Global Academy's highest gold for the High Tea

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Global Academy took home the only gold for the High Tea Category at the Philippine Culinary Cup, earning the medalists an opportunity to attend the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic (HKICC) at the 15th International Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant & Foodservice Equipment, Supplies & Services (HOFEX) in 2015.

“We competed in the same category last year and ended up with a bronze. There were a lot of details that we missed out and, jokingly, we promised to be back with vengeance,” said Global Academy’s homegrown talent and junior instructor, Chef Anjo dela Cruz, who graduated with a Grand Diploma in Professional Culinary and Pastry Arts in 2012.

Dela Cruz led the team for the High Tea category while Global Academy student, Michael Madrid took the role of the assistant.

“All the baking methods and techniques that I learned from the pastry program of Global Academy came in handy during the competition. Even our training on proper food handling, safety and sanitation played a huge part in our success,” shared Madrid. “The coaching that I got from my chef instructor, Anjo dela Cruz, played a great role to our victory. Most of the ideas came from her and she taught me methods and techniques on how to properly execute them.”

“The judges appreciated the idea that all the items in our menu were tied together by a theme. There was also a good balance of flavor and texture—rich, creamy, sweet, tart, floral, fruity, soft, crunchy, spongy, smooth, and sandy,” explained Chef Anjo of their advantage.

Their winning dishes consisted of:

“Adzuki and Genmaicha”, sweet scones flavored with adzuki beans and milk infused with genmaicha (brown rice tea), accompanied with jasmine and green tea Jelly

“Salmon and Nori”, a savory roulade of nori (seaweed) sponge filled with salmon, cream cheese and tobiko (flying fish roe), spiced with a bit of togarashi (chili pepper) and garnished with katsuobushi (dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna) and black ebiko (capelin fish roe); 

“Black Sesame, Hojicha, and Miso”, a layered cake of black sesame pain de genes, piped with hojicha (green tea roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal) ganache, swirled with caramel miso butter cream, then topped with chocolate feuilletine; 

“Strawberry and Plum”, a boat of pâte sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry) filled with goat’s cheese mousse, topped with fresh strawberries and plums macerated in umeshu (Japanese liqueur made from steeping ume fruits in alcohol and sugar), garnished with white chocolate sticks and candied shiso; 

“Yuzu and Matcha”, a burst of citrus flavors in a glass, mandarin orange segments, mandarin orange gelée, and yuzu curd, topped with matcha streusel, lemon meringue, and edible flowers. 

“There were also some components in our dishes that were out of the ordinary. The Caramel Miso Buttercream, for example, was our take of the Salted Caramel Buttercream with an infusion of a Japanese flavor,” Dela Cruz added. “Although the taste did not appeal to the palate of some of the chef judges, they commended us for serving something new.” 

According to Dela Cruz, every bit of what she knew was from Global Academy. “I’m lucky to have been mentored by dedicated chef instructors. They have been excellent role models of the values that Global Academy represents—Passion, Reliability, Integrity, Commitment and Excellence. Now that I am a junior instructor, I hope to spark the same passion for excellence in my students.”