Judy Ann Santos is cooking up her next dream

The actress-restaurateur shares her newest passion project: small cooking schools for moms and aspiring cooks.

Actress, restaurateur, and celebrity chef Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo is setting her sights on a new mission: to help others find confidence and joy in cooking.

Known for her versatility on-screen and her warmth in the kitchen, Judy Ann shared that she dreams of establishing small cooking schools where mothers, students, and aspiring cooks can learn the basics and overcome their fear of cooking.

The award-winning actress opened up about this new aspiration, which she considers both a personal challenge and a passion project.

Dreaming of kitchen school

“Suntok sa buwan, pero wala naman masamang mangarap. I really want to put up my own small kitchen schools someday, because there are a lot of new moms who are scared of the kitchen,” she shared during her launch as the newest Kyowa Home Appliances brand ambassador at Seda Vertis North.

Judy Ann said her inspiration came from the heartfelt comments she received on her YouTube channel, Judy Ann’s Kitchen. Many of her followers, especially moms and students, have shared how her cooking tutorials encouraged them to try new dishes and learn simple techniques.

“Why not create a community where I could actually teach people not to be scared of taking risks in the kitchen, and actually learn a skill?” she added.

For Judy Ann, learning to cook is more than just a hobby—it’s a life essential.

“Cooking is a survival skill. It’s something you have to learn, whether you’re a single mom or a single person. Kailangan kaya mong magpakulo ng tubig,” she said with a laugh.

Despite her culinary achievements—including graduating with honors from the Center for Asian Culinary Studies (CACS) under Chef Gene Gonzalez—Judy Ann remains humble and admits she’s still a student at heart.

“My work could be as a celebrity endorser, a mom, a wife, or a chef. I take it as a challenge because I learn from it. In everything that I do, I make it a point to take something new from the experience,” she said.

For her, the kitchen has always been a place of peace and healing, a space where she can retreat from the noise of show business.

“Nasa kusina lang ako. Doon ako natutong magluto sa rice cooker. Doon ako natutong mag-explore ng kung anu-ano kasi gusto kong ma-busy ‘yung utak ko at nang hindi show business ang iniisip ko,” she confessed.

Now a proud restaurateur through her food business Angrydobo, Judy Ann finds fulfillment knowing she’s built something meaningful out of her love for cooking.

“I can actually do something else when no one wants to get me [as an actress] anymore. I can still make a living out of something na pinag-aralan ko,” she said. “Everything that people eat in Angrydobo came from my heart.”

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