Five chefs and cooks from across the Visayas reinterpreted classic Filipino dishes infused with local flavors and ingredients, to create unique and delectable creations at Funlasang Pinoy Twist Fest Year 2, held recently at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Top chefs and cooks representing Cebu, Panay, and Busuanga, delved into the heart of native flavors and ingredients and turned classic favorites – crispy pata, adobo, kare-kare, and sisig – into culinary delights with novel tastes at the first-ever Visayas leg of the Knorr Funlasang Pinoy Twist Fest.
Clockwise from top left: Preparing the Cebuano Stuffed Chicken Adobo with Atsuete Quail Egg Fried Rice, Arlyn Cunanan prepares her Bulalo with Coconut Cream, Chad Anton Alao preparing his Sinampalokang Adobong Manok, Wyreen Joy Alarcon preparing her Chicharong Bulaklak in Kare-Kare Sauce
The winner of the Visayas leg, Nico Julius Joson, preparing his Adobecque
As a traveler, I know that a tour through the Visayas region is truly a feast for the senses – not only in our region’s charming attractions and vibrant cultures, but also through our delectable array of unique cuisines. For this year’s competition, the roster of chefs and cooks representing the region perfectly captured the diversity in the flavors and taste to their culinary creations.
Nico Julius Joson from Wingerz Unlimited emerged as the Visayas winner, winning P100,000 in cash.
The grand winner with the chef judges
From Sinampalokang Adobong Manok, Stuffed Chicken Adobo, Adobecque, Chicharong Bulaklak in Kare-Kare Sauce, to Bulalo with Coconut Cream, the finalists presented an array of innovative dishes bursting with local flavors such as bagoong (shrimp paste), atsuete (annatto), and gata (coconut milk) – all championing Visayas’ vibrant food scene.
Chad Anton Alao’s Sinampalokang Adobong Manok
Junrey Remiter’s Cebuano Stuffed Chicken Adobo with Atsuete Quail Egg Fried Rice
Arlyn Cunanan’s Bulalo with Coconut Cream
MEDIA’S CHOICE: Wyreen Jou Alarcon’s Chicharong Bulaklak in Kare-Kare Sauce
After the hour-long cook-off, Nico Julius Joson emerged as the winner with is Adobecque, taking home P100,000 in cash. The criteria for judging is as follows: creativity of the twist, food presentation, and the use of Knorr® products in the recipe. Meanwhile, Wyreen Joy Alarcon’s Chicharong Bulaklak in Kare-Kare Sauce was adjudged as the media’s choice.
GRAND WINNER: Nico Julius Joson’s Adobecque
Knorr Funlasang Pinoy Twist Fest Year 2 will hold its third and final cook-off in Mindanao on August 22 to complete all three national grand winers. Aside from the cash prize, the winning chefs will get to attend the Unilever Food Solutions Chefmanship Academy to further expand their culinary knowledge. Yay!