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Chef - From Kitchen to Career: A Culinary Journey
39 Plays22 days ago
Meet Rabi—a chef who went from his mum’s kitchen in the Philippines to running his own bakery in Adelaide. From line cook to executive chef, he’s mastered the art of food that connects. Think tuna steak with tamarind sauce and death by chilli lava cake.
Let’s dig in!
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction to Ravi Garcia
00:01:15
Nate
right.
Inspiration and Family Influences
00:01:16
Nate
Ravi, thanks for joining us. So first off, can, can you tell us a bit about yourself? What, uh, what career have you had and what inspired you to pursue it?
00:01:24
Rabbie
Uh, So my name is Ravi Garcia. I'm in Adelaide now, but basically I'm from the Philippines. So my career in the kitchen started about 13, 14 years ago. So basically I'm a chef and it's a wild fulfilling ride ever since. So I've worked with many roles, line cook,
00:01:47
Rabbie
pastry chef, head baker and executive chef and just name it even dishwasher so yeah I think ah what inspired me to pursue it is you know I mean grew growing up as a Filipino food is always you know one of ways to gather the family. So I grew up with many great cooks. My mom, my dad, well, especially my mom, because when we were still little kids, she did not have actually a formal baking training or whatever, but she did pull up some good two or three years cake on her own. So
00:02:34
Rabbie
Yeah, and it made me realize also the power of food. So the power of food, basically, like what I said earlier, it helps gather people, you know, I mean, making creativity and connections with them. So I think that is the spark that starts me in this career.
00:02:55
Nate
Lovely. So mom's mom's cooking was the original original spark of passion.
00:03:00
Rabbie
Yes, definitely.
00:03:02
Nate
I'm going to go off script here. What is your favorite dish that your mom cooks? Do you have a favorite?
00:03:07
Rabbie
Uh, favorite dish. There's quite a lot though, but I mean, Filipinos have our version of spaghetti. I know it's weird.
00:03:18
Rabbie
It has sausage or hot dogs in it, but my mom makes a really good spaghetti, like Filipino style spaghetti.
00:03:21
Nate
like
00:03:27
Rabbie
Well, basically, I mean, I'm not being, what you call this, I'm not being biased, but every dish my mom cooks is good.
00:03:36
Nate
It's good. Fantastic.
Career Transition and Education
00:03:39
Nate
So what training did you do? How did you, you got the inspiration to be a chef. So how did you get there?
00:03:46
Rabbie
Yeah, so a little bit of a backstory before starting my my formal training or education as a chef, I did three years in nursing. That's kind of like peer pressure and family pressure. And then on my third year, I realized, don't get me wrong, nursing is a you know a really good career, but I got bored.
00:04:12
Nate
Hmm.
00:04:12
Rabbie
I mean, you can't really be creative in nursing, of course, if you're going to be creative, you might end up losing someone's life, you know?
00:04:17
Nate
Yeah.
00:04:21
Rabbie
ah Yeah, so on my third year, I was like, i' not I'm going to shift, I'm going to change, shift other shift to other courses, basically. So what I did, since my dad doesn't want me to shift courses, I did it secretly. So and I find, i actually, I did ah produce funds for me to enroll to a bachelor's degree major in hotel and restaurant management, major in culinary arts. So it was a bit cheap to enroll. So I came up with the funds and then enrolled myself. On the first ah day of class on that course, my dad was surprised. Why are you wearing that different uniform? I was like, sorry, that I enrolled myself to a different course.
00:05:15
Rabbie
So he was furious, but at the end of the day, he supported me anyway. So yeah, so i that's my first step, ah the bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management. And then while doing the bachelor's, I did culinary arts, like the formal culinary arts course.
00:05:35
Rabbie
on the weekend so basically it's like I don't have a rest day because Monday to Friday bachelor's Saturday Sunday culinary arts like full-time and then yeah so three years later I enrolled myself and had my master's degree in hospitality so I did it in Cebu so yeah ah And then coming here like three years ago, I enrolled myself because that's the pathway that I could do here in Australia. I enrolled myself in quality college of Australia and did a cert three in commercial cookery, cert four in kitchen management and diploma in hospitality. So yep, that's the formal education and training that I did.
00:06:25
Nate
Yeah, that's a lot. You've done a fair bit. So bachelor's ah overseas in Philippines, then you got to Australia and did some more formal training.
00:06:31
Rabbie
Yes.
00:06:35
Rabbie
Yes.
Career Path and Achievements
00:06:36
Nate
And what what ah what jobs have you had? What sort of um places have you been working?
00:06:42
Rabbie
ah My first job as a chef, well technically it's not yet a chef level, but I did a line cook thing in a a chicken wing bar back in my city in the Philippines too. and The next one I was a pastry commis in a production factory of milk-based dessert.
00:07:06
Rabbie
so and Their main products is pastelias. Pastelias is a ah milk dough rolled in sugar. And yemma is like dulce de leche only crustier. So yeah, so after that, I opened my own bakery, a sourdough bakery in the Philippines. Yeah, so on the side.
