The Resilient Philippine Food Industry
If there is one thing aside from shopping that I indulge in, it is food. Traveling around the world has opened my senses to the vast expanse of the global food scene. Every country or city inspires a variety of cuisines, tastes, and flavors. Having lived in different countries and now based in Manila, my appetite for new restaurants and new dishes to try has been endless. Even before I travel, I already do my homework, looking at which restaurants to eat or what specialties to try from various trusted websites and fellow foodie friends. I suppose I can say that I’m also a foodie.
One of the guides that I have is Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants. It is a reliable reference that has never failed me. Unfortunately for us, Manila has qualified only one entry for the past several years, though the food scene has become more vibrant and exciting in the last decade. New restaurants are opening monthly. And perhaps, because traveling has become a trend and social media has greatly influenced our culture, Filipinos are becoming more sophisticated and discerning when it comes to food. This phenomenon has given birth to fresh restaurant concepts and introduced global franchises to this city of 13 million. This crazy yet wonderful city, with its maddening crowds and daily "Carmageddon" experience, is now teeming with world-class gastronomic establishments, out-of-the-box bar concepts, and a more throbbing nightlife scene.
It is sad to see that this industry has temporarily been deterred in the last 6 months. The food industry around the world is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. The lockdown pushed massive layoffs across and some restaurants were forced to permanently shut down. No one was spared. With the pandemic continues to ravage the country and other countries around the world, economies have started to open up and ease on lockdowns with people learning to live with the virus still at bay.
While the Manila food scene has undergone considerable changes over the past decade, more so during the past 6 months, it has certainly become more innovative, and I believe, stronger making its operations more efficient and agile.
At the forefront of this fight for survival and food industry evolution are this visionary power couple, Rikki and Beng Dee of Foodee Global Concepts. These entrepreneurs are not only giving hope to the food industry but also paving the way to making Manila a world-class gastronomic playground. They are undeniably a force to be reckoned with in their fast-rising industry albeit the pandemic. From creating local concepts and collaborations such as Mesa, Sunnies Café, Bench Café, Cerveseria, and Kai, to name a few, and bringing in global brands, Tim Ho Wan, Foo'd, Hawker Chan, and others, they enrich the ever-growing Filipino population with exciting gustatory experiences and their discerning palates. Get to know their incredible story, learn from their lessons, find out what they're cooking, and discover how they will intend to further elevate Manila's dining scene despite the challenges of today.
Then there is the proliferation of chefs elevated to celebrity status. True enough, we have a select number in Manila who in their ways, earned them a highly- coveted status. We have a powerhouse cast of acclaimed world-class Filipino chefs in this issue—JP Anglo, known to reinvent the Filipino cuisine from his Bacolod cuisine influence; Glenda Barretto, whose mastery of local cuisine is peerless; Josh Boutwood, with his global experience and innovative concepts reinvigorating Manila's scene; Florabel Co-Yatco, whose consistent and impeccable food dishes from her restaurants and catering services continue to astound many; Tony Boy Escalante, whose superb dishes from Antonio’s in Tagaytay earned him a place among the Top 50 restaurants in Asia; Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery, chef of the only Filipino restaurant at the latest iteration of Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants; and last but not the least, Jessie Sincioco of Chef Jessie’s, an institution in the industry who never fails to amaze the sophisticated social set of Manila. Learn how they are coping with the changes and obstacles in reviving the food industry, their secrets of reinvention, how they redefine the Philippines' culinary scene, and how they do us proud in promoting our cuisine in a global setting. Also, get to know prominent restaurant figures, renowned Chef Chele of Gallery, and industry catalyst, Andrej Wisniewski of the Rain Tree group.
There is so much to look forward to in the Philippine culinary scene. No doubt that in the coming months, with these individuals at the helm of this industry, it will rise again. And in the coming years, we will have more restaurants in Asia’s Top 50 list. The Manila restaurant scene will be more vibrant than ever and Filipino cuisine will be recognized globally and deservedly.