When in Manila and have a hankering for Filipino cuisine, make sure you join the search for the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger! The goal? To look for the ultimate food blogger and reward him / her with the ultimate epicurean delight: 101 restaurants, 10 destinations, all expenses paid! Need I say more? (I can feel your excitement now! Haha!)
The search is indeed on for the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger. As part of Unilever Food Solutions’ Soo Pinoy advocacy, Unilever is now on the hunt for THE Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger. The good news? As long as you love food and you can write about it, you, my dear, can join! No joining fees / no big number of fans / no proofs of purchase required to join. Fun, yeah? I am close to suggesting that this is the best food blogger contest ever.
Unilever Food Solutions’ Sooo Pinoy Ambassador Mae “Juana Change” Paner
Like what I’d always say, good things come in trilogies. The search for the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger will be come in three rounds. To join, bloggers need to submit an article, explaining why they deserve to be the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger. I am not part of the panel of judges, but as the representatives of Unilever and I have discussed, entries do not necessarily have to be Ms. Universe material, but they have to be something that comes from the heart (that loves to eat, I guess teehee). To qualify, your entry should be received by October 24, 2011. Click here to find out more.
Entries will be judged according to creativity, quality of the write-up, and popularity among the readers. Chosen blogs will be qualified to join the 2nd round, and those who pass round 2 will advance to the final round. For the love of surprises, Unilever is yet to announce what rounds 2 and 3 will be, but I bet it will be as challenging and as fun as the ultimate prize!
Sooo Pinoy Judge Anton Diaz with friends from Unilever
The Search for the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger kicked off last night with a sumptuous dinner in Milky Way, Makati. An array of Filipino dishes have been served, and were arranged according to region.
Shroooms!
Beef Morcon from Luzon
Sinigang na Sugpo
Segue: It actually excited the foodie in me when I read in the invitation that the kick-off dinner was to be held in Milky Way. I have tons of Milky Way stories, all owing it to a good friend of mine (may he rest in peace). Often, when I was in his area, the restaurant of choice had to be Milky Way Rockwell. If Je were around, he would’ve loved it last night. I’m sure he would like the Soo Pinoy concept, too. He would’ve liked the idea of promoting Filipino cuisine. If there was one person whom I had to thank for introducing me to food trips, I would thank Je. If there was one person that had the love for food, it definitely would be Je Bautista. Now that I’m thinking about it, we’ve gone from Le Souffle to Lolo Dad’s to that siomaian near the now defunct Kolumn Bar to that bulaluhan in Kalentong – all for the love of food and eating.
Honestly, I’ve never thought of Filipino food in this light – colorful, wonderful, and filled with stories. I like and agree to what Unilever Food Solutions Ambassador Mae “Juana Change” said about food – there are so many stories that revolve around it. This is very true, especially to the Filipino household. Recipes that have been stubbornly followed, with passion, and passed on from generation to generation, weaving family stories with it; celebrations, birthdays, fiestas, all filled with food; food from different regions in our beloved Philippines – all with stories well kept. I think everyone of us have been asked, “Kumain ka na ba?” at least once, when paying someone a visit. That nice greeting that’s as warm as newly cooked rice, making anyone who hears it feel welcome.
It is simply so awesome to be part of a race that celebrates blessings that grace the stomach.
Going back to the kick-off dinner.. Milky Way served classic Filipino dishes such as sinigang na sugpo, beef morcon, and pork humba (ok you can wipe the drool off now lol); our very filling dinner was capped off with desserts such as turon, halo-halo, and buko pandan.
Pork Humba and Pocherong Maya Maya
Turon
Buko Pandan
When in Manila, or wherever you are in the Philippines, I hope you would also help promote Filipino food as a world-class cuisine. Won’t you agree when I say that it’s high time that Filipino dishes get the recognition it deserves? Let us change the mentality that Filipino dishes are only served at home. There are actually a lot (and I mean A LOT) of awesome restaurants that serve equally awesome Filipino dishes. There’s Romulo Café in Sct. Dr. Lazcano, Café Juanita in Kapitolyo, and Bale Dutung in Pampanga, to name a few. There are a whole lot more across the Philippines, waiting for you to discover them. I may be a fan of paella, pasta marinara, and lamb gyros, but the simple thought of Ilocos empanada makes my heart clap. As a kid, I’ve enjoyed numerous summers in Ilocos plazas, with orange crumbs all over my face. I fondly remember my lola (from my dad’s side) with pig entrails in one hand, and a basin of marinated ground pork on her side, ready to make Vigan longanisa (yup, I’m Ilokana and proud to be one). She will go on for hours, patiently filling the entrails with meat, careful not to pierce it, until I get restless and play and she will “Haan ka gamin makulit, ading!” me (wag ka kasi makulit / stop being playful). Our food is as colorful as our lives, and the stories that come with every bite are the stories that helped shape the Filipino as a person.
With Tash from Unilever
Breaking bread with blogger friends 🙂
When In Manila, I salute Unilever for their search for the Soo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger. I commend them for encouraging, and even rewarding, people to develop the love for Filipino cuisine. So if you think you have a great love for Filipino food, I say you start writing now and be on your way to becoming the Soo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger! Good luck to everyone, and enjoy your gastronomic journey.
Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger Search on Facebook
Soo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger Contest – Promoting Filipino Cuisine One Dish at a Time
