Eastwood Richmonde Hotel is a proud homegrown brand that believes in the talent and creativity of Filipinos. So, to kick off its anniversary month last November, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel announced its first ever cooking competition, Kitchen Masters: Home Edition which aims to recognize outstanding home cooks and their original recipes or their family’s heirloom dishes. According to Executive Chef Victor Barangan, the man behind Kitchen Masters, “We wanted to provide budding amateur chefs who are passionate about elevating Filipino home cooking with a platform to showcase their specialties and the rare opportunity to serve these to some of the country’s top chefs.”
Out of the 58 recipe entries submitted, Chef Vic picked the top five based on taste, creativity, and the stories behind them. The five finalists, Ryan Christopher Cayabyab, Ricel Decano Gabi, Walt Aaron Lazarte, Dick See, and Karl Kenneth Watson, were then prepped by Chef Vic for their live cook-off and presentation to the distinguished panel of judges. The final judging took place at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel and the winners were announced during the hotel’s recent online anniversary celebration.
Helping the hotel in choosing the winners were renowned Filipino chefs and advocates of local cuisine Chefs Bruce Lim, Kel Zaguirre, Myke Tatung, Robb Pengson, and Sau del Rosario. Lazarte was chosen as the third-place winner, Cayabyab as second placer, and Watson as Kitchen Master champion.
Inspired by memories of his mother’s cooking, his father’s favorite food, and his interest in molecular gastronomy, Watson created a dish that incorporated an adobo recipe from home, his personal interpretation of mashed potatoes, and pineapple foam. Aside from the distinction of holding the title of Eastwood Richmonde’s first Kitchen Masters Champion, Watson also won hotel gift certificates and a cash prize. More importantly, his creation will be featured at Eastwood Cafef+Bar this holiday season.
