Abi Marquez Honored at Inaugural DGF Food Video Awards

NYMA talent and food content creator Abi Marquez, fondly known online as the “Lumpia Queen,” continues to make waves in the Filipino food scene after receiving an Honorable Mention at the first-ever Doreen Gamboa Fernandez (DGF) Short Food Video Awards for her entry, “Plantanillas.”

Celebrating Filipino heritage through sweet storytelling

Abi’s award-winning entry spotlights a rare Kapampangan dessert called plantanillas—a delicate confection made by simmering egg yolks in sugar syrup to create a thin, crepe-like base. Traditionally, it’s wrapped around latik and folded into a shape reminiscent of a banana or plantain.

In her short film, Abi documents the Carreon family’s version of the recipe, which uniquely replaces latik with carabao milk pastillas. The video beautifully intertwines the scarcity of ingredients—particularly the elusive carabao milk—and the Carreon family’s guardianship of this heirloom recipe with the dessert’s richness, creaminess, and subtle nostalgia. Through her storytelling, Abi reminds viewers that Filipino desserts, like memories, often carry both sweetness and sentiment.

Honoring culinary storytelling

The 22nd Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Awards and the 1st DGF Short Food Video Awards were held on September 20, 2025, at Palm Grove, Rockwell Makati. Organized by the Food Writers Association of the Philippines (FWAP) and the Rockwell Club, the event celebrated the art of preserving and reimagining Filipino culinary heritage.

Judging the inaugural Short Food Video Awards were director Gio Puyat, food magazine editor and cookbook author Nina Daza Puyat, chef Myrna Segismundo, and food and travel content creator Erwan Heussaff, founder of FEATR Media.

A passion for Filipino food and storytelling

“This honor means so much to me,” Abi shared. “As food creators, we all owe so much to the legacy of Doreen Gamboa Fernandez, whose work continues to inspire how we tell stories about our food. I’ll continue to shine the light on different aspects of Filipino cuisine—its flavors, its stories, and its soul.”

Empowering creators to preserve culture

NYMA Chief Operating Officer Kat Bautista emphasized that this milestone highlights NYMA’s commitment to nurturing creators who are deeply engaged in their chosen fields.

“At NYMA, we encourage our talents to embrace lifelong learning and deepen their expertise,” Bautista said. “Abi’s Plantanillas is more than a food video—it’s a step toward education and preservation of Filipino food heritage. Her love for local cuisine continues to evolve into meaningful storytelling that inspires others to rediscover our roots.”

Watch “Plantanillas”

Filipino food lovers can watch Abi’s award-winning video “Plantanillas” on her Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages — a sweet tribute to Filipino ingenuity, nostalgia, and culinary pride.