Chef Margarita Forés graced the cover of Lifestyle Asia in May 2016. In the cover story, “Recipes for Success” written by Cheryl Tiu, she spoke about food, heritage, and her mission to bring the best of the Philippines to the world—and the world to the Philippines—following her recognition as Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2016.
A look back at our May 2016 issue, where culinary icon Margarita Forés revealed a side of herself that goes beyond being a world-class chef-restaurateur—getting starstruck at the recent Madrid Fusión Manila, receiving sound advice from her 24-year-old son, strengthening ties with her mother, and discovering the secret ingredient to a life filled with love and contentment. Read the cover story below:
“Do I post too much on Instagram?” Margarita Forés asked me the night she received her award as Asia’s Best Female Chef at the Asia’s 50 Best Awards ceremony at the Thai capital. “No! Why?” I asked. Before she had the chance to respond, her 25-year-old son Amado pulled her towards the photowall saying,“Mom, stand here.” He added, “And mom, we need to get rid of that glass,” taking the stemware with white wine from his mother’s hand.
We were at the house on Sathorn, the former Russian Embassy next to the W Bangkok that had been converted to a restaurant and lounge, and was the venue for the awards ceremony. Margarita was being asked to pose for a photo with Chef Chele Gonzalez, whose Gallery Vask made it to the 39th spot in the list of the top 50 and the only restaurant from the Philippines.
“What time should I post the photo?” Margarita asked. “Now people are sleeping, right? (ed: it was around 11PM in Bangkok, so midnight in the Philippines) So morning nalang.” She paused then continued, “Amado says I post too much.” The award-winning chef, upon receiving feedback from her son about her behavior on social media, had suddenly become conscious not to flood other people’s news feed with her photos.
During the private after-party at Gaggan, Asia’s number one restaurant for two consecutive years, Amado lingered on the sidelines. He was protectively watching over his mother as she joined other Filipino female delegates on the dance floor to celebrate a victorious night for the region. It was an indication of the affection shared between mother and son and how the latter had taken on the role as protector and best friend.
What Gives Life
During Margarita’s speech at the Asia’s 50 Best Talks the day before, she spoke to a regional audience of chefs, journalists and F&B professionals about her journey as a chef from the Philippines. In her speech, she expressed how her culinary journey ran parallel to the relationship she has with Amado.
“What gives life?” she asked and continued, “To me, love gives life.” Margarita had always been open about how Amado came unplanned and narrated how he helped her mature. “As I was raising Amado, I was also doing my own growing up. Having him made me come to the realization that I needed to be more focused and disciplined as I was now responsible for another life.”
By the end of the session, I approached Amado and said, “So sweet naman, you’re the topic of your mom’s talk,” to which he replied, “I told her it’s time to change her topic na for her next talk.” Through banter and candor, the dynamics between mother and son extend to best friendship with doses of comedy.
READ ALSO: Remembering Chef Margarita Forés, Who Changed Our Culinary Landscape
Margarita also likens her relationship with him to that which she shares with her mother, Baby Araneta- Forés. “It’s a little bit similar to how I grew up through the years, facing my own challenges while my mother was facing hers.” She dedicated her win to the 78-year- old Forés matriarch, saying that she owed the award to her. “She’s always been the steadying presence in my life. I think that she’s always inspired me to be the best that I can be. She’s also given me so much love and unconditional support on everything that I’ve been through in life.”
Cancer As An Upside
Battling cancer twice, once for thyroid and another for breast, had been key in helping heal her relationship with her mother. “They always say that with the thyroid, it’s a reflection of the difficulty you have expressing yourself,” she shared. “And those health challenges allowed me to share myself and my feelings with her a little better. So if there was any blessing that could have come out of those challenges, it was that it brought us closer. Like any mother-daughter relationship, there were a lot of dimensions, and those challenges allow you to overcome things that can sometimes go unresolved in some cases.”
She has also looked at her health challenges as a wake-up call to reassess herself and lifestyle. “I think that they’ve also given me very clear messages on what I need to work on in myself and my life. I think the learning has not been complete yet because to get it twice means that I probably need to work a little bit harder at being kinder to myself. I think on the upside, it’s also a blessing to be able to share my experiences with others [who are] going through the same thing and make them hopeful that they can survive it.” Health challenges have also prompted an advocacy for promoting healthier food options.
