The culinary world has lost one of its own. Chef Margarita Forés has passed away at the age of 65. Her son, Amado Forés, shared the news on social media, writing, “It is with a heavy heart that I share the sudden passing of my mom, Margarita A. Forés. Our family is mourning this unexpected loss, and we kindly ask for your prayers during this time. We will be able to share more in due time.”
As family, friends, and fans mourn her loss, learn more about her legacy with five facts that News47.us has rounded up.
Margarita Araneta Forés was born on March 23, 1959, in the Philippines.
According to multiple outlets, Margarita was never married. While she kept her personal life private, she did share a photo of Amado’s father, Danding, on his birthday on February 23, 2020.
In 1997, she launched her own Italian restaurant, Cibo. On the restaurant’s website, she shared the story behind its creation, “In 1987, I began my journey in Italy, learning how to cook from three Italian signoras. I learned a very home-style approach to cooking. With sessions in their kitchens in the mornings, lessons about the best and freshest ingredients in the markets over lunch, and dinners at different restaurants in the evenings, they shared priceless knowledge and wisdom about the country’s cuisine and culture with me.”
She continued, “I came back home and spent nearly a decade sharing my new-found passion, cooking in people’s homes, slowly learning the ropes of a career in the food industry. In 1997, I finally opened my first CIBO, a modern Italian caffé-paninoteca, inspired by the mushrooming panino places in the cities of Milan and Rome. Since then, we have grown, proudly serving a wide range of authentic Italian dishes—antipasti, zuppe, insalate, paste, pizze, secondi piatti, dolci and bevande. We continue to thrive at many locations in the city, bringing this real, modern taste of Italy to Manila.”
