Inquirer Lifestyle Food Awards

It has been a long time coming and this year, Inquirer Lifestyle is awarding the best of the best in the Filipino culinary scene with the first Inquirer Food Awards.

The Awards aims to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of exceptional chefs, restaurants, and culinary professionals, and to provide a sense of pride and accomplishment within the culinary community.

With these awards, it is the goal of Inquirer Lifestyle to encourage chefs and restaurants to push boundaries and experiment with new flavors and techniques, thereby uplifting the standards of the Filipino food scene. We also aim to bring attention to local, independent restaurants and food entrepreneurs and foster a thriving culinary ecosystem.

These awards will also help consumers discover new and exciting dining experiences and set a benchmark for quality and inspire higher standards within the industry.

The Inquirer Food Awards has two divisions, and it distinguishes itself by its unique validation process. The winners of the first division of Inquirer Food Awards will be determined and deliberated by a body of jurors, a select set of 30 industry professionals—chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and bartenders, F&B consultants, front of house and managers—from a selected set of nominees. No nominees will be included in the body of jurors.

The Inquirer Food Awards also stands out from the rest by incorporating a crucial element: the voice of the public. The second division of Inquirer Food Awards embraces the power of the popular vote. This inclusion ensures that the winners truly reflect the preferences and admiration of the broader community, making the award a truly representative reflection of public sentiment.

And that’s where you come in, our dear readers. You may cast your vote from a list of selected categories beginning Jan. 6. Voting ends Jan. 31 at 12 midnight.

There are several ways to cast your vote:

1) Via inqnews.net/INQFandBawards2025. Each vote from this site will count as 1 vote. You may vote once per day.
2) Via InquirerPlus (subscription required). Each vote from our digital paper will count as 2 votes. You may vote once per day.
3) Via the printed paper. Each vote from the printed paper counts as 5 votes. The voting form or ballot must be filled out manually and cut out and sent to: Marketing Department, Media Resource Plaza, Mola corner Pasong Tirad Streets, La Paz, Makati City 1204. Photocopying the newspaper ballot will not be allowed. Ballots must be received by 12 midnight on Jan. 31.

Inquirer Lifestyle has a deep understanding of the Filipino food scene. Our reporters, editors, and food columnists have years of experience dining out, building relationships with chefs and restaurateurs, and observing the evolution of the culinary landscape.

It is with this expertise, credibility, and commitment to objective evaluation, that we can effectively serve as arbiters of culinary excellence and play a significant role in shaping the local food scene, and hopefully inspire higher standards within the Filipino F&B industry.