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THE NEW YORK TIMES THE BAY AREA FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009 WC Y A29B A Tour of Childhood Flavors, Then a Michelin Star Learning to Teach to Bridge By KIM SEVERSON Academic Achievement Gap It was disconcerting to hear one of the top chefs in the Bay work not only by looking over Area squeal like a child over a From Preceding Page their shoulders, but also through package of Filipino cheese cup- Allard recalled. a report that the JiJi program, de- cakes. But squeal Jennie Lorenzo Reading came first. “My focus veloped by the MIND Research did. then,” Mr. Ishiwata said, “was on Institute in Santa Ana, compiles. Never mind that Ms. Lorenzo, how early literacy should be BoardMath, the program Mrs. the chef at the Fifth Floor in San taught.” Martin uses, acquaints children Francisco, was about to win a Mi- Previously, reading “was main- with formal mathematical termi- chelin star. Or that in a few hours ly textbook driven, the teacher in nology in the first grade and be- she would be back at the stove front of the whole class,” said yond, but the familiar methods turning out tea-smoked duck Mrs. Ortega, now 32. remain. Holding up her fingers, breast with mushroom-leek “We said the first two hours of she kept the tally as children add- crepes and foie gras with orange- the day with the kids needed to ed five and three. cardamom gel. be focused on literacy,” she con- None of this works, Mrs. Orte- All that mattered at this mo- tinued, and that it include work- ga said, without “believing that ment were the pale, spongy cup- ing in small groups. kids can and will learn.” cakes at Valerio’s Tropical Bake- On a recent day in Martha Maritza Lauriano, a fifth grad- shop in King Plaza shopping cen- Borg’s third-grade classroom, er, said students used to be “ner- ter in Daly City. she asked three students to join vous that we wouldn’t pass the Ms. Lorenzo grew up on them her at a small semicircular table. test” but now took exams with in Manila. “They have this While the other students worked confidence. creamy, milky flavor that con- in their notebooks or with tu- Anderson’s academic make- trasts with the soft, salty cheese,” toring programs on computers, over proceeded with the support she said. “I just love them.” the three sounded out some new of its teachers. “They allow quite Ms. Lorenzo ventured to words — like “natural,” “envi- a bit of flexibility for us to be good America a decade ago, when she ronment” and “tortoise” — and teachers,” said Katrina Rumbold, was 24, and worked in Chicago. then read aloud as Mrs. Borg a fifth-grade teacher. “At a school Then she spent time in London, JIM WILSON/THE NEW YORK TIMES moved from one to the next. like this you work harder.” Many training under Marco Pierre The chef Jennie Lorenzo, who grew up in Manila, with Filipino dishes at Tribu Grill in San Bruno. Small groups are a part of all teachers stay after school to tutor White and Gordon Ramsay. In classes at Anderson, and stu- students needing extra help. 2001, she started cooking in San Anderson’s staff members also mansi juice. The sweet-sour fruit Within a few minutes it was dents get small-group time with Francisco, first at La Folie and work to include parents and as- looks like a lime and is essentially clear Ms. Lorenzo was going to the teacher. “The teachers help then at Fifth Floor under Laurent sist them. At a class that meets Local Tastes the national citrus of the Philip- get the taste of home she craved. me a lot,” said Brizia Arce, a fifth three mornings a week, the most- Gras. After a spin at Ryugin in pines. Our enthusiastic young waiter grader, “and I understand more.” Tokyo, she returned to run the Of the Philippines ly Spanish-speaking parents She ordered big and expertly. first delivered a tall glass filled The groupings cluster students Fifth Floor. learn English, life skills and how KUYA’S ASIAN CUISINE 460 Since drinks play an important with a slush made from the of similar skills, as determined by to talk to teachers about their Although Ms. Lorenzo spends role on the Filipino table, often sweet-tart juice of the dalandan, another practice the new leader- San Mateo Avenue, San children. her days surrounded by some of standing in as dessert, she had an aromatic green-skinned or- ship introduced: continual as- Bruno; (650) 952-5739. One parent, Lucy Diaz, said the best food in the country, she the waiter bring a tall sago’t gula- ange. “This has a wonderful sessment. The assessments then through an interpreter that she often longs for the food she grew MANILA ORIENTAL MARKET man. The icy drink was sweet- nose,” Ms. Lorenzo said. guide individual instruction. attended “to help my child with up with. One