City of Dreams Manila’s chefs and mixologists team won 11 medals in eight categories at the 2025 Philippine Culinary Cup, the country’s most prestigious culinary competition. The 15th year of the event, concurrently with the World Food Expo, was held at the SMX Convention Center. Property President Geoff Andres praised the team’s dedication to excellence and their role in positioning City of Dreams Manila as a sought-after dining destination.
The winners in various categories are:
- Gold: Mary Anne Valderrama (Café Society), Chocolate Pastry Showpiece; and Lee Chia Lok (Season 88), Taiwan Pork Bento, who also bagged Silver in the US Pork Asian Gourmet Chef Challenge.
- Silver: Dominic Joshua Hembrador (Pastry) and Mary Apple Delantar (Pastry), Wedding Cakes; Paul John Zuniega (Pastry), Bread Showpiece; Allan Mabras (Pastry), Chocolate Pastry Showpiece; and Jiro Flora (Haliya), Canada Beef “Back to Basics”.
- Bronze: She Chong Ngooi (Crystal Dragon), Taiwan Pork Bento Box.
In the bartending competition, CenterPlay bartenders Arvin Philip Rallos and Prince Reinner Santos were also named Champion for Flairtending and 2nd placer for Best in Cocktail categories, respectively.
The only culinary competition in the country endorsed by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WORLDCHEFS), the Philippine Culinary Cup follows standards for global competitions. It gathers local and international culinary experts as competition judges. The event has provided Filipino chefs with an internationally recognized platform to hone and showcase their culinary talents.
For more information on the luxury integrated resort, visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.
