EMBASSY

FOR 6 MONTHS, ITALY WAS THE CLASSROOM

You can fake Italian food. Harder after six months in an Italian kitchen, where Filipino students learned when the pasta is wrong.

DT · Sep 26, 2026, 3:29 AM

BENILDE student-chefs traded school kitchens for the real thing, spending six months training inside restaurants across Italy. — Photograph courtesy of CSB

Twenty-three Filipino culinary arts management students recently concluded their extensive practicum and apprenticeship in Italy, which comprised a four-week study program at the distinguished Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in the city of Asti, followed by a six-month tutelage in top-tier restaurants around the country.

The opportunity was made possible through the laudable partnership between ICIF, a premier institution renowned to showcase and promote the values and excellence of authentic Italian cuisine, and the pioneering School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Spearheaded by seasoned mentors and ably supported by industry leaders, the thorough masterclasses included exciting hands-on workshops, informative lectures on the art and science of wine, as well as a series of live cooking demonstrations, and food-tasting sessions. These allowed participants to explore the qualities of a wide variety of authentic Italian dishes and gain an in-depth understanding of traditional Mediterranean gastronomy.

EUROPE in one sitting You sit down. Someone teaches you a few words. Then you move to another table and try another language. That was Speak Dating at One Ayala on 19 September, where 19 European countries basically squeezed into one afternoon. French here, German there, Italian somewhere down the row. It was an early celebration of the European Day of Languages on 26 September, and probably the cheapest way to go around Europe without leaving Makati. — Photograph courtesy of Alliance Francaise de Manille

In addition to the provision of an interpreter during the classes, the Filipino students likewise engaged in basic Italian language courses, which came in handy during their months-long stay in Italy.

The teams toured the luxurious four-star Monvì Wine Relais, the boutique and organic Emanuele Gambino winery, and the expansive vineyards of Cascina Ciuché di Dogliotti in Costigliole d’Asti at the heart of the Monferrato wine region.

The young chefs-to-be likewise participated in an immersive trip to the Grana Padano PDO cheese factory, wherein they witnessed firsthand the thousand-year-old production process of the leading Italian cow’s milk cheese exclusively manufactured in the northern region.

Among the highlights was the international fair organized by Slow Food Events, wherein students were treated to a full cultural and gastronomic experience of artisanal cheese as they explored the charming streets in the city of Bra in the Piedmont region.

Upon completion of the intensive four-week study program, the trainees were then assigned to dining hotspots and ICIF-approved food destinations around the country, where they further sharpened newly-acquired upscaled skills in a professional setting under the tutelage of culinary experts.

Headlining the designations were Michelin-awarded Hotel Nazionale, Ristorante San Giorgio Genova, Ristorante Ca Vittoria, and Ristorante Dolce Stil Novo alla Reggia.

Completing the line-up were Ristorante La Gemella, Ristorante Convino, Ristorante Rosso Barolo, Ristorante Balin, Mare Hotel, Ristorante La Trattoria 1960, Massimiliano Prete, Ristorante Anna Ghisolfi, Hotel Politano-Boves, Ristorante Naevia, Ristorante Scuderie Sabaude, Ristorante Campamac and La Bula.You can fake Italian food. Harder after six months in an Italian kitchen, where Filipino students learned when the pasta is wrong.