Some chefs in the food industry could suddenly realize their pursuit for other field of interests, dropping their white hat on the floor and walk out on it. But not Chef Menoy.

His ability to adapt and to last in his craft would be his distinctive characteristic which could define him among the many chefs in this country. He calls it the ‘staying power’, which he speaks in an utmost value considering that his career has a fleeting life-span due to the demands of his endeavor.  “As you grow older you will learn to adapt. You became angry less, you became realistic. The ideals are still there but with more experience. The talent is tempered with humility…skills tempered with experience, you become more mature. The journey is more important than the goal”, he opined. 

Being the executive chef of the urbane and elegant C3 EventsResto where he creatively prepares progressive continental cuisine, he describes the resilience of their dining experience with the fast-changing trends in food business. They make sure that the restaurant is updating dishes depending on the latest eating lifestyle of their market. “We like to innovate without fusing so the cuisine won’t go confusing. We keep the taste but we upgrade the look and the presentation as we try to use new ingredients. If less-carb or more vegetables is in-demand, we follow the trend because if we don’t, we can’t expect people to come over and try our food,” said the 37-year old chef who’s also known as Jose Amadeo Gimenez.    

He studied Culinary Arts in New York Restaurant School in New York City and was able to finish his course with honors. His talent for cooking is very much realized at a young age. The first recipe he tried out cooking by himself at the age of nine was the egg plant lasagna. “Eversince I was a kid, I already loved cooking. Going to market is really a fun thing for me. My mom and I used to go to market and every Sunday, I cook. I’m the youngest in our family and I used to watch Nora Daza’s cooking show every Sunday. The next day we will try to cook it. “  Coming from a family who are graduates of the University of the Philippines, it has dawned into him during his college years that he’s not into a technical profession. “I have to hone my talent. I discovered it early but I just didn’t know how to make money out of it,” he uttered in a reminiscent manner. Chef Menoy is a natural born cook raised from a family who loves food. “The logic in our family is this: if you know how to eat, you know how to cook. They know how to eat so they are very good on giving critiques.” 

This man with a daunting manly voice meekly expressed his respect and appreciation to the people behind the success in his culinary career. When asked who his influences are, he cited his top three most influential culinary personalities:  “One is Mrs. Annie Guerrero. She’s an inspiration because she has the ability to inspire others about cooking without moving a muscle. She founded the Center for Culinary Arts and she humbly shared his passion for food. Second would be my former bosses and mentor. I observed from them the ability to add your experiences on to your other characteristics. Your ability to be a good person, ability to be adaptable, communicating with people, which is very important because we are in a hospitality industry. Last is Nora Daza.  I’m not ashamed to say that she’s my ultimate influence because she was the first one during her time who cooks on live television and she’s the only one who can do it with class. And nobody could take that away from her. Even she’s really recognized, she always do it with humility. And when she do a recipe, it’s doable.”  

Before ending our conversation, I asked for some food for thought that he would like to share with the aspiring chefs out there. “If you find beauty in small tasks, you can stay long. When I say humble tasks, it’s like washing dishes, cleaning, sweeping and moping. You must enjoy going to the market, having mud on your clothes or white spots on your black pants. But if not, you don’t belong here. I hope that’s food for thought.” 

I understand clearly what he’s trying to say. It is a matter of loving the whole aspect of what you do. Gyrate in a continuous process of learning and evolving. And use these experiences in polishing your passion. Then inspire others.