This year’s The Choice Awards is special because:
• It is our 5th year anniversary in honoring Manila’s favorite restaurants, hotels, and personalities through a popular vote,
• We had the biggest response rate with 3,438 respondents to the survey last July 1-31, 2019, and
• The awarding was attended by the restaurateurs and who’s who of the food industry in Manila.
Thank you to all the people who voted and supported The Choice Awards 2019!
About The Choice Awards
We’re now in a Golden Age of Philippine Restaurants and Hotels that we’ve never experienced before.
In the first six months of this year alone, over 500 new restaurants opened … and that’s only all over Metro Manila! The construction boom in hotels and resorts all over the country is likewise accelerating at a rapid pace.
Every month, every week, and almost every day it seems, there’s a new restaurant opening its doors. There are a lot of great new dining choices, side by side with the perennials, the classics that we grew up with. As food bloggers, writers, and members of the F&B industry, we’re always very curious about the crowd favorites. The popular vote, if you will. What are the beloved favorites? Let the voice of the people be heard!
Our Awesome Planet, the country’s #1 food blog and one of the Top 50 travel blogs in the world; and the Food Writer and Blogger Collective known as the KTG (Kain Tulog Gang); together with the prestigious World Food Expo (WOFEX), The Ultimate Food Show Experience, have partnered to conduct the People’s Choice for the Favorite Food, Restaurants, Hotels, and Chefs …. Or simply, “The Choice”.
Since our first ceremony in 2015, The Choice Awards have become more influential every year, and are now considered to be the most prestigious People’s Choice Honors in the F&B Industry. Through the first four years, we have celebrated the Best of the Best, and have elevated the most beloved restaurants to the Hall of Fame after winning their category three times. This year, we celebrate our landmark Year V!
We conducted an intense first round of voting among ourselves, and our resulting Finalist Lists have made us very pleased: we feel it’s a very diverse and fair representation of all our favorites from many diverse categories.
The Choice 2019 Awarding Ceremonies happened at The Ultimate Taste Test 10th Year Anniversary Edition:
📆: August 31, 2019, Saturday
⏰: 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm
🏢: SMX Convention Center Aura, Taguig
Official Hashtag: #TheChoice2019
And The Choice 2019 Awards goes to…
Your Fave Comfort Food
1). What is your favorite Burger (Fast Food and Gourmet)? JOLLIBEE
Hall of Fame: Burger King [Fast Food] 👑(2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
8 Cuts [Gourmet] 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
2. What is your favorite Pizza? S&R
Hall of Fame: Yellow Cab 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2017) • 👑 (2018)
3. What is your favorite Fried Chicken? JOLLIBEE
Hall of Fame: KFC 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
4. What is your favorite Crispy Pata? MAX’S
Hall of Fame: Barrio Fiesta 👑(2015) • 👑 (2017) • 👑 (2018)
5). What is your favorite Lechon? LYDIA’S
Hall of Fame: Elar’s 👑(2015) • 👑 (2017) • 👑(2018)
6). What is your favorite Steak? HOUSE OF WAGYU
Hall of Fame: Mamou 👑(2016) • 👑(2017) • 👑(2018)
7). What is your favorite Sisig? DENCIO’S
Hall of Fame: Gerry’s Grill 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑(2017)
8). What is your favorite BBQ? AMBER
Hall of Fame: Aristocrat 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
9). What is your favorite Sausage/ Hotdog? JOLLIBEE
Hall of Fame: S&R 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
10). What is your favorite Ramen? IPPUDO
Hall of Fame: Ramen Nagi 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
Fave Desserts and Pastries, Beverages and Booze
11). What is your favorite Donut? J.CO
Hall of Fame: Krispy Kreme 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑(2017)
12). What is your favorite Ensaymada? HIZON’S
Hall of Fame: Mary Grace 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
13). What is your favorite Cookie? MO’
14). What is your favorite Ice Cream/ Gelato? CARMEN’S BEST
Hall of Fame: Dairy Queen 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
15). What is your favorite Milk Tea? COCO
16). What is your Favorite Bakeshop? CARA MIA
Hall of Fame: Conti’s 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑(2017)
17). What is your favorite Coffee Shop? COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF
Hall of Fame: Starbucks 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
18). What is your favorite 24/7 restaurant?
