CONTRIBUTORS

GIGI BAUTISTA

Gigi is the Managing Director of Gigi Bautista & Associates and GBA Events Asia, a fullservice event management company doing business across the region. Her travels to exotic destinations and delightful epicurean discoveries gave birth to her food blog: gourmetontheloose.

LESLIE CRUZ-CALIMAG

An intellectual property attorney by profession, Leslie's work takes her to fascinating places where first on the agenda is determining a great place for a fantastic meal. In her younger years, she chose to subsist on beef tapa, fried fish, and halabos na hipon to her family's chagrin, until her education in the U.S. and worldwide travels encouraged her to explore various cuisines.

ROBERTO "BOBBY" CUENCA

Bobby is a business executive with several years in the real estate, mining, and international commodities business. He was also in the hotel industry for 10 years, leading many to suspect that he might know a little something about food and wine.

CARMINA MAPA-DEL ROSARIO

After exploring the vibrant industry of advertising and shoe design, Carmina Mapa-Del Rosario, popularly known as "The Crazy Cook," finally settled in Davao where she went back to what she loves most—cooking. Her famous balbacua (oxtail stew), truffle cheese pâté, and tinapa tapenade, among others, made her name popular in the culinary scene. Her obsessions are food, her family, and travelling around the Philippines and the world with them.

JOANNA PREYSLER-FRANCISCO

A familiar face in the retail world, Joanna, together with her husband, Raul, have five homegrown concepts under their belts : Carbon, Tint, Hide & Stitch, Eterno, and the Joanna Preysler boutique. Recently, they opened Provenance, an art gallery that features contemporary Filipino artists. Joanna is a supporter of local brands, artists, businesses and concepts, and believes that given the proper support and exposure, Filipinos can compete on the global stage—especially in the culinary arena. Add to that, she loves to wine and dine.

CHIT JUAN

Chit is a coffee advocate, a green crusader, and a champion of sustainability especially for food that is from farm to plate. She is one of Slow Food Manila’s most active members. She also chronicles her travels and her food discoveries around the globe.

RICHIE LERMA

Richie knows how to taste a word, having charted a professional career that has honed his aptitude for synesthesia: first as an advertising creative, followed by a 15-year stint as an art critic, award-winning editor and museum director, before co-founding Salcedo Auctions with his wife, Karen, in 2010.

EDUARDO "EDWARD" NGO

Edward now calls Manila and Cebu home after living in London and Sydney. He is a number cruncher but dreams of visiting every single country on the planet. He is fascinated by molecular gastronomy and considers sisig to be one of the greatest culinary inventions known to man.