It is but natural to get excited about the internationally acclaimed chefs who are coming, especially those hailed as “the best” by the World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants lists, including Tokyo’s Yoshihiro Narisawa, hailed Asia’s No. 1 in the first year of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards; Bangkok’s David Thompson, hailed Asia’s No. 1 in the second year of the Asia’s 50 Best; and Peru’s Virgilio Martinez, currently Latin America’s No. 1. They are obviously brilliant chefs who have earned their rock star status.

But instead of becoming a rock star chef’s groupie, let’s take a moment to remember why this Congress was brought here in the first place and take the opportunity to showcase our local talent and food too, shall we?

Top Filipino chefs

For the benefit of the culinary tourists arriving this week, do seek out the following names because they are among the Philippines’ best chefs.

Margarita Fores

Fores is first on the list not only because she currently holds the title of Asia’s Best Female Chef from the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants jury but because she was a prime mover in bringing Madrid Fusion to the Philippines. The petite chef is larger than life. She is known for elaborate catering for heads of state. Her restaurants include Lusso in Greenbelt; Grace Park, a farm-to-table restaurant; and Cibo, an Italian chain she created from scratch.

Glenda Barretto

Barretto is hailed as the “doyenne of Philippine cuisine.” A regal lady who was the official chef of the Malacañang (the Philippines’ White House) in the ’70s, she continues to be the No. 1 caterer for Filipino-themed state dinners, being the lead caterer at last year’s Asia Pacific Economic Conference (Apec) state dinner as well as last year’s and this year’s Madrid Fusion.

Myrna Segismundo

Segismundo, along with Fores, was a speaker at Madrid Fusion 2015 in Spain.

Segismundo is a known advocate of Philippine cuisine, presenting Filipino home cooking in a cosmopolitan manner since the 1980s. She is chair of Chefs on Parade and founding member of the International Wine and Food Society-Manila Ladies Branch.

Claude Tayag

Tayag is an authority on Pampanga or Capampangan cuisine. His private dining space Bale Dutung has welcomed many an international gourmet to showcase the best of his province’s flavors. His book with wife Maryann—”Linamnam”—is a handy guide for where to eat all around the Philippines.

Sandy Daza

Daza has culinary genius in his genes. The son of the Philippines’ Julia Child, Nora Daza, whose book “Let’s Cook With Nora” was the bible of generations of housewives, and who opened the first Filipino restaurant in Paris and New York and hosted Paul Bocuse and L’enotre in the Philippines, Sandy now has his own Filipino restaurant Wooden Spoon showcasing some of their home recipes as well as recipes he has learned in travels around the country for his television show Foodprints.

Jessie Sincioco

Sincioco become known for cooking French cuisine at a popular (now defunct) restaurant Le Souffle. But since she opened her eponymous restaurant Chef Jessie, her Filipino dishes have also become of note. She hails from Bulacan and this shows in her outstanding Filipino desserts using glutinous rice.

Tonyboy Escalante. Escalante’s Antonio’s was last year’s No. 1 restaurant in the Philippines (and continues to be so in the eyes of many). He has also since opened Balay Dako, also in Tagaytay, which has a spectacular view of the volcano at night and perfect for cocktails in this weather.

J Gamboa

The Gamboas’ Milky Way restaurant is practically an institution for having served consistently good, clean-tasting Filipino food for the past decades. They also make the best shaved ice dessert—halo-halo.

Street food

For Philippine street food, make sure to try dirty ice cream peddled by a sorbetero (ice cream vendor), fish balls with sweet or spicy sauce, taho (a soy dessert with pearls), kwek-kwek (deep fried quail eggs), bituka (deep fried intestines), and chicharon (pork rind—make sure to ask for full back fat and not the airy kind).

These are the flavors of the Philippines that we would strongly recommend culinary visitors to try.

When a powerful jury member of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants visited Manila a few years ago, it broke my heart to hear her say that she could not find any Filipino restaurants save for the fast food chains. We hope that you have a delicious visit and come back for more.