MANILA'S BEST 2014 (MBKRS) - Ballot One

MANILA'S BEST 2014 by Manila's Best Kept Restaurant Secrets

Welcome to the first ballot of Manila’s Best 2014, the MBKRS Awards. You will shortly be casting your votes for the best our city’s restaurant industry has to offer.

BACKGROUND
It all started one night in 2006 when we decided over dinner at a hidden restaurant in Alabang that the city needed a beautifully laid-out coffee-table book featuring Manila’s most loved restaurants. Two years later, our dream had become a reality and the book a success.

As we went on a book tour at various restaurants and bookstores, we were struck by the number of times we were asked this singular question: “which is the best restaurant?” Confident there must be a way to arrive at a satisfactory answer, we surveyed restaurant industry leaders we had met in the process of writing our book, and concluded that an Oscars-style awards event may very well be what our good city needs.

AWARDS
The rest is history. And we couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support: the judges, our sponsors, and the public at large. This year, Manila will celebrate its fourth MBKRS Awards, recognizing excellence in the city’s dining scene. There are 30 award categories, 150 nominees (five per category), over 200 judges, well over 50 media partners, and one unforgettable night of pomp and circumstance.

Critical to the MBKRS Awards’ success is its “academy” of judges, which consists of individuals distinguished in the restaurant industry and other related fields. These judges vote in two ballots: the first in August to determine the nominees for each award category, and the second in October to determine the winners. The judges are mainly chefs, restaurant owners, food critics, editors of lifestyle publications, hotel senior management, educators, government officials, and celebrity foodies. This is by the industry for the industry.

VOTE
By filling out this ballot, you accept our invitation to be part of this exclusive group. The results of your votes will be shared with the world at a major press conference in September, followed by a second ballot in October. As in previous years, top accounting firm SGV & Co. reviews the integrity of the voting system, and the winners are announced at the awarding gala held at the country’s top hospitality school Enderun in November, where you will be our guest of honor.

In a minute, you will be voting on the following major award categories:

- Cuisine
- Specialty
- Hotel Restaurants
- Individual Achievement

Thank you very much for accepting our invitation and we trust you will enjoy the next fifteen to twenty minutes as you vote for your favorites. We would also like to thank our corporate sponsors Zing Rewards, City Delivery, and all of our other sponsors without whom these awards would not be possible.

Sincerely,

Elian Habayeb & Ines Cabarrus-Habayeb

Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets
Suite 702 Syjuco Bel-Air Bldg, 46 Polaris Street
Makati City, Philippines 1209
Telefax: 897.0087

[email protected] 0917.538.3264
[email protected] 0917.816.0413

Since 2006 “the Oscars of Manila’s restaurant industry”

www.mbkrs.org

Please click "I Agree" and access the ballot now by clicking on the Continue button below.

I Agree

* RESTAURANT AWARDS BY CUISINE
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If you don't see a restaurant you believe belongs in the category, choose "other" and write in your choice. The ballot will be updated daily to include your nominee for other judges to vote on.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST ITALIAN restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner VA BENE is not competing this year. There's a category for restaurants specializing in pizza later in the ballot.

* Reigning champs do not compete this year. They sit this one out. They'll be eligible again in 2016.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST FRENCH restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner BRASSERIE CICOU is not competing this year.

* If you're not familiar with a restaurant category, choose at least one (1).

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST SPANISH restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner TERRY'S SELECTION is not competing this year.

* MANILA'S BEST is all about homegrown restaurants. International concepts and restaurant brands are not eligible for nomination.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST JAPANESE restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner SUGI is not competing this year.

* The organizers strongly discourage judges from voting for restaurants that they have not personally experienced, so as to avoid unfairly skewing the results away from other deserving nominees.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST CHINESE restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner HAI SHIN LOU is not competing this year.

* This is the fine dining category. There is another further down for modern casual dining.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST CONTINENTAL CUISINE? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner SALA is not competing this year.

* Except for "Best Newcomer", restaurants may only be nominated one award category.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST THAI restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner PEOPLE'S PALACE is not competing this year.

* Although they will add most suggestions made by judges, the organizers reserve the right to refuse adding a nomination suggested by judges.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST FILIPINO restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner ABE is not competing this year.

* The top five (5) restaurants in each award category will become official nominees for MANILA'S BEST 2014, and will be voted on by the judges in the second and final ballot (October).

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST MIDDLE-EASTERN restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner HOSSEIN'S PERSIAN KEBAB is not competing this year.

* You will be notified when the nominees for each award category have been announced, and you will then vote for only one choice in each category for the win.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST KOREAN restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner KAYA is not competing this year.

* Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST INDIAN restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner NEW BOMBAY is not competing this year.

* This is a new category!

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST MEXICAN restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

CHIHUAHUA recuses itself from the competition since it is owned by the organizers.

* This is the "catch all" category for excellent restaurants whose cuisine does not have a sufficient number of contenders to warrant its own category.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST SPECIALTY CUISINE? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner CORNER TREE CAFE is not competing this year.

* SPECIALIZED RESTAURANT AWARDS
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These restaurants are best known for their steaks.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST STEAKHOUSE? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner ELBERT'S STEAKHOUSE is not competing this year

* These restaurants serve Western comfort food.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST MODERN CASUAL DINING restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner SALA BISTRO is not competing this year.

* These restaurants serve designer burgers.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST BURGER JOINT? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner CHARLIE'S GRIND & GRILL is not competing this year.

* This is a new category. These restaurants specialize in pizza.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST PIZZA? (Select up to THREE)

Local brands only!

* Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST BAR? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner M CAFE is not competing this year.

* This is a new category.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST NIGHTCLUB? (Select up to THREE)

* This is also a new category.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST COFFEE SHOP? (Select up to THREE)

Remember: local concepts only.

* Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST DESSERT, ICE CREAM AND CAKE SHOP? (Select up to THREE)

2012 winner THE CAKE CLUB is not competing this year.

* These are restaurants that were not yet around at the time of the previous awards.

Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST NEWCOMER? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is WILDFLOUR CAFE + BAKERY.

* HOTEL RESTAURANTS
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Which should be nominated for MANILA'S BEST INTERNATIONAL BUFFET? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is SPIRAL (SOFITEL).

* Which should be nominated MANILA'S BEST FINE DINING hotel restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is IMPRESSIONS (MAXIMS).

* Which should be nominated MANILA'S BEST SPECIALTY CUISINE hotel restaurant? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is SHANG PALACE (MAKATI SHANGRIL-LA).

* Which should be nominated MANILA'S BEST HOTEL BAR? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is SALON DE NING (PENINSULA).

* INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
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Who should be nominated MANILA'S BEST EMERGING TALENT? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is MARTIN WISNIEWSKI (Raintree Restaurants).

* Who should be nominated MANILA'S BEST CHEF? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is J. GAMBOA (Tsukiji, Azuthai, Cirkulo, Milky Way).

* Who should be nominated MANILA'S BEST RESTAURANT GROUP ENTREPRENEUR? (Select up to THREE)

2012's winner is ANABELLE WISNIEWSKI (Raintree).

Celebrating excellence in Manila's restaurant industry since 2006 www.mbkrs.org