Street-food cook may soon have her own SM stall
MANILA, Philippines - Lorna Bongayal of Laleny Food House, one of 47 hopefuls who entered SM Hypermarket’s “Best Pinoy Streetfood” elimination round in Cubao, was about to leave and abandon the lugaw and tokwa’t baboy she worked so hard to perfect because she could no longer bear the suspense. She had to rush cooking her special dishes just a few hours before the event, which made her doubt whether she’d done everything she could to win.
“I wanted to back out because I had no money to buy ingredients,” Bongayal said in Tagalog. “But my siblings and customers really wanted me to join because they believe in me.”
Bongayal won and will now represent SM Hypermarket Cubao against 29 others in the semifinals of the competition.
Bongayal, along with Madel Lopez of SM Hypermarket Rosales, Villa Amor Loresca of SM Hypermarket East Service Road, Wendell Jay Franco Melo of SM Hypermarket Monumento, and Merly Dulay Co of SM Hypermarket Adriatico, beat hundreds of other contestants to move on and meet Kusina Master, celebrity chef Boy Logro, the dishwasher-turned-palace kitchen sous chef cooking for the sultan of Oman.
The 30 qualifiers from the different SM Hypermarket branches will compete for their own food business at SM Hypermarket rent-free and the recognition of cooking the Best Pinoy Street Food of 2014.
Eliminations are ongoing.
Next up is the search for the best pancit/ pasta/ mami at SM Hypermarket Valenzuela, Alabang Zapote Road, Fairview, Batangas, and Bicutan; the best inihaw/ BBQ at SM Hypermarket Marilao, Las Piñas, Novaliches, Molino, and Mandaluyong; the best silog at SM Hypermarket Baliwag, Marketmall, Makati, Muntinlupa, and North Harbour; the best adobo at SM Hypermarket Pampanga, Cainta, Pasig, FTI, and Sucat; and the best pancit/ pasta/ bihon at SM Hypermarket Clark, Taytay, Mall of Asia, North Edsa, and Sucat Lopez.
