Reminiscing Rey
A tribute to Reynaldo Ponsaran who passed on recently
Rey, a mentor and best friend.Reynaldo Ponsaran was an icon of food and beverage service in Iloilo City, having had countless talks on the art of fine dining. He was the Lifetime Achievement Awardee on Food and Beverage Operation. He earned the monicker “The Mother of all Buffets” because he changed how buffet dining should be.
To me, he was simply Sir Rey, an individual who had such a spontaneous mind and creative flair amid the pressures of the food industry.
He passed away last Nov. 15, 2009 after a battle with colon cancer. He will be missed.
I’ve known Sir Rey for about five years and we shared countless trips in Manila and abroad. During these travels, we witnessed spectacles in the industry which he said he will always remember for the rest of his life.
The writer with Rey during a wedding at the Glass Garden, March 2009.I remembered the time when we attended Food and Hotel Asia held in Singapore where Sir Rey marveled at the fabulous food displays. Although the display area was restricted, he was so passionate about it that he passionately begged the guard to let him in. Before I knew it, he was already inside, documenting everything.
I admired his courage of riding the cable car in Sentosa Park, while I was shaking to death. I could say the same when we rode the Hurricane Train in a theme park in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sir Rey was very meticulous. From afar, he could spot if a flower arrangement is artificial. I remembered an incident when we went to Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, Thailand. He couldn’t stop laughing upon seeing fake flowers at the lobby of a five-star hotel. Anyway, Sir Rey was toughest critic every time I join a competition. I idolized him for his meticulousness.
Rey marvels on floral arrangements at the Orchard Road, Singapore.It was from our hotel visits that he got inspiration for his work here in Iloilo. He wanted to replicate every good idea that he encountered.
He was a guru when it comes to fine hotel operations, and to think he wasn’t even educated abroad or went to a hotel school. Sir Rey had been in the industry for more than 40 years. Over the years, he has developed a keen eye for detail and perfection. And his ideas always worked.
I learned so much from Sir Rey.
But he’s not just Sir Rey to me. Apart from being a mentor, he was my confidante, my best friend. I will cherish him for the rest of my life. Sir Rey was a person worth remembering.
