Coach Arsy Was a Street Vendor. Then He Became a Head Chef

Rodel Cruz, aka Coach Arsy, was about to head home from the MPL when someone called out to him: “Chef Arsy!”

Curious, we caught up to him and asked why he is called “Chef.”

His story took us back to the streets of Fairview, Quezon City.

“Street vendor ako dati, sa Fairview” Coarch Arsy told ALL-STAR. 

For the first time during any interview, we saw him smile. 

“Lahat ng street food, naluto ko na iyan. Alam ko yung mga sauce at street food kung paano timplahin. Suka, matamis, kwek-kwek, fishball, calamares, alam ko.”

Earlier that evening, we were joking with the coach about making a vlog about street food and becoming a food vlogger. We had no idea he actually lived it. 

Coach Arsy Became a Takatak Boy and Sampaguita Vendor, Too

“Eleven years old pa lang ako, naglalako na ako ng diyaryo, almusal, champorado, spaghetti, sopas,” Arsy told ALL-STAR. 

“Tumira din ako sa streets. Na-demolish kasi kami noon dahil sa land rights. Sa karton lang ako natutulog sa ilalim ng malaking Makro na umbrella. Pero imbes na maawa ako sa sarili ko, tinapangan ko na lang kasi wala akong kakapitan noon,” he added. 

A proud glow lit up Arsy’s face as he spoke, as if challenging us to feel sorry for him. But instead, we felt even prouder.

“I don’t think you ever felt sorry for yourself because you fought,” we told him. 

He smiled again 

“Oo. Lumaban ako.” 

He paused, reflecting on some of the toughest hardships he had faced as a teen.

“Nademolish kami noon. Yung puwesto ko sa Fairview, na-demolish tapos binigyan kami ng pera ng mga sheriff na nagpapalayas. P5,000.”

Arsy used the P5,000 as a starting capital for his succeeding street food business. 

“Nagsimula ako maliit, nagtakatak ako.”

Takatak refers to the wooden contraption used by cigarette vendors on the street. They would repeatedly flip the panel on this contraption to make a sharp, clacking noise, signaling that they are selling cigarettes. 

“Naglalakad lang ako noon kasi wala kaming puwesto dahil napalayas kami. Nagtinda ako sa mga bus, umaakyat ako sa mga bus. Nagtinda rin ako ng sampaguita, hanggang sa nakaipon ako. Nag-start ako bumili ng cart. Nag bananacue na ako, kamotecue, maruya, lahat ng uri ng saging mayroon ako. Turonicue, lahat.” 

And it all started with the P5,000 he received when they were evicted from their old vending place. 

“Nagsimula lang lahat iyon mula sa P5,000 na puhunan hanggang sa kumikita na ako ng P15,000 minimum per day.”

Incredible and unbelievable as it may seem, nothing about his story felt exaggerated. 

“Lumaban talaga ako. Kasi kung kakaawaan ko ang sarili ko, walang mangayayri sa akin. And siguro naman may bunga kasi nandito ako ngayon. May sarili na akong family.”

For the first time, we felt like we’d unlocked Coach Arsy. He was eager, enthusiastic, and proud to tell his story—a stark contrast to his usual clinical, guarded, and unemotional answers to journalists in the MPL media room. 

His stall, located in Fairview near three major malls in the Philippines, became a popular spot for customers craving local favorites like fish balls, squid balls, kikiam, kwek-kwek, and tokneneng. Through his hard work, he managed to earn P15,000 a day. 

“Yung mga tenants sa malls na iyon, tatawag sila sa akin at oorder sila sa akin. Kaya minsan hindi na ako nakakapaglako,” said Arsy. 

But the challenges did not seem to abate. 

Amid political turmoil in the country in 2014, the highly controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund aka PDAF or Pork Barrel Fund was discontinued. It affected Arsy’s scholarship in UP Diliman, where he was taking up Industrial Engineering. 

“Pinatigil yung PDAF, sakop kasi noon ang scholarship namin. Napa-cancel lahat ng scholarship namin. At that time, mas nanghinayang pa ako sa pera kaysa sa ipampapa-aral ko sa sariliko, breadwinner din kasi ako,” Arsy told ALL-STAR. 

So, he decided to focus on his street food business. 

One day, while he was selling street food in Fairview, a mysterious man approached him and asked to try his food, particularly his sauces. 

“May isang boss na nagmeryenda sa labas. Hindi ko inexpect na may-ari siya ng hotel. Noong kumain siya at natikman niya yung sawasawan ko, hindi siya nag hesitate na bigyan ako ng calling card. Gusto daw niya akong maging apprentice,” said Arsy. 

That was the start of his journey as a chef.

Coach Arsy Became Head Chef Without Formal Training

He was given a chance to showcase his cooking talent, but only for a day. 

“Pinaluto niya sa akin kung ano daw ang pinakasimpleng kaya kong gawin. Naisip ko noon, fried rice,” said Coach Arsy. 

But the fried rice he made was unconventional: He did not use cooking oil but butter. He did not add garlic but used onions. It was a recipe handed down to him from his mother. 

“Nabilib po siya sa akin noong pinatikim ko sa kanya. Natuwa siya.”

Pulled away from the streets, Arsy found himself in a completely different world—working in a prestigious five-star hotel, where he worked for three years. 

“Naging head chef ako. Mas naging head pa ako kaysa doon sa mga nakapag aral ng culinary. Hindi kasi talaga ako nag-aral, engineering kasi ang course ko,” said Arsy. 

Unfortunately, even good things come to an end. When his master and mentor passed away, he lost favor with the hotel. 

“Nag-quit ako sa 5-star hotel dahil nawala na yung boss ko na iyon, namatay siya. Naging matapobre na yung mga tao doon, kaya umalis na lang ako,” said Arsy.

He took a job at a call center in 2016, around the same time Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was launched in the Philippines. 

“Naglaro-laro ako. Hanggang sa natuto ako at nagtuloy-tuloy na,” said Arsy. 

He began his coaching career with Falcon Esports on March 27, 2024, leading them to notable achievements, including a 5th-6th place finish at the M6 World Championship. 

In January 2025, Arsy transitioned to Team Liquid Philippines as their new coach.

“Bakit ka sumali sa Team Liquid?” we asked him. 

“Hindi ko kasi sila matalo, eh! Sabi ko kung hindi ko matalo, sasalihan ko!”

And just like that, the street vendor-turned-chef-turned-coach found himself in a different kind of kitchen—cooking up strategies instead of street food, and serving victories instead of kwek-kwek.

For the first time in four seasons, Team Liquid Philippines (formerly ECHO) has claimed the top spot. Whether they can hold onto it for the rest of the season will depend on Arsy’s strategic prowess—and just how well he can “cook” up victories.