mention of fresh 950 King Plaza, Daly City; ened with brown sugar and stud- Next came a sizzling plate of Anderson is not alone. One homework when he doesn’t un- fried fish balls or the embryo- (650) 878-3328. ded with tapioca balls and chewy rich pork sisig made from the charter school with a similar stu- filled duck eggs called balut and dent body, Rocketship Mateo derstand.” TRIBU GRILL 235 El Camino agar-agar cubes. She added an pig’s head, including some nice she is right back in Manila. order of ginumis, another chunky chewy bits of ear. The meat was Sheedy in central San Jose, In the meantime, optimism is So she jumped at the chance to Real, San Bruno; scored 926. John Danner, the in the air. Anderson has been in- (650) 872-8851. icy drink that came to the table braised, chopped, grilled and spend an early fall day exploring with a thick layer of coconut milk then pan-fried with onion. A scat- chief executive of Rocketship vited to apply for the state’s Dis- Filipino food in San Mateo Coun- VALERIO’S TROPICAL and a handful of crispy rice puffs tering of scallion and crispy skin Education, said: “The key is not tinguished School designation. ty, where the concentration of BAKESHOP 109 King Plaza, on top. topped it off. the collection of data. It’s how Peg Batista, the bilingual sec- Filipinos is the highest in the Bay Daly City; (650) 878-1611. Ms. Lorenzo was particularly As good as it was, true bliss you translate that data into the retary in Anderson’s main office, Area. Daly City is at the center, excited when the palabok ar- came when the waiter set down a way that teachers’ classroom in- reflected on her 16 years at the with about 38 percent of the pop- rived. This steaming dish of rice plate loaded with crispy pata. struction changes.” school, many of them when ulation identifying itself as Filipi- noodles smothered in a sauce fla- The dish is built from a pig’s fore- Anderson also has put in place “nothing was working.” Now, no, according to 2008 Census in- “It looks the same but it tastes vored with shrimp paste and col- leg that has been slow-roasted, more computer-based instruction Mrs. Batista said, “the kids talk formation. different,” she said. “Everything ored golden with annatto seeds is then deep-fried. The result is vel- in reading and math, allowing about how well they are doing.” In the Daly City bakery, Ms. here is like that. It looks so famil- a favorite takeout dish in the Phil- vety soft meat encased in crack- children to learn at their own lev- As for parents, Eva Chesnut, Lorenzo was thrilled to see so iar but it just doesn’t taste the ippines. As it does there, the dish ling skin. We tore off pieces with el and pace. “The kids love it,” the community liaison, said: many Filipino treats. There were same.” came atop banana leaves. our fingers and dipped them into said Terry Clavelli, a first-grade “They feel more comfortable. soft buns stuffed with the bright Undaunted, we headed across “This looks so authentic,” she a mixture of soy sauce and white teacher. She can monitor their They feel more pride.” purple yam called ube, savory the parking lot to the Manila Ori- said. But the shrimp paste wasn’t vinegar spiked with slices of chicken empanadas, crisp lumpia ental Market, where little bags of like her mother’s, and the taste of green chili and red onion. wrappers filled with sweet ba- Muncher brand fried green peas, Maggi, the ubiquitous seasoning For several long minutes, no nana and warm pan de sal. tubs of coagulated pork blood sauce that is a favorite in her one spoke. We just ate. Then Ms. Corrections And then there were those and halo-halo flavored Magnolia home country, was overwhelm- Lorenzo spoke up. cheese cupcakes. She popped ice cream fed her nostalgia. ing. “That’s it,” she said. “That’s An article in the Bay Area re- Vintners, a winery trade associa- open their plastic container, Farther south, in San Bruno, Still hopeful, Ms. Lorenzo had the flavor I remember.” port on Sunday about the 2005 tion. He is Terry Hall, not Tom. pulled one out and took a bite. we ducked into Kuya’s Asian Cui- another restaurant on her list. So It was time to head back to San arson fire that destroyed $250 The article also misstated the Disappointment would be an un- sine, a cozy diner on San Mateo we headed to the Tribu Grill on Francisco, where a kitchen filled million worth of wine misstated vintage of a $29,000 bottle of wine derstatement. The flavors of Avenue. Ms. Lorenzo started busy El Camino Real in San Bru- with foie gras and duck breast the given name of the communi- destroyed in the fire. It was a La- home, it turns out, can be elusive. with a glass of hot, yellow cala- no. was waiting. cations director of Napa Valley fitte Rothschild 1959, not 1969.