Our very own pork sisig bagged the top spot in the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice categories of the 2018 Embassy Chef Challenge held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on May 17.
Philippine embassy chef Abie Sincioco-Mateo proudly served this beloved Filipino dish of grilled or broiled chopped meat, seasoned with calamansi and hot chili, paired with a special beer cocktail of San Miguel Pale Pilsen and Cerveza Negra.
Chef Abie described the secret ingredient that made all the difference in her winning dish as “full of love”. She also highlighted the beautiful presentation and the exceptional taste of the dish that earned it the top awards of the night.
“Tonight’s outcome shows that Philippine cuisine is certainly being recognized in the American mainstream, and the ECC provided us a good platform to further showcase our unique cuisine that testifies to our country’s beautiful and diverse cultural heritage. Chef Abie’s double win is a great way to celebrate National Heritage Month,” said Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez.
Renowned Filipino restaurateur and chef Jessie Sincioco and the Philippine Embassy team assisted Chef Abie all throughout the competition.
The Philippine Embassy’s participation in this year’s Embassy Chef Challenge was generously supported by Bistro 1521, Tito Al’s Choice, US-Philippines Society, and Datu Puti.
The Embassy of Ghana won 2nd place in both the Judges’ and People’s Choice categories; the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti took home 3rd place in the Judges’ Choice; and the Embassy of Colombia bagged the 3rd place in the People’s Choice category.
The Best Beverage award went to the Embassy of Barbados and the Best Dressed Embassy was awarded to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco.