American Degree Program in Culinology @KDU.

^^^Have anyone enrolled in this course? Any Culinary Arts student from KDU tell me whats its like to enroll in this course.
I've been to Educaton fairs and consult the exhibitioners, but of course what they said should be different than what a student experience first hand. They only tell me the overall paths in this course, but not enough details if compared from a students point of view.

I used to study in Flamingo International College @ Certificate in Culinary Arts, and I kinda divert into doing something else after that.
So I wanna start back from scratch and start college again. So anyone can tell me anything about Culinology from KDU? Any info is much appreciated

Food biochemistry will be covered in the course, but it will be taught in relation with Culinary Art. For example, you'll learn about how the protein in meat will be effected by heat, therefore producing a certain flavour in the cooked meat...or protecting the enzymes(vitamins & minerals) in vegetables by it cooking(saute) very quickly on high heat because enymes will dissipate at a certain high temperature....or carbohydrates if broken down will become a in certain type of sugar. (which existed is most organic matter). And Chefs utilizes this sugar to caramelize (the surface) the food they cooked, etc..........

Since Biochemistry is sub-related in Culinary Arts, (unless u want to do 'Degree in Culinology')
the scientific aspect in the course is focus more on Molecular Gastronomy, which means the application of temperature to food, from range of temperature from -60c using dry ice and up to 250c+ using industrial ovens. Molecular gastronomy is so far the most scientific topic/syllabus covered in Culinary Arts.

If u really interested in food science, then it be covered more in detail after graduate from Diploma/higher diploma and continuing to do the Degree,
but if u want to focus solely on Food Science/technology, which means if u rather want to work in a Laboratory then a hot busy Kitchen, i think u should think about the 'American Degree Program in Culinology' @KDU,
For example in this course you cover the technology of food, like how to create synthetic flavoring to mimicked food flavours, how to improve flavours in food scientifically, full exposure of Molecular gastronomy, etc..etc..its just to much stuff for me to tell...just imagine Food+Science :lol:

In PJ, there are two of the best CA college here in M'sia. The differences are:
KDU offer Swiss program from IMI (Switzerland)
http://www.imi-luzern.com/

Taylor Colleges of Hospitality offers French program from Le Cordon Bleu (Sydney Australia, USA, France, Japan, Thailand, Spain, Canada, etc.)
http://www.cordonbleu.edu/

The French path OR the Swiss Path, you decide.....

This post has been edited by JoBigShow: Sep 9 2009, 07:22 AM

A lot of courses in the 'Food Education' are tailored differently from different institutions, in your case, UPM tailored 'Food Studies' to meet all the demands of the food industry. This way it will make your choice of career paths more broaden, meaning you can choose from working in the Food Technology industry (e.g in food labs, etc.) OR to choose to work in kitchens in restaurants, resort and hotels OR to choose to work in the managements of hotels & restaurants, etc.

This was decided my the Malaysian Education Department not long ago because they realize since Malaysia is demanding highly on Tourism, vacant occupations in this industry has tripled since 1998. Basically in M'sia, we need more Chefs, Food&Retaurant Managers, Hospitality Experts, etc...

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Added on September 9, 2009, 12:41 pm http://www.taylors.edu.my/courses/hnt/hnt_landing.php?id=117

January next year, you have to ask them for the exact date

This post has been edited by JoBigShow: Sep 9 2009, 12:41 PM

I think you'll Major on Culinary Arts(50%). About 25% will take up Hospitality and about another 25% will take up Science. Since the Food Industries is 'practical' orientated, the studies will be most on the Practical aspect and moderate on the Theoretical aspects. But these are just my deductions.
I think 'Food Studies' is just another term for 'Culinary Arts' as a course, but modified to suite this countries needs by UPM.
You will study similarly to what of Culinary Arts students in private colleges study, but like i said, with modified syllabus.

but would that make us less knowledgeable on every aspect since most of the subjects are merely just introductory studies?


Hahaha.. Malaysian Education System seems always to fail from Elementary School to High School,
But UPM should be fine, especially when the course you are enrolling is Practical/Skill orientated,
which means you can get employed immediately after upon graduation.

