Need restaurant recommendations? Just go through this list of nominees.
“The 2014 edition of Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets (MBKRS) Awards, which was inspired by the coffee table book of the same title, is set to hold its awarding ceremony on November 25,” reports ABS-CBNnews.com.
The report noted: “Last held in 2012, the MBKRS is exclusive to homegrown dining concepts and reigning winners are not allowed to compete.”
Candidates are only nominated in one category, with the exception of the Manila’s Best Newcomer title.
Here are the nominees in the 2014 MBKRS, as announced on its official Facebook page:
CUISINE:
Manila’s Best Italian Restaurant
Carpaccio
Caruso
Cibo
L’Opera
My Kitchen by Chef Chris
***2012 winner: Va Bene Pasta Deli
Manila’s Best French Restaurant
Brasserie Girolle
Champetre
Chef Jessie
Le Jardin
L’entrecote
***2012 winner: Brasserie Cicou
Manila’s Best Spanish Restaurant
Cirkulo
Donosti Pintxos y Tapas
Las Flores
Rambla
Vask
***2012 winner: Terry’s Selection
Manila’s Best Japanese Restaurant
Izakaya Kikufuji
Nihonbashitei
Sensei Sushi
Seryna
Tsukiji
***2012 winner: Sugi
Manila’s Best Chinese Restaurant
Choi Garden Seafood and Shark’s Fin
Gloria Maris
Jade Garden
Peking Garden
President Grand Palace
***2012 winner: Hai Shin Lou
Manila’s Best Continental Cuisine
Antonio’s
Blackbird
Lusso
Stockton Place
The Gallery Vask
***2012 winner: Sala
Manila’s Best Thai Restaurant
Azuthai
Basil
Nav Modern Thai Cuisine
Silk Road Thai Bistro
Som’s Noodle House
***2012 winner: People’s Palace
Manila’s Best Filipino Restaurant
Café Juanita
La Cocina de Tita Moning
Milky Way
Manam (formerly Nam Nam)
Sarsa Kitchen + Bar
***2012 winner: Abe
Manila’s Best Middle Eastern Restaurant
Arya Persian Restaurant
Behrouz Persian Cuisine
Beni’s Falafel
Café Mediterranean
Ziggurat
***2012 winner: Hossein’s Persian Kebab
Manila’s Best Korean Restaurant
Dong Won Garden
Jang Ga Nae
Korean Garden
Korean Village
Ye Dang Korean BBQ
***2012 winner: Kaya
Manila’s Best Indian Restaurant
Queens at Bollywood
Kashmir
Legend of India
Queens Crystal Garden
Swagat Indian Cuisine
***2012 winner: New Bombay Indian Cuisine
Manila’s Best Mexican Restaurant
A’ Toda Madre
El Chupacabra
Hermanos Taco Shop
Mexicali
Orale! Taqueria Mexicana
***2012 winner: Chihuahua
Manila’s Best Specialty Cuisine
Brasas
Cyma
Juju Eats
Tao Yuan
Van Gogh is Bipolar
***2012 winner: Corner Tree Café
SPECIALTY
Manila’s Best Steakhouse
House of Wagyu Stone Grill
I’m Angus Steakhouse
Highlands Prime Steakhouse
Mamou
Melo’s
***2012 winner: Elbert’s Steak Room
Manila’s Best Modern Casual Dining
Apartment 1B
Chelsea Market and Café
Green Pastures
Kettle
Wildflour Café + Bakery
***2012 winner: Sala Bistro
Manila’s Best Burger Joint
8 Cuts Burger Blends
Brothers Burger
Mr. Jones
Burger Project
B&B: Burgers and Brewskies
***2012 winner: Charlie’s Grind and Grill
Manila’s Best Pizzeria (New category)
Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza
Nolita
One Way
Woodfire
Yellow Cab
Manila’s Best Bar
Draft
Hooch
Rocket Room
The Black Pig
The Blind Pig
***2012 winner: M Café
Manila’s Best Nightclub (New category)
71 Gramercy
Black Market
Hyve
Prive
Time
Manila’s Best Coffee (New category)
Craft Coffee Revolution
Edsa Beverage Design Group
Kuppa Roastery and Café
Refinery
Yardstick
Manila’s Best Dessert, Ice Cream and Cake Shop
Bizu Patisserie
Bono Artisanal Gelato
Cupcakes by Sonja
Purple Oven
Sebastian’s Ice Cream
***2012 winner: The Cake Club
Manila’s Best Newcomer
Blackbird
Grace Park
Green Pastures
Rambla
Your Local
***2012 winner: Wildflour Café + Bakery
HOTEL RESTAURANTS
Manila’s Best Hotel Restaurant: Hotel Buffet
Circles (Makati Shangri-La)
Crossover Buffet (Dusit Thani)
Escolta (The Peninsula Manila)
HEAT (Edsa Shangri-La)
Spectrum (Raffles)
***2012 winner: Spiral at Sofitel
Manila’s Best Hotel Restaurant: Fine Dining
Cru Steakhouse (Marriott Manila)
Old Manila (The Peninsula Manila)
Prince Albert (Intercontinental Manila)
Sage Bespoke Grill (Makati Shangri-La)
Strip Steakhouse (Solaire)
***2012 winner: Impressions at Maxims
Manila’s Best Hotel Restaurant: Specialty Cuisine
Benjarong (Dusit Thani)
Inagiku (Makati Shangri-La)
Li Li (Hyatt Regency)
Spices (The Peninsula Manila)
Summer Palace (Edsa Shangri-La)
***2012 winner: Shang Palace at Makati Shangri-La
Manila’s Best Hotel Bar
Le Bar (Sofitel)
Long Bar (Raffles)
Sage Tapas Bar (Makati Shangri-La)
Sky Deck View Bar (The Bay Leaf Intramuros)
The Bar (The Peninsula Manila)
***2012 winner: Salon de Ning at The Peninsula Manila
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT
Manila’s Best Emerging Talent
Chef Bruce Ricketts (Sensei Sushi)
Chef Celine de los Angeles (Stockton Place)
Dani Aliaga (Rambla, Las Flores)
Dedet dela Fuente (Pepita’s Kitchen)
Erwan Heussaff (The Fat Kid Inside)
JJ Yulo (Pinoy Eats World)
***2012 winner: Martin Wisniewski of Raintree
Manila’s Best Chef
Antonio Escalante (Antonio’s)
Colin Mackay (Sala, People’s Palace, Blackbird)
Cyrille Soenen (Impressions, Brasserie Cicou)
Jose Luis Gonzalez (Vask)
Robby Goco (Cyma, Green Pastures, Charlie’s)
***2012 winner: J Gamboa of Tsukiji, Cirkulo, Milky Way and Azuthai
Manila’s Best Restaurant Group Entrepreneur
Abba Napa (‘Cue, Burger Bar, Phat Pho, 8 Cuts, Manam, Mecha Uma)
Dixie Mabanta (Mexicali, Café Mediterranean, El Chupacabra, Senor Pollo)
Erik Cua (Republiq, 71 Gramercy, Draft, Prive, Beso, Aracama, Imperial, Publiko)
Malu Gamboa (Tsukiji, Cirkulo, Milky Way, Azuthai)
Sergi Rostoll (Barcino, Las Flores, Rambla)
Werner Berger (Carpaccio, I’m Angus, Chesa Bianca, Santi’s)
***2012 winner: Annabel Wisniewski of Raintree
Photo: Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets Facebook page
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