor, Jardiniano Building, San Agustin-Rizals Street (Facing Gaston Park) or at its satellite kitchen at Mortola St. (facing Ororama Cogon). Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/