Bro, can u tell me how much $$$ u have to pay for each semester you have taken so far?
And of course the total amount of $$$ needed to pay for the entire course.

I think i want to go back to college lah

There's a specific course in KDU called 'Diploma in Chef Training' which offers full-time chef training, in which the course focus towards mostly the practical part of what a Chef need to be proficient in the kitchen and less of the theory and arts/aesthetic part of a chef's proffesion.

the degree level is hospitality & tourism management which i personally found that it is more biasing towards management stuffs and hospitality.

I've been working in the Food industry for a while, and reason the degree level is to do with the management of hospitality & tourism is because first of all, 'Chef skills' are the core compulsory-skills you need to have as a Chef, BUT in the long run you need to be capable in the managing aspect in a certain establishment of a hotels, restaurants, etc. (this is usually when you get promoted to Sous Chef and to Executive Chef)

Yes, being a chef is not about just working in the kitchen all the time, you need the proest of your managing skills to able to handle the logistics in the kitchen and as well out of the kitchen. This includes managing your staffs, queuing up the demands of the hotel from the kitchen, manage functions, everyday supplies logistics, cost, profit, loss, representing your establishment, taking high level of responsibility in the stressful environment of the kitchen, etc.
To qualify for the above mentioned, you need to enroll in the Degree program to better equip yourself when that time comes when you'll be promoted to handle not just cooking, but managing the kitchen.

Overseas for example, to be specific, Thames Valley University of London do offer a Degree in International Culinary Arts.
In Malaysia we don't have such qualification yet to establish an institution that provides the highest level of Culinary Arts, hence no Degree program here. IMO probably M'sia does't have any historical background in Culinary Arts when compared to France, Italy, Spain, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, US, etc. Thats why our students are flown overseas if they wish to pursue the highest level in Chef related courses.

The highest achievement you can obtain in Chef related study (course provided in M'sia only) is 'Higher Diploma in Culinary Arts', which FYI is available @ Taylor's College of Hospitality.

This post has been edited by JoBigShow: Sep 15 2009, 04:24 PM

Yes, this is the kind of conundrum some people (and you) encounters when wish to apply for a Chef related course here in M'sia,
wether you obtained UEC, A-Level, IB(International Baccaleurette), SPTM, etc....

Anyways, here's the thing, if you skip on the Diploma you will missed out a lot on the aspect of being a Chef.
The Diploma is where u'll learn the fundamentals, because a Chef's profession is 75% practical, therefore you need to enroll in the Diploma to participate in Practical Training(they'll send u out at restaurants & hotels for your real world practical training) and most importantly, you will be well versed in the operation within the kitchen.
In other words, it is essentials you enroll in the Diploma to attain the path of becoming a Chef.

"Start everything form zero?"
Not really, unless you had already obtained a 'Certificate in Culinary Arts' and wish to start back by applying to another college.

If you skip ahead and enroll in the Degree, you'll be well versed in the management, which means in the future, your profession will never involve the kitchen, or cooking per se. This is good if u decide to become a General Manager sometimes in the future.

IMO, I think it's really worth the 2 years of studying the Diploma, and then Higher Diploma or Degree. KDU offers the Swiss program(IMI) meaning you have the opportunity to study overseas(Switzerland) among other Chefs-to-become worldwide.

Diploma in Culinary Arts gives you the versatility of Art & practicality, Dip. in Chef Training gives you the skills and pro-efficiency in kitchen operations, the Degree gives you the management, decision making and judgment skill to operate and entire establishment. IMO the Degree is prominent because someday it WILL give you the credits you need if one day you decide you want to become an Executive Chef.

Traditionally, to rid of the fishy smell you gotta soak the fishes in brine(salt water) and lemon, or in Malaysian cuisine usually use 'asam keping'(dried tamarind). The acidity in the lemon/dried tamarind will postpone the certain enzymes in seafood that produce these 'fishy smell'.
Therefore always buy fresh products if you dont want those fishy smells in the first
Just a tip on buying fish, make sure the gills are red(not brownish ore pale red) and the eyes are sparkly/clear.

