Chef Kat Vacharabul is hungry for teaching culinary excellence
After graduating high school in 2006, Long Beach native Kat Vacharabul took a few
years off to work at Disneyland. In 2012, she enrolled in the Pharmacy Technician
Program at Cerritos College while continuing her work in the kitchen at Disneyland.
Kat has had a passion for cooking since her teenage years, and her friends and family
often suggested that she attend culinary school to pursue her passion. However, following
the 2008 recession, the societal trend toward stable healthcare careers influenced
her decision to pursue training as a pharmacy technician.
During her internship at a pharmacy, Kat discovered that she genuinely enjoyed working in the kitchen. As a result, she decided to quit the pharmacy technician program, which was just one internship away from earning her degree, and pursued a culinary arts program in 2015. Attending culinary school reignited her passion for cooking and motivated her to make it her career path. After completing the culinary program, Kat worked as a sous chef at Disney.
Eventually, she started her meal prep business, which opened her eyes to the world of entrepreneurship and allowed her to explore new ideas. Despite a pay cut, she left Disney to assist friends with their small restaurant business. During this time, Kat learned valuable skills in managing a small restaurant and handling back-end operations. In 2019, she returned to Cerritos College to enhance her knowledge of business management.
Kat's journey in the restaurant industry has been both challenging and successful. She started from scratch and opened her gourmet burger restaurant, Hangry Belly, in 2020. Although the first few months of outdoor dining during the pandemic were profitable, the following years proved difficult due to inflation. Nevertheless, Kat remains optimistic as her business continues to thrive. In 2022, she expanded her operations to include a food truck for catering events. Over the years, her restaurant has gained popularity and received numerous positive reviews from food critics and magazines.
While studying culinary arts at Cerritos College, Kat shared her aspiration of becoming an instructor with Chef Pierini, the program director at the time. He advised her to complete her degree and gain some work experience first. Last year, Kat obtained a teaching position at Los Angeles Trade Tech College, where she has been teaching for the past year and absolutely loves it.
She has recently started teaching at Cerritos College and is excited about this opportunity. “I’m thrilled because I have always wanted to be at Cerritos College," she said. Her ultimate goal is to become the program director, a position that will enable her to share her passion and expertise in the food industry with aspiring chefs. Her vision is sure to inspire many.
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