GORDON RAMSAY'S HALO-HALO CHALLENGE BRINGS OUT FILIPINO CREATIVITY

In front of a packed Newport Performing Arts Theater on Jan. 20, Gordon Ramsay declared Filipino cuisine the "sleeping beauty of Southeast Asia." The celebrity chef, who was in Manila to celebrate the success of his first Philippine restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill PH, and announce three more upcoming ventures, then decided to wake up the crowd with a surprise that transformed the stage into an iconic MasterChef set. Known for his love of layered ice cream desserts like the British Knickerbocker Glory, Ramsay challenged our chefs to reimagine our beloved halo-halo in just 10 minutes.

- By BEA TRINIDAD

Gordon Ramsay's admiration for Filipino cuisine is evident in his actions and words. He has expressed his love for sisig and recently praised food content creator Abi Marquez's innovative fusion of his signature beef Wellington with lumpia, showing how Filipino creativity can transform familiar favorites. Now, four talented chefs were ready to take on his halo-halo challenge: CCA Manila culinary student Danica Lucero, social media favorite Ninong Ry, actress-chef Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, and Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill PH head chef Bea Therese Qua.

"I love all the different nuances," Ramsay noted as each chef prepared their secret ingredients. "They're not going to look the same. But, just like on MasterChef, the exciting part is the taste, right?" And what a taste test it would be, setting the stage for what would become quite the sugar rush for the celebrity chef.

THE SOURNESS OF KAMIAS

Each contestant brought something unique to the dessert table. Lucero approached her creation methodically, explaining, "I used a simple base of coconut cream and evaporated milk, with a mixture of nata de coco, sago, macapuno, leche flan, and the kamias compote." Her focus on balancing traditional ingredients with our beloved sour twist caught Ramsay's attention.