Cheers to 10 years!  

The author with the legendary Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc—MARGAUX SALCEDO

Dear readers of First Class,

First of all, I would like to thank all of you for following my column here at the Business section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer for 10 years. Can you believe it’s been 10 years?! How fast time flies!

In fact—at the risk of carbon dating myself—my life with Inquirer has been longer. Since I started at Inquirer as a food writer, it will be 20 years next year! I started out as a contributor for the lifestyle section under then Lifestyle editor Chelo Banal Formoso and was blessed with a column as a food critic with the title Menu in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine, which ran for seven years. After that, I was transferred to the Lifestyle section, then moved to the Business section where First Class was born.

THROUGH THE YEARS Clockwise: The author with Chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli, Chef Alain Ducasse, Chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana and Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry —PHOTOS BY MARGAUX SALCEDO

If an old post from Facebook—my post announcing the column 10 years ago—hadn’t popped up in my feed, I wouldn’t have realized it myself!

First Class started in September of 2014, when I was reassigned to the Business section by our editor-in-chief at the time, the late but forever legendary Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc (LJM).

This column was originally named Business Class but later I was “upgraded” by LJM to First Class.

Over 10 years, we have had a front row—first class—seat to gastronomic events and restaurants; the birth, death and ‘rebirth’ of chefs; and more.

From becoming the first Filipino to be a member of the jury of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants (for a couple of years, the only one), to becoming the first Filipino member of the jury of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (in its premier year the only Filipino); to becoming the country editor for the Miele Guide, the first authoritative guide to restaurants in Asia; to supporting Madrid Fusion Manila; and many more milestones in Pinoy gastronomy, it has been exciting to witness the Philippines grow from an unknown treasure of foodie finds to an exciting sought-after gastronomic destination in Southeast Asia.

However, after 10 years, it is now time to conclude this column. My next destination is public service as I now focus on my work as undersecretary at the Department of Budget and Management.

I am proud to report that I have never missed submitting my column so I will miss this column terribly. As I disembark from this delicious flight, allow me to say thank you to the great Letty Magsanoc, whom we at the Inquirer seek to honor every day of our writing careers, my editors in the Business section Tina Arceo- Dumlao and Doris Dumlao-Abadilla, and the desk team, especially Princess Daisy Ominga whom I have never met in person but who patiently always follows up with us writers. Thank you for the opportunity to write for the Inquirer and to grow both the power of my pen and sharpness of my palate in the process.

Thank you for the most delicious ride. It has truly been First Class!!