Filipino chef wins Asian pasta championship in Malaysia

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December 14, 2025 | 12:50pm

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino chefs are at par with the best in Asia. Another Filipino chef, Aaron Joseph Gulinao, has proven this once again when he emerged as the winner in the recently concluded Barilla Pasta Championship Asia 2025 grand finals held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In an intense culinary competition aimed at celebrating and elevating Italian gastronomy, some of Asia’s most promising chefs battled it out for pasta supremacy.

Organized by Barilla for Professionals, the competition saw talented chefs from China, Japan, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore going through two phases of culinary challenge.

First, they had to go through national selections in their own home countries to clinch the National Winner title. The National Winners headed for Malaysia for the grand finals, where the Philippines’ very own Chef Aaron bested them all with his Spaghetti in Alaminos Longganisa Ragu with Smoked Kesong Puti. 

The winning dish was based on classic Carbonara given a Filipino twist — Chef Aaron’s wife’s love for Alaminos Longganisa, a pork sausage from Alaminos, Pangasinan. But to cater to local dietary preferences in Malaysia, Chef Aaron substituted the pork filling with beef instead, and he paired it with a mousse made with Smoked Kesong Puti from his hometown in Bulacan. He garnished it with calamansi zest and crispy Chicharon.

For these ingenious twists and combinations, Chef Aaron earned the nod of the distinguished panel of judges during the grand finals.

Making up the panel were award-winning chefs and culinary experts from across Asia, such as Nicola Filippi, associate director of global food service for Barilla Group; Chef Andrea Tranchero, executive chef of Barilla Asia Pacific; Chef Pele Kuah, deputy president of Professional Culinaire Association (PCA) of Malaysia; and Prof. Patrick Siau, head of the Department of Culinary and Food Studies, Sunway University. Their combined expertise brought a wealth of international and regional perspectives to the grand finals and led to the selection of Chef Aaron’s dish for its superior technique, refined presentation, and elevated flavor.  

“Winning the title of Barilla Pasta Champion has been a great honor and a dream come true for me. I am deeply proud and truly grateful that the judges appreciated my take on Italian cuisine, inspired by Filipino flavors that are very close to my heart,” said Chef Aaron. “This recognition inspires me to keep pushing boundaries and to explore the endless possibilities of pasta and Italian cuisine. I cannot wait to deepen my knowledge in Parma, learn from some of the best chefs in the world, and bring those experiences back to my own kitchen.” 

Placing second was Chef Jung Chul Lee of South Korea while Chef Felix Chong of Singapore landed in third place. Chef Felix also earned the Media’s Choice Award, a new recognition evaluated by attending regional media during the grand finals.

All three top winners will embark on an exclusive, all-expenses-paid culinary tour to Parma, Italy, which is the UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy and the home of Barilla. The winners will engage with top chefs and industry leaders. Each of the top three finalists also took home cash prizes of up to €3,000.

 “We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible talent of this year’s national winners and congratulate Chef Aaron on his well-deserved victory. Barilla remains committed to collaborating with chefs in the region to create recipes that truly resonate with pasta lovers across Asia. We look forward to sharing our passion for Italian gastronomy with more chefs and diners across Asia,” said Chef Andrea.

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