Envisioned to be an avenue for culinary students to hone their craft, the inaugural launch of the home-based cooking competition “Spatula Wars” featured 13 culinary arts students from Metro Manila一with Benildean Shania Gaw nabbing second place last Aug. 2 to 7.

 

The competition had six students from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), five from University of Santo Tomas (UST), and two from Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila (LPU). They created a dish from the Mystery Box Challenge. While DLS-CSB managed to earn a spot as a second-placer, in the end, LPU’s representatives reigned supreme in bringing home the bacon by bagging the first and third place.

 

Organized and headed by ID 118 School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (SHRIM) student Bianca Abola, the “Spatula Wars” mystery-box competition was actualized to give culinary arts students and avenue to hone their abilities at home while instilling hope for the future of their industry.

 

From Spatula Warriors to Winners

“Spatula Wars” was limited to culinary arts students within Metro Manila who are enrolled within 2017 to 2021 and with no professional experience. Their dishes were judged by the board of judges composed of Benildean alumnus Chef Jolie Mac of Toyo Eatery, LPU Culinary Instructor and owner of Goods and Grains Chef Wilson Uy, Royal Caribbean International cruise line Chef Ace Mandani, and winner of Hell’s Kitchen Season 19 Chef Kori Sutton. 

 

The mystery box included the following ingredients: beef quarters, garlic, sweet potato, ripe tomatoes, dried oregano, French beans, pumpkin, red bell pepper, ampalaya bilog, eggplant, celery, calamansi, white onion, kidney beans, green papaya, carrots, white corn, soy sauce, mustard powder, sugar, banana ketchup, cumin, flour, oyster sauce, chili flakes, and Panko breadcrumbs—all of which the Spatula Warriors were to maximize to the best of their abilities, with the beef quarter being the main component of their conceptualized dish. Moreover, they were allowed to use basic ingredients found at their homes like cooking oil, salt, and pepper.

 

1st Place: Justine Saladino (LPU)

With 13 Spatula Warriors battling it all out, LPU culinary student Justine Saladino bagged the first place with his “Beef and Vegetable Fête” dish that utilized famous French cooking techniques such as sous vide and confit.

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Justin Saladino

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Justin Saladino

 

Although having competed in two pre-pandemic cooking competitions prior to Spatula Wars, Saladino shared in an interview with The Benildean that the concept of a Mystery Box competition was new to him, thus urging him to join. 

 

Being a team-player, Saladino also noted that he had won gold in one of his previous competitions while working with a team, whereas he struggled in a solo competition as working alone was not one of his strong suits.  

 

For Saladino, what keeps him motivated in practicing culinary arts is the support of his family and his girlfriend—who actually helped him edit and record his video entry. 

 

“Remember your goal and [do] not be afraid to commit mistakes. It takes years to become a great cook, and mistakes are acceptable,” Saladino shared his mindset whenever he competes.

 

2nd Place: Shania Gaw (DLS-CSB)

Benildean culinary student junior Shania Gaw also brought forth her skills in cooking as she finished second place in the Mystery Box Challenge with her dish “Rule of Three.”

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Shania Gaw

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Shania Gaw

 

Unlike Saladino, it was Gaw’s first time to participate in a cooking competition. She shared that she had been afraid that she might not have been able to handle the pressure of the competition, causing her to decline an initial invitation to “Spatula Wars.” However, the encouragement from her parents was enough to change her mind.

 

“Rule of Three” was a concept she developed with her friend, “We were talking when I got the ingredients and I asked for feedback about my initial idea. [...] She suddenly came up with the idea of applying the principle of the rule of three through food. I really liked the idea and from there, I tried to apply that principle in creating the dish and came up with adding three different flavor profiles through the different sauces, which creates a memorable experience for the eater,” she shared in an interview with The Benildean.

 

For the third-year student, what motivates her to keep practicing culinary arts is the dream of becoming a successful chef one day. Gaw said she treats competitions like “Spatula Wars” as a learning experience where she can spot areas that she can improve in. 

 

3rd Place: Crystal Matienzo (LPU)

As for another LPU culinary student Crystal Matienzo, her dish “Crispy Beef Roulade with 2 sauces and a side of Stir-Fried Vegetables” earned her the third place after all the thorough research she had put into it.

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Crystal Matienzo

 

In an interview with The Benildean, Matienzo shared it almost took her a whole day to conceptualize the dish, but the perfect idea came through when her friend gave her a call to discuss her concept the same day she received the mystery box.

 

Being on the lookout for the thrilling experience from cooking competitions, Matienzo instantly joined “Spatula Wars” upon receiving news about it. Like Saladino, she had competed in a cooking competition pre-pandemic, but a home-based competition was new to her. She recalls finally stepping into her first competition that gave her the courage to compete in future events like “Spatula Wars” as they gave her both  “good and bad pressure.”

 

Matienzo’s family members motivate her to keep pursuing culinary arts, such as her Mom Nella, Nanang Roselle, and Lola Milan, women that inspired her cooking as she grew up. Of course, like Gaw, the dream of becoming a chef one day is also one that pushes her to keep doing well.

 

Re-igniting the flame for the culinary dream

The event also featured a roundtable discussion titled “Finding New Meaning in the Culinary World,” featuring Sofitel Philippines Plaza Executive Chef Bettina Arguelles, Visum Ventures Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Michael Hilton, and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Neri from the same company.

 

In the discussion, Chef Arguelles discussed how e-commerce had been the trend for Sofitel during the pandemic, while Mr. Hilton and Mr. Neri shared their business ventures before finally opening thriving yogurt-drink shop Koomi. The three guest speakers also sparked hope for the culinary students, assuring them that the culinary industry will always evolve, and that it is up to them to take on the challenges in a more positive light.

 

To conclude the closing ceremony, SHRIM Culinary Arts Chef Margarita Marty gave her closing remarks, stating that the culinary world is small, and that it had been one of the industries that suffered in the beginning of the pandemic. 

 

She counters that statement with hope by saying, “Yet we've learned to evolve and thrive. This event reminds us that we can still be competitive and strong despite everything going on. [...] We chefs will stand up again and thrive, it may take time, but as Chef Bettina, John, and Andrew remind us, we must go out into this world with a love for what we do and hope for the future.”