#galvinatwindows

DAY 1: My first day was quite a mix of emotions! I got up, rode the bus and arrived an hour early but I saw a little park behind the hotel and sat down and browsed my phone since I didn’t know what to do ha ha. I probably was so excited to start that I went out super early and I didn’t even eat anything. Anyway, I went   in and unexpectedly, me and the head chef, Chef Joo Won came inside the staff entrance together and he showed me the way of course. He gave me a tour and the view was ahhhh-mazing!!! It was so beautiful. Too beautiful. Met the staff and practically did what anybody told me. I was their girl. Also the only girl stage on the hot kitchen. Woooh. It was pretty cool for me though. So while working I got a text from my brother that our dog in the Philippines, Poochie died and I just couldn’t. I wanted to cry so bad but I had my first day of work going and I just thank the heavens I got my shit together and powered through the day. Made some tortellini using some wanton wrappers. It was great idea though, Asian-Italian fusion of some sort. So cool! Also they said it looked nice! Hurrah! I was so proud!  Went home around 6PM and there was this baby on the bus smiling and giggling at me because of my blue green hair so that really made me smile despite what has happened. Ended up crying when I arrived in my room though. LOL

DAY 5:  I asked to stay late until the end of service to try out the evening shift since it was already my day off the next day and I had only a few weeks left so I wanted to learn as much as I can, turns out. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION EVER. I got to plate with the people on the larder section (cold kitchen-salads) and after some time, Chef Jamie called out and order of a “VVVIP”. In my head, I was like “Never heard that before. 3 Vs on a VIP word. It might be the president or something.” He plated the salad though (of course) and turns out it was for RAYMOND BLANC. LEGENDARY CHEF. I mean I honestly didn’t know about him til I came to London but I’ve heard of him from somewhere before for sure. I MEAN WHO KNEW. LITTLE MARY LOUISSE ISABELLE M. YAP FROM A SMALL CITY IN THE PHILIPPINES WOULD EVER SHAKE HANDS WITH A LEGENDARY CHEF IN HER LIFE. I seriously couldn’t fucking believe it. After his dinner he came into the kitchen and we were all cleaning as fast as we could to go home early and he walked up to all of us one by one, thanked us and shook our hands. I MEAN C’MON!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS LITERALLY SO HARD TO SAY “THANK YOU” TO HIM WHEN HE SHOOK MY HAND. I WAS FREAKING STARSTRUCK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD but thankfully the words came out of my mouth. I couldn’t even remember what I was  going to clean after our encounter. No shit.

What luck I had to stay in at that particular day. whew. Thank God. 

DAY 7: It was a good day today for me since I was so productive, ALSO because I was probably  the only intern/stage in the hot kitchen for a few hours. People who needed help came to me, I was their girl. I fucking ran and chopped and was all over the place that day. Boy, I was feeling super hyper. Also, people were extra nice to me today! Not that I’m saying their not, OKAY! But you know I told them it was creeping me out, somebody gave me coffee then another gave me water and I was like “Guys, why are you all being so nice to me, it’s creeping me out a little bit” and they just laughed ha ha. But they also said I did a very good job in chopping the bloody roasted eggplants (WHICH IS NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK IT IS BTW) which also made my heart flutter a little bit, thank you guys. Well, I ended up staying the night again since it was my day off tomorrow! Kinda fun actually. 

DAY 8: There were so many things happening that day! Everybody was so busy and all that I was doing things for 2 stations today. It was crazy but I liked it! It was actually great that I got busy prepping for people’s stations.  I got an e-mail from my instructor at school saying there was an opportunity to work for the Roca Brothers as they were coming to London for a pop-up event! and just like that, I immediately signed up after I read the e-mail within a heartbeat. Well, that meant leaving Galvin but honest to God I know I’d regret it if I don’t take the opportunity. 

DAY 11: I had so much things to do today! Got assigned to help out the garnish section and apparently, it was my last day of work as well!!!!! It turned out that the El Celler de Can Roca (the Roca Brothers’ restaurant) staff typed my e-mail wrong and I wasn’t able to receive any messages regarding the info about the pop up event! After work, I received a couple of messages from my classmate at uni saying where was I and I was just casually telling her I just got off work and asked if everything was fine and she was telling me that they were all at Hotel Cafe Royal having a meeting with the rest of the staff and already starting the prep the very next day which meant I needed to go immediately and luckily I was still in the building and talked to our Sous chef since Head chef Joo was on his day off. It was so crazy how everything was happening so fast! My instructor texted me that she’ll talk to Chef Joo for me. Well, the situation couldn’t be avoided but I personally believe that what I did- leaving on the spot was a bit rude and they didn’t deserved to be treated like that since everyone were all so nice. I couldn’t even dare to do that to my shitty head chef 3 years ago and I disliked him. But I had to go, I needed to. I just told them I was gonna come back on my expected last day, August 6th, since the event will end on the 5th. It was crazy. I mean I was so stressed out of my mind that I subconsciously rode the bus home and I had to take a seat in my favorite spot at the park near my apartment. I just had to.

DAY 12 (August 6): Yesterday, August 5th was the last day for the Roca Brothers event so for me personally, I needed to come back to Galvin, to at least say goodbye and thank you to them, you know? So.. Saturday meant the restaurant only opens for dinner so we were scheduled to come in at 12 noon. Chef didn’t expected that I would come back though but I remembered we talked about it before that my last day would be on the 6th so I did. I helped out mostly on the meat and garnish section and no complaints but IT WAS SUCH A LONG DAY. I mean really long, I didn’t know why. Weird. Anyway, Chef Joo was so cool he assigned me to be in the pastry service for the night after prepping stuff and I was so happy at least I got to try it out (although I still wanted to try out the hot kitchen service with the meats and all but I know it’ll take a while to get used to and to not fuck up so I understood that completely that I couldn’t be assigned to do service there because I was only gonna stay for a bit.) Anyhow, my last day was good, we finished at 12AM and I felt a bit sad leaving, guilty too. Well, I am the type of person who gets attached so easily so probably that’s why I got a bit sad but life goes on, right? 

Galvin at Windows was so much fun! Met people who were so nice and sweet which in life, it’s not that easy to find nowadays. So so very thankful to everyone there and I couldn’t be more lucky enough to have the most humble and kind head chef (Chef Joo Won) I have ever met so far in the last 5 years I’ve worked/interned in kitchens, honestly. OH WOW. Those 2 weeks just went by so quickly. I learned as much as I could in those weeks and it was such a great experience. Truly. 

Well, here are some photos I took on my last day, there were still quite a few people I weren’t able to take pictures with though but here’s some of the Galvin team! :>

^ Head Chef Joo Won!!! Such a great chef!

^ Sous Chef Ben

^ Massi- one of my mentors who I prep stuff for. 

Jimmy from Larder!

^ PASTRY TEAM!! Bohyun, Veronica and Ernest!

Luis!!! One of my mentors too! I mostly prep stuff for him as well! This guy’s just the best! Definitely one of my favorite people!

Ernest trying out to squat down to my size ha ha ha 

^ Aoife my soul sistah!! 

**** KITCHEN SECTIONS ****

^ Watching the master do his magic!!

here’s some of the dishes of the restaurant!

desserts!!!

*I missed out on a few more dishes though*

-----------------  Thank you Galvin team!    -----------------