00:07:37
Rabbie
hmm i kind of did like a college uh teacher thing i teach i thought i mean yeah students from year 11 to fourth year college so yeah i think i uh what subjects i teach again it's international cuisine basic baking advanced baking and whatever so after that i was the head pastry chef in endurant it's a french company
00:08:14
Rabbie
a catering company in the Philippines and oh well and then after that Covid happens and so I went here to Australia three years ago. ah Two weeks later I land up in a job a casual chef in Morfitville race course which is like my formal training here in Australia I think that was a really good place to work with. in But yeah, I think I made the wrong move, not a grave move, but it was sort of like a ah ah good, deep move. i i so I ended up my employment with them so that one of my friends could come in and fill in the position. And so yeah, I work in a cafe too, as a breakfast chef, and yeah, so that's it.
00:09:09
Nate
Nice, nice.
Culinary Competitions and Signature Dish
00:09:09
Nate
So big question. What is your signature dish? What do you love cooking?
00:09:16
Rabbie
So yeah, I love doing competitions so since um the start of my culinary ah journey every year I join the competition. So I have this one dish that I improve every year and that's what I use for the competition. So it's says the same dish, but it's different the next year because ah it's like a improved dish. So I call it tuna steak with Santol and tamarind sauce. So Santol is like the cotton fruit, if you're familiar with it. It's like an orange fruit with like a cottony meat inside and the tamarind base. And so,
00:09:56
Rabbie
On the dessert side, i well, technically all of the recipes are not original, basically. it's like My recipe is 50% original because I tweaked them a bit. so the dessert that My signature dessert is a Death by Chili love a surprise.
00:10:15
Rabbie
So yeah, it's a lava cake with white lava and it's spicy. But the effect of of the spicy is more like a cooling effect in in the throat, not really a hard kick spice. So yeah, those are my signature dish.
00:10:31
Nate
Uh, I need to try, I need to try the chili one. I, for anyone that knows me, like spicy food is I eat my, my meal every night is curry. And I travel, I travel Asia for spicy, spicy food.
00:10:43
Nate
So I am next time I'm in Adelaide, I'm going to come, I'm going to come knock on your door and and and request a chocolate spicy lava cake.
00:10:44
Rabbie
Yeah.
00:10:53
Rabbie
I mean, I don't know why. I can't live without anything, any spice in my plate.
00:10:59
Nate
Oh. more chilly, more chilly, the better.
00:11:02
Rabbie
Exactly.
Creative Fulfillment and Challenges
00:11:04
Nate
So working to working as a chef, what has been the best thing? What's the best thing about this career?
00:11:11
Rabbie
ah The best thing well for me being a chef is your creative expression.
00:11:17
Nate
Hmm.
00:11:18
Rabbie
You know, I mean, it's pretty important because I think one of my motivation I told you earlier is was the creativity and you know, the creativity of every dish that you put up and serve with ah two other people. I think that's the Most important thing for me creativity you get to play with flavors. I mean, especially to me I have like weird flavors ah Just like the timer sorry the cotton fruit the sample one. It's not usually put in a savory dish but yeah, I did it anyway and ah Yeah, I think it's mostly creativity I
00:12:00
Nate
Creativity. And what about the worst part? What what have you found most challenging in doing this career?
00:12:08
Rabbie
Work hours.
00:12:10
Nate
Yeah.
00:12:11
Rabbie
I mean, well, ah I think that's the only, not the only, but I mean, the major challenge for me was was work hours because sometimes you don't get public holidays, sometimes you don't get Christmas or New Year, you know what I mean?
00:12:29
Rabbie
ah But yeah, I mean, that's that's kind of sad, but it's really good because you see other people enjoying your food anyway.
00:12:38
Nate
Yeah, yeah.
Advice for Aspiring Chefs
00:12:40
Nate
So if someone was going to follow in your footsteps, is there is there a quicker way to get the career that you've got? um i you You spoke about you studied your bachelor's overseas, then you've done more training in Australia.
00:12:50
Rabbie
Yeah.
00:12:52
Nate
but So essentially this career, how how would you recommend someone someone do it now that you've you've done it yourself?
00:12:59
Rabbie
Uh, so it's not an easy path. A lot of people say that it's a no brainer because it's just cooking. You know what I mean? if If you've heard that, uh, stigma about chefs, but if you're going to start, uh, being a chef, I think you should find a mentor, you know, a mentor that, uh, could help you bring out the creativity in you and helps you bring out the uniqueness of every dish that you could serve to other people and yeah so training never stop exploring you know I mean ah don't be afraid to fail because failure is the best teacher and I think just you know if every
00:13:58
Rabbie
How do I say this? I think with everything you do, if you want to become a chef, is that you put your heart into it, because that's an important thing. ah Food without heart, that's bland.
00:14:11
Rabbie
you yeah
00:14:12
Nate
Yes, I like that.
00:14:13
Rabbie
and
00:14:13
Nate
Food without heart is planned. Love it.
00:14:16
Rabbie
and I think it's just push yourself always I mean push yourself over the limit always think outside of the box don't be bookish when it comes to being a chef because a book is there to guide but you yourself makes the identity of the dish you know I mean yeah I think that's the best advice that I could give if anybody wants to start being a chef.
