The Bellevue Resort grabbed the gold in the 1st Ubi Cookfest which highlighted the cuisine where the chefs can do using Bohol’s crop, Ubi Kinampay.
After 15 years of holding the annual Ubi Festival,  the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) chaired by lawyer Doy Nunag decided to take a new twist by sponsoring the 1st Ubi Cookfest featuring the best chefs in town.
Bellevue Resort Manager Romel Gonzales took pride of his winning team led by Jr. sous chef, Jerry Dipolog, team leader with Edson Chua,Jerome Aliedan and Mary Joy Pagaran. The team won gold in appetizer, soup, main dish and dessert.
South Palms Resort grabbed silver.
Amarela Resort won bronze in appetizer while Cuisina ni Tisay won bronze in soup, main dish and dessert.
The cookfest was designed to create its own local “dish†or cuisine, one that has been lacking in the province, to which guests would undoubtedly be interested in.
The first ever cooking competition on Ubi was a major highlight of the annual festival last Thursday at the Bohol Cultural Center.
Entries were judged according to mise en place and hygiene, 10 points;  preparation, 20 points;  practical and up to date presentation, 10 points;  taste,  35 points  and “ubiness†or creativity and uniqueness in infusing ubi in a dish; or the fashion, tactic, and method of incorporating ubi into the menu with all the other ingredients to achieve harmony and perfection of flavors, color and style, 25 points.
Celebrity judges included Chef Tatung Sarthou,  dubbed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as One of 2013’s Top Chefs by F&B World Magazine; Chef Nancy Reyes-Lumen, dubbed Adobo Queen and Ms. Jessica Avila, food consultant and renowned restaurateur  of the Chikahan sa Cebu, Port Seafood Rest, Café Valeriano, Tiya Nena’s and Fiesta Cebuana fame, graced the exciting and heart-stopping culinary competition.
Local and national media, food bloggers and international photographer Marco Grassi came to witness the  culinary battle.
Students from the University of Bohol, Holy Name University (K to 12), Cristal-E College, Bohol Island State University, BIT International College and Bohol TechVoc rushed to the cooking site not only to witness the rare event but also, to acquire insights and gain  helpful tips on Boholano cuisine and experience the magic of the culinary arts.
The winning entries will be included in the resort’s menu for the month of February which is declared as “Ubi Month.”