The new Food Heroes

MANILA, Philippines - After a four-month search across the Asia-Pacific, the Asian Food Channel and Food Network have crowned their new Food Heroes, Ili Sulayman of Malaysia and Debbie Wong of Hong Kong, at the show’s finale last September in Singapore.

Ili and Debbie will go on to host their own food-centred show just as the winners of the previous Food Hero search did. Food Hero 2014 Sarah Benjamin of Singapore now stars in Must Try! Asia and Michele Lean from Malaysia stars in Food Wars Asia.

Along with five finalists, Debbie and Ili were judged based on their performance in a series of food-based challenges, interviews, screen tests, and most of all, on their abilities to engage with the viewers both on-air and in person. For the finale, they were tasked to prepare a dish with a Miyazaki ribeye steak as its main ingredient.

Debbie served an Ancho chilli-crusted Miyazaki ribeye with red pepper Shiso Salsa and Mexican Summer Slaw, while Ili cooked the Miyazaki ribeye with garlic mashed potato served with seared tomato and fresh baby rockets. Their winning dishes, along with their overall performance, won them the competition.          

Before becoming the new Food Hero, Ili was the founder of her own food delivery service called “Dish  by Ili” that serves healthy homemade meals to families in Malaysia. Her cooking style is heavily influenced by her mix of Malay, Chinese, English and Sri Lankan heritage. She is the second Malaysian to claim the title of Food Hero.

Ili says, “Like many Malaysians, food occupies a very special place in my heart. Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve found myself drawn towards food, cooking for myself and for others, as well as teaching and making cooking fun. Winning Food Hero is a dream come true for me, giving me another platform to make lives better through food.”

Debbie is a passionate food lover who stars in her own online YouTube series, Wok and Gong. Having been exposed to different cultures in many diverse cities, she enjoys cooking modern comfort food that are simple, straightforward and globally inspired.

“I grew up watching Food Network, and now to have been given the opportunity to be on it is truly a dream come true. The whole Food Hero competition has been such a surreal and truly joyful experience and I’m so excited to see what Scripps Networks has in store for me,” Debbie shares.

Food Hero is an ongoing talent search campaign by Scripps Networks Interactive in Asia. For details, visit www.foodhero.asia or download the Food Hero application available on the App Store and Google Play.