The Amazing Food Challege: Food fun in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - The second season of the Amazing Food Challenge: Fun in the Philippines proves that culinary adventures abound across the country. Premiering in late November on the Asian Food Channel, the ongoing reality show presents contestants from all over Asia Pacific with both physical and culinary challenges set in five different regions in the Philippines.

Produced in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Boards, the show further promotes the Visit Philippines 2015 campaign.

The show, an Amazing Race-meets-Master Chef production, features ten contestants of different backgrounds, all passionate about food. Alec Wing and Christy Lee are both from Singapore, with the former working in technology sales and the latter a marketing manager. Karen Chow, from Malaysia, is an investment manager. Kenton Wu, from Hong Kong, is the youngest contestant at 20 years old, but he has a bit of an advantage being an F&B student. Also with a clear advantage is Indonesian Denny Gunawan, a professional chef. Blogger Phan Thanh Truc from Vietnam, lawyer Chimee Bayandorj from Mongolia, film critic James Lo from Taiwan, landscape designer Joseph Pavey from Australia, and photographer Sunya Thadathanawong from Thailand round out the roster of contestants.

Airing six episodes of 13 so far, the contestants have been to Bohol and Iloilo, with more challenges in Puerto Princesa, Coron, Cagayan de Oro and a finale in Manila still in store.

In the first episode, the contestants were first familiarized with traditional Bohol cuisine that quickly flowed into the first challenge, wherein contestants had to make tortang mamon traditionally with a clay pot on a coal burner. The contestants – and viewers – soon realized how difficult the humble pastry is to make. Some even tried to put their own twist on it, adding bananas for example, to the amusement of chef judges Rolando Laudico and Him Uy de Baron.

Also in Bohol, the contestants had to complete a relay race through the Chocolate Hills, and create dishes featuring Bohol’s most popular produce.

In Iloilo, the remaining contestants had to work their way through a maze, as well as transform traditional Iloilo home cooking into dishes fit for a fine dining restaurant, and create an entirely new dish utilizing a special ingredient found in a local Iloilo favorite.

The contestants are competing for $50,000 worth of cash and prizes, guided by host and celebrity chef Sherson Lian, who has appeared in a number of Asian Food Channel shows.

A celebrity chef in his own right, resident judge Rolando Laudico brings knowledge of Filipino cuisine to the table. Along with him are equally accomplished guest judges: Nomama restaurant’s Him Uy de Baron for the Bohol leg; Rafael Jardeleza II in Iloilo, who is perfect for the leg, being the founder and project director of the annual Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cooking; Palawan restaurateur Eric Yayen in Puerto Princesa; El Rio y Mar’s Belinda Espina in Coron; Aileen Anastacio of Marmalade Kitchen and Goodies N’ Sweets fame in Cagayan de Oro; The Goose Station owner Rob Pengson in Manila; and Via Mare founder and chief executive officer Glenda Barreto for the finale, also held in Manila.

Iloilo guest judge Jardeleza says that seeing the contestants work with local ingredients and cook traditional dishes during the challenges proves that Filipino cuisine is indeed world-class.

As the finale draws near, viewers can look forward to more challenges that will take the contestants on a culinary adventure around the Philippines.

The Amazing Food Challenge airs on Thursday at 9 p.m. over the Asian Food Channel.