The art and science of cooking is becoming a common passion among many professionals today. In fact, a good number are taking it up as a second vocation. Celebrities and employees-turned-businessmen are storming the food industry. Among this growing breed of restaurateurs is Dr. Efren “Boy†R. Vazquez, MD. After practicing obstetrics-gynecology for more than 30 years, he now dedicates his time to his restaurant, Café Juanita.
A graduate of University of Santo Tomas, Vazquez had his residency training at the Makati Medical Center. His mentor was the famous Dr. Constantino Manahan who inspired him to specialize in the field of OB-GYN.
As a boy, Vazquez had already wanted to become a doctor. But it was also during his childhood when he first discovered his love for cooking. “I come from a big family in the province of Nueva Ecija,†he relates. “Our kitchen was always busy. I guess that’s where my love for cooking started. My mother, a Kapampangan, was my first cooking teacher.â€
In fact, Café Juanita is not his fist venture in the food business. Having caught the cooking bug from his mother early on, Dr. Vazquez began dabbling in the food industry nearly two decades ago.
“Aside from cooking, I love to entertain. Every time I’d have a party at home, people would tell me to open a restaurant,†he shares. “So 18 years ago, as a hobby, I opened SoHo—a small Japanese restaurant that only had a seating capacity of 15 to 20 persons. The success of SoHo encouraged me to stick to this hobby until now.â€
- Excerpt from the Philippine Star
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