Table for Three, Please wasn't awarded Best Food & Beverage Blog by the Philippine Blog Awards for nothing. "Franco" is obviously deeply interested (and well-versed) in wining and dining, and says he always has been. Like those of a lot of foodies, his family has always been big on food. But cooking is a fairly new venture for this blogger. "I learned how to cook because I got tired of what was being cooked at home," he shared. "So [really] to get more variety, I learned how to cook."
SPOT.ph asked "Franco" for the dish on his guilty pleasures, culinary secrets and what his gold standards are.
Favorite dish?
Piniritong hito with buro. I could eat that everyday.
Guilty pleasure?
I have no guilt when it comes to food.
Culinary idol?
That's hard because there are different personalities that I like. For a chef, I recently started reading a lot of Thomas Keller's books. I really admire his philosophy. I like Jamie Oliver because he's easy to approach as a home cook. I really enjoy cooking from his books because it's not hard. As a food blogger, I really truly admire Chubby Hubby (Aun Koh). I admire him because he has an amazing blog, and one of the reasons I actually even started blogging is because of him. As a food writer, I really admire Ruth Reichl. I really love reading her books, I love Gourmet - may it rest in peace. And I love Lori Baltazar. And she's a friend, but I truly admire how she writes.
Culinary secret?
Never underestimate the importance of salt and pepper. The lack of or too much of.
Any food destinations in Manila that any foodie should know about?
While I'm not usually inclined toward hotel restaurants, I'm truly intrigued by the restaurants at the Hyatt Manila. Specifically, Li Li and The Fireplace Grill. I don't know if it's the standout interiors, the delicious food or the fact that it is so far that I rarely get to go there but I can't stop thinking about planning my next trip there.
What would your Last Meal be?
Nothing really fancy for me. All I would want is a perfectly fried hito (catfish), shrimp buro (fermented rice with shrimp) and steaming bowl of white rice. Delectably uncomplicated.
What is the standard for the Nescafe Gold Spot Awards?
First and foremost, good food. That has to be exceptional. Some people think it's just about the food when it comes to restaurants, but it's not. I've been to restaurants that have excellent food, but the service was terrible. I think a successful restaurant should be a combination of so many things. Good food is only one of them. I think service is really, really important, and a lot of restaurants ignore that. Interiors, I've been to crappy looking places, but the food has been excellent and I didn't care. But personally speaking, I think service should be far more important now. A lot of restaurants have really good food, but some of them don't have very good service.
How do you feel about this year's contenders?
I think the restaurant scene in Manila is really interesting. So, to be a judge now is not as easy as everyone thinks. It's actually quite hard. There are a lot of great restaurants, so our job is tough.
Do you think the competition will be tight?
Yes, honestly. I think it will be very tough. Some categories may not be as tight, because people would rather take certain restaurants but there are certain categories that will be very tight.
The Nescafe Gold Spot Awards voting period begins on Tuesday, December 1. Click here to vote for your favorite restaurants.
