Two of the Philippines’ first Michelin-Selected restaurants discovered their recognition in unexpected ways following the release of the country’s inaugural Michelin Guide.
El Poco Cantina owner Richard Ken “Tots” Ramirez admitted he initially dismissed the notification as a phishing email.
“We got Michelin Selected without me even knowing because I blocked the email. I thought the email was a phishing scam,” Ramirez said in the screenshot.
“Yes I’m at home and I am in tears and shock. Thank you so much El Poco fam for making this happen. Akala ko scam yung Michelin. Selected po tayo!!” he also captioned his post.
The restaurant, which specializes in Mexican dishes, particularly birria tacos, was recognized for delivering exceptional quality and value, earning a spot among the first Michelin-Selected establishments in the country.
READ: FULL LIST: Michelin-selected restaurants in Philippines
Similarly, Toni Potenciano, co-owner and creative director of Asian restaurant, Kodawari Salcedo, only discovered her restaurant’s recognition after the invitation landed in her spam folder.
The revelation came amid a hectic week: her phone was stolen, she spent hours filing a police report, and she had two wisdom teeth removed.
In a social media post geotagged “Sa bahay lang”, she wrote, “Literally found out after that we had an invite to the @michelinguide awarding, which went to our SPAM!!! Wow. Kodawari Salcedo is a Michelin-selected restaurant. Salcedo!!” Potenciano shared.
“Congratulations to the entire Salcedo team who have been with us since we first opened our doors and had no idea what we were doing!!” she added.
El Poco Cantina and Kodawari Salcedo were among the 74 Michelin-Selected restaurants.
A total of 108 establishments and individuals were recognized across categories, including Michelin Stars, Michelin Selected, Bib Gourmand and Special Awards.
READ: FULL LIST: Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand and Special Award recipients in the Philippines | FULL LIST: Michelin-starred Restaurants in the Philippines
