Pinoy Food Innovation at the First ever Funlasang Pinoy Twist Fest by Unilever Philippines

10 Filipino Chefs Compete at the First ever Funlasang Pinoy Twist Fest

From the top 160 mouthwatering recipes submitted for the 1st Funlasang Pinoy TwistFest by Unilever Philippines, ten amazing chefs were chosen for the grand cook off last August 26, 2017 at Eastwood Park Plaza. The finalist chefs were challenged to deliver the most innovative take on the classic Pinoy dishes with fun twists that will fuel Pinoys to love Filipino cuisine more.

“We are very excited for this day to come as we witness our very talented Pinoy chefs showcase their ingenuity in making a classic Filipino dish stand out like we’ve never seen nor tasted before. This competition was created to provide an avenue for our chefs and cooks to showcase their talents and creativity to reignite everyone’s love for Filipino food,” said James Benedict Carreon, UFS Philippines Managing Director. “This competition was created to provide an avenue for our chefs and cooks to showcase their talents and creativity to reignite everyone’s love for Filipino Food.

The chefs tried to innovate classic Pinoy dishes such as sinigang, kaldereta, pancit, sisig, and tapa. And the following chefs and cooks were chosen to compete for the cook off.

Christian Lachenal – Baked Ox Tail Kaldereta.

Miguel Valdez – Sisig Mashbombs

Fernando Joson – Sisig Parmigiana

Mel Adrian Tobias – SInigang na Sisig

John Alouette Jugo – Grilled Sinigang and Sinigang Rice Topped With Kangkong Flakes

Jeane Cruz Sisig – Pasta with Salted Egg

Junrey Remiter – Kalderetang Tinali sa Pancit

Danilo Puga – Octopus Sisig

Rosanna Rosal – Shrimp Sinigang Fried Rice

“Food innovation is not about changing the original recipe of a dish. It is about staying faithful to the original concept of the dish but adding creativity to improve the taste and overall experience of your diners as they eat it. We chefs need to remember this to cater to the ever-changing palate of diners who continue to seek a different kind of dining experience, and to stand out from the clutter of food choices available these days.”, says judge Chef Fernando Aracama of of Aracama Cousine.

Other judges are the esteemed culinary experts from UFS -enior Sous Chef Brando Santos, and Senior Sous Chef Paulo Sia. The contestants battled it it out in a friendly competition as the crowd cheered for their favorites. Chef Danilo Puga brought home the P100,000 cash prize, exclusive publicity features, and a special feature in the official Funlasang Pinoy Cookbook for his Octopus Sisig creation.

“The talent and creativity of Pinoy Chefs are definitely something to be proud of. As a team of chefs who understand the needs of a culinary industry, we at Unilever are always finding ways to provide them avenues to gain more inspiration, knowledge, and access to the right products that will complement that and help them improve the dining experience of their loyal diners,” added James Benedict Carreon.

To know more about UFS and Funlasang Pinoy, visit www.ufs.com.