Restaurateur Margarita Fores is known for highlighting Filipino ingredients in her cooking style. – AFP pic, January 13, 2016. A chef in the Philippines who is considered an ambassador of both Italian and Filipino cuisines and who has served heads of state like US president Barack Obama and the king and queen of Spain has been named Asia's best female chef for 2016.
Restaurateur Margarita Fores is the fourth female chef to be bestowed with the award by organizers of Asia's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, a title that honours exceptional chefs "whose culinary skills, entrepreneurial spirit and artistry" have earned them the respect of their critics and peers.
Perhaps best known for her small empire of premier Italian bistros, Cibo, Fores is credited with bringing authentic, traditional Italian cuisine to her native Philippines and championing local and organic ingredients at her restaurants.
Since opening the first bistro about 18 years ago, Cibo has expanded to 10 outlets across Manila.
Fores is also the owner of other Manila hotspots including Lusso, a champagne and gastro bar, Grace Park, where she serves farm-to-table Italian cuisine, and Alta, the in-house restaurant at the hotel condo Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila.
Though trained and certified as a public accountant, a trip to Italy in 1986 changed her career trajectory, sparking a passion for Italian cuisine.
"A true leader in her country's restaurant sector, her dedication, culinary skills and pioneering efforts have elevated the dining scene in the Philippines and set a new benchmark for other chefs and restaurateurs to follow," said William Drew, group editor of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants.
Throughout her career, Fores has cooked for heads of state including US President Barack Obama, the king and queen of Spain, and the duke of York as the ambassador of Filipino cuisine.
She also became the first non-Italian to be bestowed with the Marietta award by Casa Artusi in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, which touts itself as the centre of gastronomic culture for Italian home cooking.
In 2013, Fores struck a partnership with the historic culinary institution, opening a Casa Artusi outpost in the Philippines where students are taught traditional techniques of home-style Italian cooking – the first and only offshore campus for the school.
Alongside her passion for Italian cuisine, Fores also co-wrote "Kulinarya," a compendium of popular Filipino dishes.
Winners of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants will be announced at a gala event in Bangkok, February 29. – AFP/Relaxnews, January 13, 2016.
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