Six Years Working In A Culinary School
Lessons I've Learned And Why I'm Starting A Podcast/ Newsletter
When I was young, I told my mom, "I wanted to be paid in food, not money."
It's funny how what you wish for happens—last month marked the 28th year of our culinary school, CCA Manila. After six years working here, two years writing about food and a lifetime watching the family business grow, I’ve been fed a lot of food.
The past years made me think about what I’ve learned in this industry so far:
Your career is a craft. Put in the hours, and improvement is inevitable.
There's no single path anymore. Some of our most successful graduates are restaurant owners, R&D chefs, and content creators.
Find a team that matches your standards. You can't build excellence alone.
We're not just teaching cooking – we're helping people build their futures.
The right mentors will push you beyond your comfort zone.
But the last thought that struck me in the flood of Instagram reels and press features is that what we consume online rarely shows what the journey demands.
That's why I started this podcast and newsletter—to bring you raw, unfiltered conversations about building a career in food.
My first guest is Chef Agustin Balbi. He is the Chef Founder of the Spanish-Japanese restaurant Andō, which earned a Michelin star in Hong Kong. Chef Balbi has undergone a 15-year journey that will take us from Argentina to kitchens worldwide. I met him in his restaurant last October, sporting the biggest smile I've ever seen before service—a reminder that today's chefs are rewriting old kitchen rules.
What I learned from our conversation
Get Experience - Strategically
"The more time you spend cooking, the better you will become at it. This is no secret,” Chef Balbi explains. Cooking is a craft likened to the skill of a shoemaker. He started as a delivery boy as a teen but was ready when the opportunity knocked. Before culinary school, he already had four years of kitchen experience.
He didn’t stop there. While in school, he would fly to stage (or intern) at top restaurants in different US cities on his days off and at his own expense. He said, “I saw that as an investment."
Be an Empathetic Leader
"We are the last generation of the 'working like a slave' mindset," shared Balbi. At Andō, he gives staff two to three days off because "people nowadays value time more than money." His team has stayed with him for 7 years in an industry known for high turnover. His most recent member has been with him for 2 years.
"Nobody can scream at anyone; nobody fights with anyone; nobody can shame anyone for a mistake. It's only to learn and teach them how to do it."
Master Your Numbers Without Compromising Quality
"For me, the key to a restaurant’s success is the cost of people, rent, and food. If you can manage these three things, you will succeed." But he warns: "Some mistakes restaurants make is you start with very high quality, and then…okay, we cut cost from food... People are not stupid. If you give bad quality, they will not come back."
What else did we talk about:
Starting as a delivery boy in Argentina
Culinary school and early training
Investing in stages across the US
Learning from early failures
Why choose Japan over Europe
Japanese kitchen influence on management
Building strong teams and culture
Opening Andō and business fundamentals
The story behind Arroz Caldoso
Adapting to industry changes
Advice for young chefs
Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival Last October in Andō
Two Actions You Can Take
1. Cold email three places you want to get experience from. Research them first. Make it specific. As Chef Balbi says, “You choose; don’t send to any restaurant.” Think about whether you like the chef or the philosophy. That’s where you go and learn.
2. Plan your next learning opportunity—a stage, a course, a new skill—but make it concrete. "Change your word for working to training," advises Balbi. You are training to become better.
Chef’s tip: Balbi is obsessed with pizza. And he recommends Studio Tamaki in Japan!
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Or connect with me by leaving a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
Love the energy and vibes here! It's so amazing to see you living your childhood dreams! I wish the world did more of this stuff! (I'm also reliving my childhood dream of being a blogger here)
Cheers to you, Bea! 🥳