With raw cockles, i like to "bath" them with brine and red wine vinegar, this is traditionally Southern French-y, i think.
Or my favourite traditional way of cockle preperation(me~san~plaz) is the Japanese way, soak them up is a little sake, chopped seawead and salt

Talking about food enhancing, they are usually found in starch, e.g. potatoes. Starch are the main ingredient used in Anjinomoto's food enhancing products.
Just a little tip, if you happen to prepare a soup based dish, dont mind throwing in a grabful of grated russett potatoes, one potato is enough.

One of the best Chef's cooking techniques of flavour enhancing is the simple caramalising technique when sauteing/pan frying your food.
This is the same techniques used by Penangites to create Charred Kwoo Tae Yau

Russet potato can easily be bought at supermarkets, but they are more expensive than the regular potato.
Russet potatoes are used to make french fries, so in your lifetime of eating french fries, u'd been eating russet potatoes all these times

I stay away from ajinomoto as far as possible and opt for a more natural ingredient like russet potatoes, but this is mainly applied for soup or watery dishes bcoz u can't cook for instance fried rice with potatoes can you?
But of course if health is not an issue, Ajinomoto is a really good food enhancers. But still be precautious of MSG(monosodium glutamate), thats the main starch ingredients in Ajinimoto.
(If u cook food 2-3 times a week with it its fine, its when u use it all the time like 15+ times a week that u should take notice...)
For educational purpose if u'r curious why, this is because our human body is not design to digest and metabolize synthetic substance like MSG.

One of my favourite way of enhancing food is to sometime replace Salt with Chicken stock, as stocks are salty while giving a "base" to the dish you cook, so it does 2 things a once, while salt only makes the dish saltier....
I prefer the brand 'Knows' btw.
A simple omelet or scramble eggs will taste awesome when u use chicken stock instead of salt
And dont forget Black pepper, 55% of food cooked in restaurants have been seasoned with black pepper..from salads to meat...etc..

post edited

This post has been edited by JoBigShow: Dec 25 2009, 07:24 AM

Munka bro, when do you graduate?


Oh yes, the long hours of working.

Actually it's half true, as a Commis to Chef de Partie you usually:
1) spend 9 hours at work (including break) per shift in a hotel, since they got more than sufficient staff, but in hotels you sometimes have to work at odd hours like night shifts.
So for example there are 3 type of shift basically, the early morning shift (I hate this one) from 6:30am to 3:30pm, 1.30pm to 11pm, and 9:30pm to 6am. (Concorde Hotel KL)

2) spend 11 hours (including 2 hours break) per shift in restaurant, I used to work at Santini Restaurant KLCC (that Italian Restaurant below San Francisco Steakhouse) and sometimes you get the split shift, in which you start working @ 9.15am, take a break @ 1.45pm, then come back @ 6.15p.m. and finish @ 11pm+.
I like this shift because you got free time from 1:45pm to 6.15pm to do whatever you want in town.

The 70 hours per week you stated are true for Sous Chef, Junior Executive Chef, Executive Chef. (and any equivalent position)
So basically the "higher rankers" must commit more time to their profession, because they run the show obviously.

Heck, my previous Junior Executive Chef have the same amount of working hours as me, BUT he's taking ALL the responsibility of what happened in the kitchen, so it makes sense, meaning it's also not about the length of the hours, but the weight of it.

Doesn't matter if a college have more practical sessions than the other because a practical WILL NEVER compared to if you start working full-time in the kitchen for the first couple of months, meaning the main criteria for practical is to expose you to the industry, yes exposure, not employment.
In Practicals, the staffs in the designated restaurant usually will not hand you the full capacity of that kitchen, in other words, they will go easy on you.
It's only when you start working for real you'll see the true responsibility you'll hold upon your shoulder in this fast pace industry.

I'd done 9 months+ of practical in my college days, but the first month of working took me quite some time to catch up, but because of the practical I was very familiar with the environment since day 1.
So the reason for practicals is to make the kitchen and being a chef feels natural for you.

So my point is, it is more beneficial for your own interest to get as much theoretical knowledge while your in college because you'll NEVER get sufficient knowledge when you're out in the field.
College years are meant for greater expectations, since you will be more privileged than the ordinary run~of~the~mill cooks. (who are only skillful in the kitchen but are not well equipped with the knowledge of the management of the food industry)
And because knowledge will later facilitate you into higher position in the kitchen, not just hard~labour cooking 24/7, but you'll be qualified to run the kitchen.


