MANILA, Philippines - It all started as a school project.
Mikey Belmonte, grandson of the late Betty Go Belmonte, founding chairman of The Philippine STAR and son of STAR president and CEO Miguel G. Belmonte, was compelled by the idea of a new magazine that would chronicle and recommend the best restaurants in Metro Manila, old and new.
Two years ago, the first issue of Let’s Eat was released; it was a small magazine with a lean team, but with very big ambitions: to have the best content and the best photographs of the dining destinations featured every month. Mikey was publisher, Don Jaucian the editor, Gabby Cantero took the photos, and Spanky Enriquez took care of churning reviews. By the end of 2014, after a year and a half, Let’s Eat officially became a part of the Star Group of Publications. It’s now distributed nationwide every last Sunday of the month, and it’s become one of the most trusted and most popular magazines among passionate amateur foodies and by respected professionals in the F&B world.
The transition to television was almost preordained; in our current culinary-obsessed media culture, a show featuring the most interesting restaurants in the country becomes essential. That’s how Let’s Eat move to TV was envisioned by Philippine STAR SVP for sales and marketing Lucien Dy Tioco.
Finding the hosts for the new show was not difficult; it turns out, both are already members of The STAR family.
Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi has been in the food industry for years, as a restaurateur and as a food columnist for the broadsheet, while Spanky Enriquez was a PBA sportscaster before becoming a marketing and social media consultant for some of the best restaurants in the country.
The fantastic duo, cheerfully gregarious and highly opinionated, promise to deliver a not-so-ordinary 30-minute dining show and to delve deeper into what makes a restaurant successful, what secrets their chefs can share and what makes their dishes special. It’ll be a smart and witty exploration of all things appetizing. The hosts have agreed to disagree, and their “He said, She Said” repartee ought to make for very spicy TV.
STAR lifestyle columnists and culinary experts themselves Claude Tayag and Cheryl Tiu will also serve as segment hosts.
Let’s Eat TV premieres on Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. on Lifestyle Network. Regular episodes will air every Wednesday, 8 p.m., on Lifestyle Network with replays on the same channel every Thursday, 11:30 a.m.