“With my work with food, I have to continue to be more adamant about choosing cleaner and healthier ingredients, and doing things in a better way that can prevent these things from happening to other people. It allows for Grace Park to be a stronger [platform] to showcase the advocacy.” Grace Park opened in 2013 and was named after Margarita’s paternal grandmother’s neighborhood in Caloocan. The establishment’s concept is to present farm-to-table food options that promote healthy eating.
Taking Madrid Fusion To Manila
Margarita also staunchly advocates working with farmers and using local produce. Through Madrid Fusion Manila, she has been able to present a platform that will allow her to share local ingredients with the rest of the world. The project, which she considers to be a personal milestone, came into fruition through collaborations with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Spain’s Foro de Debate, S.L. and Arum Estrategias Internacionalización (Arum) in 2015.
“It was all just a dream,” she says reflectively. “Before, just sitting in the audience at Madrid Fusion in Spain, I thought it would stop there. Having been invited to present and talk about Filipino cuisine [at Madrid last year], and now allowing it to come to Manila and being part of that endeavor, that was really coming full circle. I think that’s a gift and blessing to have been able to bring it to our country.”
Asia’s Best Female Chef Is Star Struck
At the second Madrid Fusion Manila last month, Margarita remained star struck by the chef-presenters visiting the country despite being the Best Female Chef in the region.
On a ride back to Makati after a welcome party at SM By The Bay, Margarita showed excitement and anxiety over the fact that two-Michelin star chef Yoshihiro Nariwasa and his son Reo were scheduled to dine at her restaurant in Rockwell, Grace Park. Two other chefs from Nariwasa’s team at the eponymous Nariwasa in Tokyo (Second Best Restaurant in Asia and 8th in the world at present) were joining them. She pleaded, “Cheryl, please, please, please can you come down and say hi to them and check if everything is okay… please, please, please.”
Narisawa and his team were my guest chefs for Cross Cultures’ collaboration dinner with Gallery Vask. Margarita was banking on my good relationships and close communications with them. As I checked on them, I also reminded her that Nariwasa, during an earlier conversation, excitedly told me about plans of dining at Grace Park. “Tita, he even said, ‘Asia’s best female chef,’ when he showed me your calling card.”
Margarita’s eyes were huge with shock and disbelief. “Really?” she asked. Her humility is genuine. It is her authenticity and groundedness that make her one of the most well-loved chefs to-date.
What Makes A Best Female Chef
The influence of Asia’s Best Female Chef for 2016 extends beyond the restaurants she runs. Apart from the success of the establishments like Cibo, Lusso, Cibo di M, Grace Park and more recently, Alta at Ascott BGC, Margarita also generously imparts her culinary skills and helps spread awareness on healthy food options to aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts. Casa Artusi, a culinary center with over 800 recipes from home cooks in Italy has allowed Margarita to share recipes and techniques with anyone willing and eager to learn. In giving demos or making speeches, her main objective has always been to enable students to replicate dishes that have catapulted her as the country’s most celebrated chef. Apart from encouraging aspiring chefs to excel in the culinary arts, she has also been passionate about promoting products from local farmers and producers on a regional and global scale.
Outside of the kitchen, Margarita has found the secret ingredient to a life filled with love and contentment through relationships she nurtures with her son and mother. She has courageously taken on challenges as life lessons that allow her to improve as a professional, mentor, boss, mother and daughter. And as Asia’s Best Female Chef for 2016, Margarita continues a culinary journey, taking with her the best of the Philippines to the rest of the world.
Photos by MARK NICDAO
Makeup by LALA FLORES
Hair by JULIUS VILLANUEVA
Styling by JOHN LOzANO, Assisted by GIANNI BANDIOLA
Sittings ANNA C. SOBREPEÑA, BIANCA SALONGA, CHINO R. HERNANDEZ & SARA SIGUION-REYNA Shot on location in ALTA, ASCOTT BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY MANILA