Anyways if you want something new in Malaysia, KDU have this only course in M'sia called ADP (American Degree Programme) in Culinology, this is the mix of food and science. Very fresh and exciting:
Check here:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinno...ulinology_x.htm
http://www.kdu.edu.my/index.php?option=com...id=30&Itemid=92
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culinology
http://www.culinology.com/
http://www.smsu.edu/Academics/Programs/Cul...ndex.cfm?Id=795
http://htca.kdu.edu.my/culinology.html

1) Not really, there are some people who changed careers to become a Chef during their 40's. Just that once you enrolled in college, most of your classmate will be younger than you

2) In the duration of two years 2 years, which includes industrial training.

3) For KL, the best one is Berjaya University College of Hospitality ( www.berjaya.edu.my )
But the best in Malaysia is either KDU or Taylor's College of Hosp and Tourism, they're both in PJ.
Since the aforementioned colleges are the best, they cost about RM40,xxx.

But of course there are a lot of colleges in KL, but can't think of it right now but most of them are below RM25,XXX in tuition fees...
The lowest tuition fees is Flamingo International College, RM18,xxx for the Diploma. That college is pretty well known though...

This post has been edited by JoBigShow: May 13 2010, 04:36 AM

Been a while I haven't visit here

Both are different fields even though shares the similar gene pool of service, therefore you'll have an advantage having to attain both field of expertise.
Say, your culinary skills combined with your know~your~way~around the hospitality realm, it can be pretty effective merging of perks for you to plunge into the world of F&B.
Hospitality on it's on is too 'dry', needs something substantial for e.g. like the F&B to really2 shine.

Restaurant is ok, but last time I work there, I almost have no free time at all in my life since restaurant has waaay more working hours than the fixed shift-length (8-9 hours) in the hotel.
Plus some restaurant establishment here doesn't hold the standard as high as the Hotel's one, the good restaurant won't take newcomers but experienced chef, so think about it later.

I'M WITH YOU ON THIS ONE MAN!
I'm gonna continue with the Degree which takes me to the managing and business related stuff in the F&B line, or will bravely ventured into Food science and work in a Lab environment.
Your Diploma, does it has any overseas programme/syllabus and endorsement, for example like the UK's City and Guild, or The Talylor's one I forgot...???

Hosp Mngmt is such a large scope that it doesn't focus on a specific field but to further study/revise and make-understood of how the mass working hospitality industry functions for the individual(student) to build his or her on perspective upon it.

IMO, I rather take Culinary Management in a heartbeat rather than Hospitality mgmt because Cul Mgmt leans more towards the business aspect of the F&B industry, e.g. Catering, restaurant management, etc.
Plus Cul Mgmt's prospect is more adventurous and dwell more upon the $$$ than the office-like hospitality line of work, no offense.

But don't get me wrong, Hosp is the fundamental of F&B, BUT the stuff you learn from the Hosp Mgmt Degree will help you in the practical world over the stretch of time, not immediately.

Cul Mgmt, you'll be equipped with the know-how of running a restaurant (given that you also have a Dip in Cul Arts), when combine with at least 5 years working experience after you Graduate with Cul Mgmt, you'll be confident enough to go on a solo business and bud-off from the orthodox restaurant establishment (no longer need to concern about being a Commis, Demi, CDP, Sous, Garde Manger, etc. you're your own man, and women )

This post has been edited by JoBigShow: May 21 2011, 02:54 AM

I have the textbook: Professional Cooking by Wayne Gisslen (7th Edition)
Selling it very cheap, I think this is the latest edition.

Culinary Arts student, don't miss out on this.
Great condition as well, owned it less than half a year

https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?act=ST&f=215&t=2133913

If you want to buy my textbook (check my signature), I'll give you super best student price

Anyways, I remembered my college days that the chef will always give the student the recipe/notes before the class start, you should ask the chef that the 'all' the students are having a hard time learning without notes, maybe he'll consider at least.