Lem Balagot of LA Rose Cafe - Master Chef of Asian and Western Cuisines Source: Prosy Delacruz for Balikbayan Magazine “Cooking is like the fruit of a great love: a strong and slightly egotistical love on the part of the men, altruistic and sensitive on the part of the women. Be it one or the other, it is always present, demanding its share of gratitude and recognition. Isn’t this natural? For therein lies a basic principle. Cooking cannot, without risk, be stripped of its intentions, of its rites, of its symbols. It must create happiness at any price. There can be no happiness without love, that goes without saying, whatever the form of the latter.” – Raymond Oliver Raymond Oliver was the celebrated chef of France, who started cooking at 15 and, in his life span, authored 26 books. He held court at Le Grand Vefour Restaurant on Rue de Beaujolais in the Palais-Royal district, the dining place of Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, David Rockefeller, as well as actor Jean Cocteau and writer Colette. If Paris had Raymond, Hollywood has Lem Balagot of L.A. Rose Café, who for 31 years, has loyal customers from the Grammy’s, Golden Globes’ Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Paramount Studios, Price Waterhouse Cooper, City of Hope, Westfield Mall Corporate, m & c satchi advertising, the Oscars, ABS-CBN, Filipino Priests of Los Angeles, writers, artists, foundation folks, entrepreneurs, fashionistas, and foodies. His accolades come from downtown to uptown Los Angeles, including the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Lem can transform a parking lot into an Island Hawaiian banquet place or an empty ballroom into a Winter Wonderland. But, he is the first to say, he does it with his team of creative artists, headed by Ray Medrocillo. Accolades for L.A. Rose Café Janet Nepales, Hollwood Foreign Press Association’s journalist had this to say: “It was Ruben’s 50th birthday, Nikki’s high school graduation and Ella’s confirmation — three reasons to celebrate. We heard about Lem. With over 100 guests to serve, Lem arrived with his good-natured and professional team on time and directed them in his own cool way. He was flexible, creative, calm, and professional.” Beyond Lem and his team, the food entrees are what folks rave about. L.A. Times’ Barbara Hansen wrote: “I will drive through rain, sleet or snow for L.A. Rose Café’s bread pudding.” Why, it is elegantly presented, a bread pudding nestled in marzipan custard, fresh berries, and with hints of homemade caramel. Others rave about the fresh lumpia with ubod (hearts of palm), a vegetable crepe, adorned with scallions and topped with garlic, chopped peanuts and a special brown sauce. But what I love most about this café is the ambiance of a little Parisian café, adorned with lit chandeliers, a pianist playing Les Miserables’s soundtrack & OPMs (Original Pilipino Music) on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and Sunday Brunch. How did Lem climb his ladder to success? Grace and Procedural Systems For most of his life, Lem stayed open to the Higher Universe’s plan and guidance. In high school, Lourdes Cruz of Youth for Understanding pointed him to an opportunity, a year of study in Grosse Point, Michigan. He recalls living in the “golden streets” where the sons and daughters of the richest families of America lived: Fords, Chryslers, Bordens. After high school, he went back to Manila to pursue college in Ateneo de Manila University, but after a year and a half, he decided Tri-State College, now Trine University in Indiana, was a better fit for him to major in Business Management. While in college he met the owner of Brunetti’s, an Italian cuisine, who gave him his first opportunity to work in the restaurant business. He started by washing dishes and emptying ash trays. He developed a system in doing his work, that in two weeks, he was promoted to preparing salads and antipastos for 250 seat restaurant. He learned all the facets of running a restaurant: salads, broiler man, sauté man, sous chef, waiter, and bartending. He became the maitre’d at Win Schuller’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana, known for its prime rib and patronized by 2,000 customers nightly. There, he honed his customer service skills and learned the art of tableside service, carving prime rib, providing extensive tea service, flambé desserts, and freshly made ceasar salad tableside. Unbeknownst to him, one day, he was serving the owner of Sheraton hotel, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who also recruited him