Negrense Margarita Araneta Forés, who has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef, has opened her 17th Cibo branch, which serves Italian cuisine, at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City.
It is also the first Cibo restaurant outside Metro Manila.
Forés, who has roots in Bago City, said they are so happy that they opened in Bacolod because of the overwhelming customer response.
Forés said 60 percent of the ingredients at her Bacolod restaurant are sourced from Negros Occidental.
“The only things that are irreplaceable for us are the parmesan cheese, the good Italian olive oil, some of the cured meats and the pasta from Italy,” she said.
Ninety percent of their staff at the Bacolod restaurant are Negrenses and the 10 percent from Manila are only the key people who are still training, Forés said.
“We are here to stay and get bigger in Negros,” she said, pointing out that her grandparents were from Bago City.
“My lolo’s (Jesus Amado Araneta) biggest advise to me is to never forget where I came from and where we started” so that is why they opened their first restaurant outside Metro Manila in Bacolod, she said.
“Here in Bacolod what we would like to do is really showcase the produce and the work of artisans from the province,” she said,
They want to work with local producers to make the food industry in Negros so much more vibrant, Forés said.
She said the Bacolod Cibo is their first store where they are doing all the cooking and prepping on the premises unlike in Manila where they have a big commissary to serve their 16 restaurants.
So the food they serve in Bacolod is very fresh, Forés said.
Forés said her love for food began during her childhood days in Negros.
They also always had food from Negros on their tables in Manila, she said.
“It was a big part of my upbringing, it really influenced my love for food,” she said.*