RRSS News Online Newspaper ng mga Pinoy
Born and raised in Antipolo, chef Rhoda Magbitang, with a menu that showcased Filipino flavors and personal family stories, won the title of “Top Chef” Season 23, a popular U.S. culinary competition.
According to reports, Magbitang took home the competition’s $250,000 grand prize (more than P15 million), after defeating fellow finalists Sherry Cardoso and Laurence Louie in the season finale, which aired last June 8.
Moreover, her victory featured one of the show’s most dramatic comebacks.
After winning the season’s first two elimination challenges, a first in the show’s history, Magbitang was eliminated in Episode 5. She later earned her way back into the competition through “Last Chance Kitchen,” winning four of five challenges to reclaim a spot in the main contest.
In the finale, contestants were tasked with creating the “best four-course progressive meal” of their lives, with each course serving as a tribute to a person or experience that shaped them.
Magbitang’s winning menu featured roasted sweet potato with uni, abalone lugaw, grilled eggplant omelet inspired by tortang talong, and a modern interpretation of kaldereta made with braised short ribs, liver sauce and vegetables.
The final course was dedicated to her father.
“After we talked about all the courses being a ‘toast to something,’ it was important for me to honor my parents,” Magbitang told judges.
Magbitang’s journey began in the Philippines, where she developed a love for cooking through family meals and her grandmother’s food stall. At age 17, she moved to California and initially pursued a teaching career before enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu.
Today, Magbitang serves as executive chef of CanoeHouse in Hawai‘i and is recognized as the restaurant’s first female executive chef.
Her win drew praise from local officials in both Antipolo and from Filipinos worldwide, who celebrated her achievement as another milestone for Filipinos in the international scene.
Sources: Office of Antipolo City Mayor (Facebook), Lifestyle.INQ, PhilStar
About the Writer: April Diaz is a writer with interests in accounting, philosophy, and the social issues influencing our society. Read other articles written by April [click here]