to become supper club manager at 22. He became, at 23, a Food and Beverage Manager of Sheraton in Bossier, Louisiana. At Sheraton, he learned how to service, with his staff, 1,500 banquet facility, supper club with live entertainment, and a fine dining restaurant. He acquired skills in food costing, labor costing, personnel management, banquet preparation, and management. Half of his employees were white and half were black, and he learned how to manage a diverse labor force. Los Angeles became his home for a year and while in LA, he became a manager for Magic Pan Creperie in Beverly Hills where he learned the preparation of savory crepes. He developed new recipes for their test kitchen in San Francisco. He then worked at Sav-Farm Test Kitchen and later, as restaurant manager of Magic Pan Creperie on Sutter St, near Union Square, in San Francisco with other locations in Ghiradelli square. In 1975 an offer from Manila came. Lem worked as a consultant in an entertainment complex with a disco, cocktail lounge, restaurant gallery, and supper club a.k.a. Cabaret Royale, including Deliruim Disco and Cork and Screw in Greenbelt Park, known for the “Paper Dolls” (female impersonators), in which he conceptualized the Commodores opening show. After major changes in the staffing, in three months he turned them around to be positive. He maximized the operations in the club by offering dimsum during the day. He hired dimsum chefs from Singapore to prepare them. Waitresses, dressed in orange/white uniforms, with mandarin collars and mini-skirts, were serving dimsum in square baskets. It was a hit. But then President Ferdinand Marcos banned all foreign artists’ travel to work in the Philippines (Marcos had imposed martial law). Artists before had come from Hong Kong, Las Vegas, and Australia. Entertainment at the supper club came to a halt. Lem persuaded the Board of Directors of Cabaret Royale to consider tribute artists, the likes of having local artists perform the works of Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, etc. He ran an ad in the Manila Times for casting call and in comes Fanny Serrano, Jose Mari Boquer, and Pando who auditioned amongst the hundreds. He opened the Paper Doll Show in Oct. 31, 1975, and his biggest hit tribute artists performed the works of Barbra Streisand, Eartha Kitt, Dionne Warwick, and Liza Minelli. He formally opened Cabaret Royale with 23 performers in a two-hour show, the likes of a Moulin Rouge in Manila, complete with costumes ala Las Vegas. So successful it was that it grew to three performing groups and one group touring Asia. Lem joined Manila Hotel in 1976 to help in opening the New Manila Hotel for the International Monetary Fund conference (IMF). He performed the duties of overall night manager, set up the Bay Club Operations (the private country club of the hotel), and became the first entertainment director of the New Manila Hotel. He was then hand-picked by CEO Roman Cruz who later took over the management of Philippine Air Lines, and then appointed him as its Food and Beverage Manager. Lem revamped the menu and persuaded the airlines to showcase sariling atin (our own)and to present it artistically. He coordinated 14 kitchens around the world, flying in longganisas from Manila to Rome, San Francisco, Sydney, Jakarta to Singapore, and other places. His courage in executing his vision with precision attracted a prestigious association of chefs to confer him an award. Chaine des Rotisseurs, an International Association of Gastronomy, now an association of 25,000 members in 70 countries, gave Lem Balagot a Creative Master of Cuisine, Best Airline Cuisine award in 1978 (PAL was then servicing 8,500 customer daily). To this day, PAL carries that lone distinction of having been recognized as the Philippine airline that served the best food. Fast forward to today, I asked Lem’s secret to his success. He smiled, “Am I successful? I simply allow Him to work through me.” While I did this interview, Lem was teaching a teenager, Franco, how to efficiently fold napkins and how to set the table. Just as doors were opened for him by leaders, Lem continues to pay forward the synergy circle of GRACE by mentoring others. “When we no longer have good cooking in the world, we will have no literature, nor high and sharp intelligence, nor friendly gatherings, nor social harmony.” – Antonin Careme Eva Dela Cruz Bona Valerio Gemeline Braga-Calingo Irma Clave Espero Dave Ortega
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 05:07:38 +0000
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