The grand champion of this year’s Yoshinoya Gyudon Eating Contest, Zermatt Liang Zhaoyuan, receiving his prizes from Cebu Pacific promotions specialist Tracy Manlangit, Yoshinoya’s Timothy James Yang, and Embassy of Japan counselor Tatsuo Kitagawa
JUST how many generous servings of Yoshinoya’s Gyudon (Beef Bowl) can you finish in 15 minutes? One? Maybe two? Perhaps three? Maximum of four? Impossible to go beyond that? What if I tell you that you stand to win Php150,000 if you finish more than eight bowls, would you try to do that?
Yoshinoya’s famous Gyudon or Beef Bowl
Eating their way to a Php150,000 cash prize plus a round-trip ticket to Japan courtesy of Cebu Pacific…
More of the action!
Well, more than 40 persons tried to do that when they put in their stake in the recently concluded Grand Finals of the Yoshinoya Gyudon Eating Contest 2014 held at the Glorietta 2 Activity Center, Ayala Center, Makati City last June 14, 2014. All weekly winners of the eating competition, which is the Philippines’ answer to Coney Island in New York’s world-famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, the ‘challengers’ tried to beat each other in finishing the most number of Beef Bowls within the 15-minute time frame with the least amount of leftovers.
All competitors put up a good fight, but, in the end, Zermatt Liang Zhaoyuan, a Singaporean who works as a personal trainer in his home country Singapore, successfully consumed eight bowls plus 75 grams of Gyudon to snatch this year’s grand championship and take home Php150,000 in cash plus a round-trip ticket to Japan courtesy of Cebu Pacific.
Grand champion Zermatt Liang Zhaoyuan working his way through eight bowls and 75 grams of Gyudon
A veteran of eating contests, having emerged as the winner of a ramen eating contest which he joined in Singapore last year (2013), Zermatt chanced upon the qualifying rounds of the Yoshinoya Gyudon Eating Contest during an earlier trip to Manila this year. When he became a weekly winner and qualified for the Grand Finals, he made a return trip to Manila in time for the Grand Finals of the Yoshinoya Gyudon Eating Contest and competed against all other weekly winners. The grand finalists were each assigned a number, and then asked to take their places among the long tables prepped with bowls upon bowls of Gyudon (*each bowl had been pre-weighed to make sure they all weigh exactly the same) and bottles of mineral water. The timer was set to 15 minutes and, at the mark, everyone began eating all at the same time. Each contestant stacked up the bowls that he (or she – yes, there was one female qualifier!) emptied, so the Yoshinoya staff could keep track. At the 15-minute mark, the number of empty bowls per contestant was counted, their leftovers gathered together and weighed, and then the figures were checked and double-checked to determine the Top Three winners.
Second placer Brendon Viernes receiving his prize
Wayne Algenio took third place
UNTV’s Rommel Balbin emerged on top in the Media Category
Zermatt took the grand championship by a hairline margin over second placer Brendon Viernes, who won for himself a Php50,000 cash prize, while third place went to Wayne Algenio, who received his cash prize of Php25,000. The other grand finalists, however, did not go home empty-handed, as each of them pocketed a consolation prize of Yoshinoya gift certificates worth Php20,000.
Also awarded was Rommel Balbin of UNTV, who was adjudged the Media category winner of the 4th Yoshinoya Gyudon Eating Contest. As such, he was given a Php50,000 cash prize plus a round-trip ticket to Japan courtesy of Cebu Pacific Air.
The winners received their prizes from Yoshinoya Philippines’ top man, Timothy James Yang; Tatsuo Kitagawa, Counselor, Embassy of Japan; and Tracy Manlangit, promotions specialist, Cebu Pacific Air.
Sponsors of this year’s Yoshinoya Gyudon Eating Contest were this website/blog, Flavors of Life.com.ph; along with Munchpunch, Cook Magazine, DZIQ 990AM, Manila Bulletin, Mogu Mogu, My Phone, Manila Ocean Park, IBC 13, Pilipino Star Ngayon, HerWord.com, Jam 88.3, and Cebu Pacific.