It’s no secret that Filipinos love to cook and eat. Attend any gathering or party and it’s always a feast. This cultural love for food is evident in Margarita Fores, who was recently awarded 2016’s Asia’s Best Female Chef.
The award was given by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, a list published by William Reed Business Media. A group of 300 experts in the service industry selected Fores, and she will be awarded in Bangkok, Thailand on February 29.
According to the website:
Mention cooking in the Philippines and it won’t be long before Margarita Forés pops up in conversation, such is her fame throughout households and restaurants across the islands. Ever since she packed her bags and flew to Italy in 1986 for a crash course in cooking and language, the hugely popular chef has impressed local and international diners with her primarily Italian cuisine, despite never undergoing any formal training.
Over the last decade and beyond, Forés has taken her learnings from the Italian markets and homes where she cut her culinary teeth and applied them to an array of restaurants in the Philippines. The portfolio includes her 18-year-old casual dining chain Cibo, the well-established Lusso, relative newcomer Grace Park and Alta, in the Ascottat the Bonifacio Global City, where she runs the hotel’s food and beverage operations.
The write-up also mentions that even if Fores runs an Italian empire, each has their own niche. It also mentions her other businesses, like catering company Cibo di M, packaged artisanal delicatessen products and home-cooking in Gastroteca di M, Providore, and culinary school Casa Artusi Philippines.
Have you tried any of Fores’s restaurants? Which one is your favorite?
