Margarita Forés, respected chef and owner of an acclaimed group of restaurants in Manila, has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef 2016. Forés will be presented with the prestigious award at the fourth annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony on 29th February 2016, hosted at the W Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.
Asia’s Best Female Chef Award is voted for by over 300 industry experts from across the region who also create the annual list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. Since 2013, the award has recognised exceptional female chefs whose culinary skills, entrepreneurial spirit and artistry have earned them the respect and admiration of critics, connoisseurs and fellow chefs.
Forés gained an appreciation for authentic Italian cuisine during a tour of Italy in 1986. Immersing herself in the local culture, her culinary style evolved while cooking in home kitchens and exploring the markets of Florence, Milan and Rome. A certified public accountant by training, Forés returned to the Philippines inspired by her experiences and determined to pursue her interest in the culinary arts.
In 1987, Forés founded Cibo Di M, a catering business that soon earned a reputation for memorable banquets, customised service and high-profile clients. A decade later Forés opened Cibo, her first Italian restaurant. The homegrown café concept introduced local diners to traditional Italian cuisine while championing local producers and organic ingredients. Since its debut 18 years ago, Cibo has expanded to 10 outlets throughout Manila.
Building on Cibo’s success, Forés branched out with other restaurant concepts, including Lusso, a luxe champagne and gastro bar, and Grace Park, an ingredient-driven Italian restaurant specialising in farm-to-table cuisine. At each restaurant, Forés presents quality Italian dishes, the freshest local ingredients and a convivial atmosphere.
Both an epicurist and an educator, Forés is eager to share her knowledge of Italian cooking with the next generation of chefs. In 2013, she partnered with Casa Artusi, an historic culinary institution in Forlimpopoli, Northern Italy, to open Casa Artusi Philippines. Focused on teaching students the traditional techniques of home-style Italian cooking, Casa Artusi in Manila is the prestigious Italian school’s first and only offshore campus.
While best known for her mastery of authentic Italian cooking, Forés is also a proud advocate of Filipino cuisine. As part of her ongoing commitment to promote her culinary heritage to an international audience, Forés co-authored Kulinarya, a compendium of popular regional dishes.
William Drew, Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “Margarita Forés is a worthy recipient of the Asia’s Best Female Chef Award. 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.”
The Best Female Chef Award
The Best Female Chef awards programme – incorporating The World’s Best Female Chef, Asia’s Best Female Chef and Latin America’s Best Female Chef – celebrates and rewards successful women who have risen to the top of the gastronomic world. The winners’ cooking must impress the world’s toughest critics and most venerated chefs who make up the 50 Best Restaurants voting academies. These significant awards shine a light on a rarefied family of extraordinary chefs, with the aim of inspiring future generations of young women to reach for the heights of their chosen profession.
How Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is created by The Diners Club® Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 300 leaders in the restaurant industry across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of Asia’s restaurant scene.
The Academy is divided into six voting regions: India & Subcontinent; South-East Asia – South; South-East Asia – North; Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau; mainland China & Korea; Japan. The divisions are designed to represent the Asian restaurant scene as fairly as possible at the current time and are agreed with the Academy Chairs.
Each region has its own panel of 53 members including a chairperson to head it up. The panel is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded 'foodies'. Each panellist has seven restaurant votes. Of the seven votes, at least three must be used to recognise restaurants outside of the voter’s home country.
For the 2016 edition, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is working with professional services consultancy Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner. The adjudication by Deloitte will ensure that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants are protected.
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards:
This year’s results will be announced at the annual awards ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand on 29 February 2016 and released live on Twitter (@Asias50Best) and later on www.theworlds50best.com/asia. The awards will also be streamed live courtesy of our main sponsor, S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna via its content hub www.finedininglovers.com
Further information, photography and video footage is available on www.theworlds50best.com/asia
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Individual Awards Categories are:
The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in Asia
The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award
Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by LesConcierges
One To Watch Award, sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro
Asia’s Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Cacao Barry
Chefs’ Choice Award
Asia’s Best Female Chef Award
Highest Climber Award
Individual ‘Best in Country’ Awards
ENDS
For press enquiries, please contact CatchOn & Company in Hong Kong
Joanne Liu /Elaine Chow
Email: asias50best@catchonco.com
Telephone: +852 2566 8988
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