00:14:43
Rabbie
you know Train, train, train, fail, fail, fail, stand up. You know what I mean? Fail 10 times, stand up 11 times, no matter. So yeah.
00:14:51
Nate
Yeah.
Mentorship and Personal Growth
00:14:52
Nate
So where did you find your mentor? So mentor is important. Where did you find yours?
00:14:58
Rabbie
a
00:15:01
Rabbie
Well, while I was doing my bachelor's degree, ah I think one of my ah teachers teachers saw something in me so that's that kind of sparked my competitive side of being a chef so she ah she pulled me out of the class ah we're gonna have a competition tomorrow so we need to at least practice today and then I think she always saw the best in me you know I mean well when it comes to competition it's usually your mentor who's gonna give you
00:15:38
Rabbie
you know give you the recipe do this do that but she was like do whatever you want I mean it's it's not me who's competing but it's you so yeah I think yeah well she's she passed away anyway but I mean she really opened up my you know my identity as a chef
00:15:48
Nate
Yeah Is there um any Any tools or resources that you just 100% rely on? Is there like a book that changed your life or or a website which you constantly review because they've got great, great ideas or podcasts?
00:16:19
Rabbie
uh resources so remember i told you earlier that my mom had never had a professional or like a formal training in cooking but she has this book not not technically a book but it's like a photocopy of the book ah which is called Maya's Kitchen it's a Philippine-based author anyway so that's what she used to practice so that was my first book you know I mean I started cooking when I was seven
00:16:55
Rabbie
but not professional cooking. It's like two minute noodle, egg, sausages cooking. ah Yeah, so I think that's my first, what to call this, my first resource. And then most of it is like, I just searched something, Google something, whatever dish that I want to prepare for this day for everybody in the house. And then, yeah, make it my own. so Yeah, I mean, you can use whatever resources you have, but make sure that don't follow it 100%. Because like what I said earlier, make your dish your own and never be a slave of any recipe books, you know. But yeah.
Philosophy on Cooking and Authenticity
00:17:44
Nate
yeah trust Trust your instincts and I suppose if you're getting in to be a chef for the creativity, it's your it's where it's where the magic's going to happen.
00:17:45
Rabbie
Yeah.
00:17:52
Rabbie
yeah i mean Yeah, I mean, again, like failure is your best teacher, anyway. i mean there's Especially cooking, ah there's no perfect dish. yeah So that I think that's the mentality that they could... ah not when I'm not imposing it, but I think that's the and best mentality to the mentality that they could have, because that will spark your creativity. So basically,
00:18:22
Rabbie
I cook to please myself ah personally, like I cook to please myself. So whatever tastes good for me, that's what I serve because that's my identity. Yeah, except if you have dietary needs anyway.
00:18:36
Nate
yeah yeah it's It's all very subjective, isn't it?
00:18:41
Rabbie
Yeah.
00:18:42
Nate
I do a lot of research, because we travel a fair bit, and I do a lot of research through YouTube. So I watched the watch all the food vloggers, and then we'll go to a country and try all this food that's supposed to be amazing.
00:18:53
Nate
But we get there and go, well, this is nice, but I wouldn't have raved about it as much as these food vloggers have.
00:18:58
Rabbie
Yeah.
00:18:59
Nate
So even though they loved it, there's always that that subjectivity with food. you need to you need to Find what you what you love and and how you can how you relate to it as well.
00:19:10
Rabbie
Yeah, and you can never please anybody. like there's Every day there's a complaint, just to for the sake of complaint.
00:19:15
Nate
Yeah.
00:19:19
Rabbie
you know
00:19:21
Nate
Yeah. Awesome. So to wrap up, I've got one more question for you. We always like to finish with finding out if there's a quote or a mantra, something that inspires you, you know, maybe not on a daily basis, but just something that you use to to remind yourself of what you're doing and why you do it.
00:19:39
Rabbie
Yeah, so I'm not sure if I'm, it's it's my original quote, but here is it anyway. So ah cooking is sharing a part of yourself. So always be true to yourself so that you can always be true to your plate. So that's i that's my reminder every day. You know, I mean, we can't really control what anybody likes, you know. ah Yeah, I mean, basically that's it.
00:20:05
Rabbie
like Just be true to yourself. As long as you're true to yourself, you love what you do, then everybody everything comes out the way you want it to be.
Conclusion and Gratitude
00:20:16
Nate
Fantastic. and And that feels like a quote you could put to to just any career really, like be authentic, be yourself, make sure you're putting the best out there.
00:20:22
Rabbie
Yeah.
00:20:24
Nate
I love it.
00:20:26
Nate
That's great.
00:20:26
Rabbie
Yes, generally, yeah.
00:20:29
Nate
Fantastic. Thank you for spending the last 20 minutes with us. It's been great to hear about your journey and your qualifications and your passion for cooking.
00:20:37
Rabbie
Yeah, thank you so much.
00:20:37
Nate
Thank you for your time.