Hall of Fame: North Park 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
19). What is your favorite Cocktail Bar? THE PEAK
Hall of Fame: ABV 👑(2016) • 👑(2017) • 👑(2018)
Favorite Restaurant based on Cuisine
20). What is your favorite Filipino restaurant? MANAM
Hall of Fame: Locavore 👑(2016) • 👑 (2017) • 👑(2018)
21). What is your favorite American restaurant? TGI FRIDAY’S
Hall of Fame: Chili’s 👑(2016) • 👑 (2017) • 👑(2018)
22). What is your favorite Chinese restaurant? DIN TAI FUNG
Hall of Fame: Gloria Maris 👑(2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑(2017)
23). What is your favorite Korean restaurant? SAMGYUPSALAMAT
Hall of Fame: Bulgogi Brothers 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
24). What is your favorite Japanese restaurant? YABU
25). What is your favorite Mexican restaurant? SILANTRO
Hall of Fame: El Chupacabra 👑(2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑(2017)
26). What is your favorite Spanish restaurant? DULCINEA
Hall of Fame: Alba’s 👑(2016) • 👑(2017) • 👑(2018)
27). What is your favorite Italian restaurant? ITALIANNI’S
Hall of Fame: Amici* 👑(2015) • 👑(2017) • 👑(2018)
28). What is your Favorite Latin American restaurant? SEÑOR POLLO
29). What is your Favorite European restaurant? OLD SWISS INN
Specialty Restaurants Best for…
30). What is your favorite Buffet restaurant? VIKINGS
Hall of Fame: Niu by Vikings 👑(2016) • 👑(2017) • 👑(2018)
31). What is your favorite Fine Dining restaurant? BLACKBIRD
Hall of Fame: Antonio’s 👑 (2015) • 👑 (2016) • 👑 (2017)
32). What is your favorite Fast Food restaurant? MCDONALD’S
Hall of Fame: Jollibee 👑(2015) • 👑(2016) • 👑(2017) 
HOTEL AWARDS
33). What is your favorite Metro Manila 5-Star Hotel? SOFITEL
34). What is your Favorite Resort Hotel? DISCOVERY SHORES BORACAY
35). What is your Favorite Hotel Buffet? HEAT
Hall of Fame: Spiral @ Sofitel 👑(2015) • 👑(2016) • 👑(2017)
36). What is your favorite Specialty Hotel restaurant? SUMMER PALACE
PRESTIGE AWARDS
37). What is your favorite restaurant with the Best Service? MAMOU
Hall of Fame: House of Wagyu 👑(2015) 👑(2017) 👑(2018)
38). What is your Favorite Classic restaurant (1988 and older)? VIA MARE
Aristocrat 👑(2017), Max’s 👑(2018)
39). What is your favorite New Resto opened July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019? SHAKE SHACK
Tim Ho Wan 👑 (2015), Din Tai Fung 👑 (2016), Poke Poke 👑 (2017), Fyre 👑 (2018)
40). Who is your favorite Chef? MARGARITA FORES
Cyrille Soenen 👑(2015), Tonyboy Escalante 👑(2016) & 👑(2017), Kel Zaguirre 👑(2018)
Chef Margarita Fores inspiring acceptance speech during The Choice Awards 2019!
Final Thoughts
Congratulations to all The Choice 2019 Awards Winners!
Cheers to Manila’s Favorite Restaurants of 2019!
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our Awesome Planet is a co-founder of The Choice Awards. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. About The Choice 2019 Respondents
