Some kids run away to the circus. Chef Lau's fascination for all things culinary drove him to run away and join a kitchen.No, seriously.
Staring young and finding his path
At the tender age of seven, little Rolando Laudico was spending time in the kitchen, exploring the first few inklings of his calling via his family's trusty La Germania cooking range. Despite his early start, though, he decided to pursue another course of study in college Initially taking up tourism then had intended to make one final move to Hotel and Restaurant Management, but before he could do he met his future wife, Jackie, and he delayed shifting again.
But the call of the kitchen was too strong and the future chef found himself dropping out of school to work in fine dining establishments such as La Primavera in Greenbelt and Carpaccio along Yakal in Makati. While Lau cut his teeth washing dishes at the first restaurant, by the time he worked in Carpaccio, he was the establishment's first "pizzaiolo"-or simply put, the pizza cook.
Eventually, though, Chef Lau's parents caught on."My parents found out that I quit college and they asked me if I was serious about cooking," he recalls. "I said that yes, I was, and they decided to send me to culinary school. back then, we didn't have {culinary schools in the Philippines}, so I went to the US to study at the Culinary Institute of America." Upon emerging as a full-fledged chef, he went on to work in kitchens in France and Australia. Eventually, though, chef Lau set his sights on the Philippines.
