(From left) Gordon Ramsay, Judy Ann Santos, and Abi Marquez. Images: Instagram/@officialjudayph, @abigailfmarquez
It was a dream come true for Judy Ann Santos and content creator Abi Marquez as they had the chance to show off their cooking skills to award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay.
Ramsay is currently in the Philippines to visit his eponymous upscale restaurant at a hotel in Pasay City, interact with fellow chefs and food connoisseurs, host a cooking demonstration, and oversee plans to open more restaurants in the country, among other engagements.
One of the highlights of the celebrity chef’s visit was the cooking demonstration at a hotel ballroom on Monday, January 20, which included Santos, content creator Ninong Ry, and two other individuals.
During the demo, Santos, Ry, and the other participants were asked to prepare a halo-halo where they brought their respective ingredients. The award-winning actress’ interpretation of the classic dessert includes black sesame, nata de coco, fermented coconut juice, coconut milk, and cheese.
Photos of Santos at the demo were posted on the social media platforms of Official Juday PH on the same day.
“Chef Judy Ann as one of the celebrity guests for Gordon Ramsay in Manila. It was Chef Juday’s honor to prepare her version of halo-halo for Gordon Ramsay to taste and know of,”
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The actress also interacted with Ramsay while preparing her dish and posed for photos with the latter, as seen in separate posts.
“In action for Gordon Ramsay in Manila – our lovely Chef Judy Ann. Preparing and conversing about a dish with Gordon Ramsay is a dream come true moment,” one of the posts read.
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Gordon meets the ‘Lumpia Queen’
Meanwhile, Marquez took her viral “lumpia wrapper” fame a notch higher as she took on Ramsay’s challenge to make an upgrade of the latter’s signature Beef Wellington.
Ramsay’s challenge started after the “Hell’s Kitchen” host dared Marquez to put a Beef Wellington inside a lumpia wrapper in the comments section of the latter’s TikTok post, where she did a crab cake lumpia.
@abigailfmarquez Crab cakes but make it Lumpia 🦀🤤 #food #foodlovers #foodlover #foodieph #foodie #delicious #fyp #tiktokfood #foodtok #recipe #cooking #foodlover #delicious #yummy #abimarquez #lumpiaqueen ♬ original sound – Abi Marquez
Challenge accepted, Ramsay was delighted when Marquez finally presented him with her version of the beef wellington, named after the English duke who bested France’s Napolean Bonaparte in the historic Battle of Waterloo. Her
“Abi!” he greeted her, much to the self-taught chef’s surprise.
“You know me?” she said.
“Do I know you? The whole internet knows you!”