Wency Cornejo certified chef na 

HARD TALK
ni Pilar Mateo

KAPAG sumasapit na ang panahon ng Semana Santa, naaalala ko ang get-to place namin ng may-ari at mga staff ng The Library sing-along bar sa Malate. Years ago, lahat kami ay sa Puerto Galera ang tungo.

Lunes Santo pa lang kami nina Allan K and the late Phillip Lazaro ang mga nauuna sa isla. Miyerkoles makukompleto with the owner. 

Noon, ang tahimik pa ng lugar. At doon namin nakikita at nakakalaro sa volleyball ang  bokalista ng banda ng After Image na si Wency Cornejo. Sikat na noon ang anak ni tita Mel Tiangco.

Ang friendly. At kapag sumapit na ang dapit-hapon, doon sa dulong corner ng isla, may isang maliit na ristorante na pagma-may-ari ng mag-asawang Pinay at Italiano.  Si Chef Claudio.

Roon namin natikman ang pizza na si Wency mismo ang gumawa. Delicioso, sabi nga ni Claudio.

Fast forward to now. Chef na pala ang bokalista.

Pagbabahagi niya sa socmed.

“From an early age I have always wanted to be a chef. 

“Even during the heyday of my band AfterImage, thoughts of actually pursuing the culinary arts was always at the back of my mind. 

“If not for esteemed chef Fernando Aracama’s advice, I probably would have gotten a culinary education much earlier. 

“Fast forward to 2023, I finally took the plunge and decided to actually do it so I enrolled at the ICIF (International Culinary Institute for Foreigners) in Costigliole, Italy taking up pizzaiolo Robert de Santis’ pizza course where I graduated top of my class. 

“I then took my internship in Milan at a Filipino owned and operated pizzeria called Il Postino under the tutelage of my pizzaiolo mentor Marvin Aguda. 

“I am turning 59 in a couple of weeks but life still holds so much promise for me. It only goes to show that regardless of age there are still dreams we can continually pursue. I always say I am extremely fortunate that in my lifetime I was able to swim in the waters of my two greatest passions, music and food and because of that my heart feels full. I am pizzaiolo Wency Cornejo.”

Kaya hindi naman nakapagtataka na maging isang certified chef si Wency dahil nasa kaibuturan na ng puso niya ito.

Hihintayin na lang natin na magkaroon na siya ng sarili niyang pizzeria. Sa sarili niyang tatak at ngalan!

Malalim na songwriter. Mahusay na mang-aawit. At bilang sosyal na panadero na naghahatid ng mga bagong lasa at estilo ng paggawa ng pizza, estilong Italiano na may puso’t kaluluwa ng Filipino! Eh, saan ka pa? 

Acquolina in bocca (mouth-watering), as the Italians would say!