Education Profiles: Academic Choices
Culinary Arts
The Perfect Cut
by Mike Yoshiura
At the age of six, Juan Wong had a knack for following his nose as he tracked the tantalizing aroma that always filled his grandmother's house. As if he were spellbound, Juan would wander into her kitchen; and for hours, the wide-eyed first grader would sit as he watched grandma prepare dishes created by their Peruvian ancestors.
"As a kid I always loved going into the kitchen. I was very curious so my grandma started to teach me simple things so I wouldn't burn myself. The first thing she taught me was how to crack and fry an egg. She made me feel welcome so I looked forward to being in her kitchen. Now I'm trying to learn how to prepare foods from our culture because I'm Peruvian Chinese. I try to cook those dishes for her, and she lets me know if she likes it," said Juan Wong, a 2005 graduate of McKinley High School.
These days Juan is enrolled in Kapi'olani Community College's Culinary Arts Program. As the 19-year-old embarks on his final year of the two-year program, the roles have reversed in his grandmother's kitchen.
Her favorite ethnic dish is cerviche, a South American entrée that uses citrus fruits to flavor and cook fish and shellfish. "I like cooking it because you can be creative, and add whatever you want. Plus it's something my grandma always cooked for me."
After graduating from KCC, Juan aspires to attend the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), which according to him, "is the Harvard of culinary schools. That's been my goal since I first started doing this."
The CIA is located in Hyde Park, New York, and it has set the standard in the industry since 1946. At the CIA, students can earn a bachelor or associate's degree in either culinary arts or pastry and baking arts.
Juan Wong is following his dream, and to think that it all started with a passion instilled by his Peruvian grandmother.