EVERYONE—from folks who know him like the back of their hand to those fortunate enough to meet and talk to him—can tell right off the bat that Chef Juanito Abangan is so passionate about his work as a chef. Which is why it’s no surprise that he is presently and proudly Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s first Filipino executive chef.
Straight from the kitchen, Chef Juanito had just finished a briefing with his team. After a few introductions, the conversation went off with him sharing that he’s been with the hotel for 10 years. But what was also interesting was that he resides in Lapu-Lapu City—on another island, basically. The logistics it takes to travel from home and to work daily can be challenging. That’s dedication.
“My life is calculated already by hours,” he said as he proceeded to talk about his routine.
“I have to wake up at 5:30 a.m. I have to jog at least 45 minutes to an hour a day. I bring my kids to the school at exactly 7 a.m.,” the executive chef said. “From Mactan Bridge to Marco Polo, it takes me one hour and 30 minutes. But if it’s a Sunday, it takes me only 45 minutes. However, Sunday is my day off,” he said, chuckling.
“I have to be in the kitchen to check if everything is okay and after that, I have to go up for the morning briefing with management. Everything that we discussed, I will discuss also with my team. Then I check my e-mails. I work here like 12 hours a day so that’s my day-to-day life.”
Not that he’s complaining; in fact he loves the spontaneity and the freedom that comes with being a chef, even more so with his current position. “Kung gi-unsa nako pagka in love sa akong wife (Just like how I’m very in love with my wife), it’s the same kind of feeling, like I can’t sleep,” he said. Chef Juanito is married with four kids.
In fact, he said if he was away from the kitchen for too long, he couldn’t stand it. This is a profession he decided to take up since he was in his 20s.
If one were to meet him in his teens, one wouldn’t think he would venture into this. In fact, he said the idea never crossed his mind as he was a Business Administration graduate. But after deliberating what he wanted to do in life, he chose the path of the kitchen.
He applied as a cook at a French restaurant which at first refused to hire him for not looking a certain way. “I didn’t pass the first interview because he (the French chef) said wala daw sa akong looks ug my hands nga chef (I didn’t look like a chef—nor my hands). There were no burns marks and he said my hands looked feminine,” he recalled. He was offered a different position yet he refused the option as he was set on his choice.
Two weeks after, he was called back and was given a rather unorthodox test.
“He said if I could fix The Lion King jigsaw puzzle in less than 12 minutes, I’ll be hired as a cook. That was my test. I’m good with puzzles so I finished it in almost eight minutes,” he said. When asked what the logic was behind the test he surmised, “Quick thinking?” Probably, after all being a chef requires a set of skills—being quick on one’s feet is one of them.
Without a culinary background, Chef Juanito honed his skills by learning the tricks of the trade through self-study. He would buy books, learn from them, execute the recipes, learn the basics and went from there. “Every time I read something, I practiced it. But I still worried if what I read in the books was right because nobody criticized me. But for sure it was right,” he said with a chuckle. “You will not become a chef if you don’t know the basics. You have to have a foundation.”
Those books, most were by Michelin star chefs, are still with him and some are found in his office at the hotel.
In Marco Polo, he began as Chef De Partie at the Pool Bar, explored other opportunities outside the property then made his comeback in 2008 to open Blu Bar & Grill as junior sous chef. He was later promoted as sous chef, then senior sous chef, then executive sous chef and now as its executive chef. With his current position, he not only oversees the hotel’s dining venues but also the hotel’s in-dining banquets and events both small scale and grand.
Ever the eager chef, when he wasn’t tied to something he would check out the hotel’s other restaurants to see if he could assist in any way. “Every month we have different promotions so you can really learn a lot.” He also shared another dream which is being a pastry chef, which from time to time he gets to dabble and tinker with especially for set dinners.
For him, being a Cebuano is something he considers an advantage in terms of running his team. He values communication and considers it vital in running the kitchen. He makes sure to approach each situation with a positive attitude as well as have a good relationship with his team.
“I know their emotions. I know how to handle people. I know the feeling. I know their sacrifices in life because I’ve been there,” said Chef Juanito. “I know how to approach different behaviors. Sometimes, you have to read their personalities, their body language. If there’s a problem, just approach me. My office is open for all of them.”
He also praises the executive chefs and general managers he’s worked with before, one of which is his mentor, former executive chef Luke Gagnon. “I’m just lucky I had a chef I’ve worked with before who really mentored me. I’m lucky he came into my life and taught me everything,” he shared. “All the mentoring, I absorbed them all and it’s effective.”
Clearly, his curiosity and drive remains palpable. Then again based on his tales and experiences, it never seemed to wane; and there’s no signs of his love for the craft fading anytime soon or at all.