THE aroma taro with fish menu of Sibulan town was declared first prize among the 11 recipes that vied for the 8th Grand Cookfest dubbed “Buglasan Lutong Garbo” last Oct. 19 at the Provincial Agriculture Office compound in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
Winning chef Madonna Gay Licerio got the highest points from the judges based on the following criteria: palatability, originality, texture and dish presentation.
Licerio is the daughter of the cookfest’s first grand slam winner who won the Buglasan Lutong Garbo competition in 2006, 2008 and 2011.
Licerio received a cash prize of P10,000 and a trophy from Provincial Board Member Mariant Escaño-Villegas and Committee Chair Sylvia Uy.
Tony Lacorte from Mabinay town with his menu Basket Egg placed second with a cash prize of P7,000 and a trophy.
Bilaog sa Gata by Marchell Mariot from Manjuyod town placed third and received P5,000 with a trophy.
The other eight non-winners received P2,500 each as consolation prize.
The Lutong Garbo winners were proclaimed by the board of judges composed of local culinary experts Samuel Jordan, Pepita Villacora and Wilfreda Villalon.