J Gamboa cooks up more than just great dishes

By Nana Nadal

He is everywhere. No month passes without his photo appearing in magazines, without one of his restaurants being cited as a must-visit by noted foodies, without his name being dropped in conversations about activities in the culinary world. For a time, he was even a regular sight on TV as he hosted the cooking demo portion of long-running noontime show Eat Bulaga.

Many know J Gamboa as the executive chef of Cirkulo and Milky Way restaurants. He also oversees food quality, purchasing and dining operations in the family-owned Japanese favorite, Tsukiji. Recently, he and his sister Malu have been busy with another venture which serves authentic home-style Thai cooking, AzuThai. All restaurants, except for Milky Way which has branches in Power Plant Mall and Greenhills, are housed in one building at the corner of A. Arnaiz Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati?a destination where you can?t go wrong with anything you order.

?I like making people happy by means of food and the dining experience,? he says, providing an overview of what has kept him in the industry. But being a chef wasn?t exactly part of his plans when he enrolled at the University of the Philippines then the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. ?My three sisters and I were surrounded by food all the time, we literally grew up in the kitchen. It was quite interesting watching all the cooking, but I didn?t think I would end up doing it,? recalls this youngest of the brood. The idea only crossed his mind as he was working as purchasing specialist in Boston, dealing with chefs during most of his waking hours. ?I was fascinated by what these chefs did and their dedication to their craft. I asked one of the chefs about the profession. He told me I was nuts, but if I really did want to do it right, I should attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York,? he relates. So J did. From then on, there was no looking back.

?Dedication, hard work, and enjoying every minute of it,? he believes are required to make it as a chef. In his kitchen, standards are never compromised. ?My staff understands that our guests expect a certain level of quality. If there is any doubt that a dish does not meet that standard, we do not send it out. Even if the poor guest has to wait. The guest expects the food to be done right, always!,? he firmly states. He keeps recipes churning from new ingredients and from experiences during his travels. He flies to various countries regularly for both leisure and work. Baguio is a favorite. Beyond our shores, he is partial to Bangkok for the cheap, good food and shopping and to Spain for the people (?who love Filipinos), the tapas, and the easy lifestyle (?too slow for me though?). He also likes Tokyo and its ?fantastically incredible food and ingredients.?

Chef J is a much sought-after judge at food events and has been requested to do numerous food promotions in Singapore and most recently, a Filipino food demonstration at the Cocina de Agua in Zaragoza, Spain. He is all for getting the Pinoy recognized around the globe and feels that one way of earning that recognition is through competitions. ?Competition brings out the best?and worst?in all of us. It is a way to challenge ourselves to be the best in our field and it?s a great way to give importance to Filipino chefs worldwide,? he reasons. In 2007, the local organization of chefs, Les Toques Blanches-Philippines, formed a culinary team to represent the country in competitions abroad. Spearheaded by LTB president Othmar Frei, Lolo Dad?s Ariel Manuel, and chef J, the team has done its share in making a name for the country in the cuisine scene. After winning the gold and Best of the Best awards at the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic Gourmet Team Challenge category two years ago, and reaping 13 medals at the Food and Hotel Asia in Singapore last year, the team is at it again! The members have been on a roll preparing to defend their title at the HKICC this coming May. ?The long-term goal is to bring the team to the Culinary Olympics in Germany in 2012,? reveals chef J.

As director of the chefs organization, chef J also plays a major role in the LTB Culinary Scholarship Program which brings Hotel and Restaurant School instructors from the rural area to the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management in Manila for an in-depth culinary training course. ?It?s a way of improving culinary education in the provinces,? he explains. He is also tasked to gather the chefs for monthly dinners called Chefs Table. This gives the LTB members a chance to unwind and update each other on the latest in the trade.

When he?s not busy in the kitchen, in front of his computer sending out the latest offerings of his restaurants, organizing this and that, and making a difference where he can, you may find chef J de-stressing at the golf course. He could also be just hanging out at home with wife Maja, and children Lucia (6) and Emilio (1). Chances are, he?s got the TV tuned in to the Food Channel.

Check out chef J?s restaurants at www.elcirkulo.com, www.azuthai.com and www.milkywayrestaurant.com.

For more information on Les Toques Blanches-Philippines, you may log on to http://ltbchefs-phils.com.