Popular celebrity queen found dead in hotel room
A renowned Filipino chef and restaurateur, Margarita Forés has been dead in her Hong Kong hotel room.
Her family confirmed this in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Forés, aged 65, famous for championing her native cuisine and bringing authentic Italian fare to the Philippines, was found unresponsive in her room after missing a lunch meeting, according to Manila Standard.
The cause of her death remains unknown.
Her son Amado confirmed her passing in a post to his social media, writing: ‘Dear Friends and Family, 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. With gratitude Amado.’
Forés was named Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2016 after deciding on a career in the culinary world despite originally training as a public accountant.
She opened her first restaurant in 1997, Cibo, which serves Italian food. It now boasts over 20 different locations in the Philippines.
She had developed her love for Italian food while working in New York, going on to train in Italy before launching Cibo.
Recent posts to her Instagram, which has 90,00 followers, show her pictured with fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay – and on the front cover of magazine Tatler Asia.
