As the editor-in-chief of the country's best-selling food magazine, Yummy, Becky Kho is responsible for bringing recipes, food discoveries and well-styled magazine pages to individuals who are passionate about food. Becky Kho joins this year's Nescafe Gold Spot Awards' panel of judges for the second year and lets us in on her thoughts on food and dining in Manila:
If you could eat only one dish for the rest of your life, what dish would that be?
I love the food at Din Tai Fung in Singapore. The chicken soup is perfection! I might be happy to eat there every day, but nope, no one dish.
Guilty pleasure?
I am an "unhealthy luncher." I don't eat proper lunches; as in I do not sit down and have a bowl of rice with ulam like most people I know or even a salad-sandwich or soup-sandwich combo. I try to hide it, but I'm perfectly okay with having a pastry and coffee for lunch. Bad, I know! But I can't help myself.
Culinary idol?
In terms of the restaurant scene, I have great admiration for Malou Fores of Mamou. First, the food is awesome and consistent. Second, the restaurant is so completely, wholly hers. You can sense her presence in everything–the menu, the staff, the place itself. And it's so terrific that she checks in with the diners and makes sure her food arrives on the table the way it should.
What would your Last Meal be?
Anything my friend Sandy makes. Because I love her home, her cooking, and her company.
What food destinations should every Manila foodie know about?
I don't know that I know of any spots that Manila foodies don't know about yet. I usually discover my favorites from my own foodie friends. But anyway, one of my favorite places to eat is a cozy Italian eatery called Pizzeria Toscana, in the Gilmore area. Some of the best dishes ever! The chef is just amazing. I also just recently fell in love with Sala Bistro–I know, I know, I'm so late to the party! I always enjoy a simple Chinese meal at Little Store, the deli-restaurant on Gilmore.
What do you hope will be welcome additions to the Manila's dining scene in 2010?
All I really want from a restaurant is good food. Whether it's a fresh salad or a rice dish or something fancy schmancy, I just want it to be delicious, to be cooked well. It's all about the food!
What is the standard for the Nescafe Gold Spot Awards?
As a judge, I am looking for excellent cooking and decent service (I've learned to manage my expectations with regard to this). I am thrilled by restaurants where I can see creativity in the menu, an attempt to let ingredients shine in a new light.
How do you feel about this year's contenders for the Nescafe Gold Spot Awards?
Pretty excited! I want to know which ones Spot.ph readers will support. I think the lineup includes some of the strongest restaurants we have. I'm particularly excited about the New Restaurant category. I only wish we could include more because the Manila dining scene is really dynamic and becoming more and more diverse.
Watch for the results of the Nescafe Gold Spot Awards, coming soon!
