Vlad Bunoan

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Morning Sun Eatery

Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:881px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761895175350482301699_959198112994406_3394202059591466136_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Morning Sun Eatery/Facebook</em></span></span></span></div><p>While working as a nanny in Dubai, Elizabeth Mortera spent her spare time poring over dog-eared cookbooks, driven by a simple dream — to one day open a small eatery that could help her family make ends meet back home.</p><p>Three decades later, the dishes she serves at Morning Sun Eatery — the humble karinderya she built from that dream — have caught Michelin’s attention, earning her a Bib Gourmand and a place among the culinary greats.</p><p>“Pag may pangarap ka, may paraan. Nagbabasa lang ako ng cookbook. Sinabi sa akin ng amo ko, magbasa ka ng cookbook at magluto. &#x27;Pag may outing, ako magluluto,” Mortera, now 66, recalled in an interview at her establishment in Quezon City on Friday.</p><p>“Umuwi ako, inisip ko bumalik abroad para mapa-aral mga anak ko. Pero tinayo na lang namin ni mister para hindi na umalis,” she added.</p><p>The Bib Gourmand — a coveted distinction given to establishments that serve high-quality food at good value — came as a complete surprise to the Mortera family.</p><p>Before the announcement, they were unaware of the Michelin Guide, one of the most respected and prestigious restaurant rating systems in the world.</p><p>“May nag-email sa amin noong September na Michelin Guide. Binasa ko lang po. Hindi ako familiar. &#x27;Di ko nabalikan,” Lyn, the daughter of Elizabeth, who now runs the eatery, admitted.</p><p>“Nalaman lang namin kasi may mga pumunta agad na customers after awarding. Nabigla kami lahat dito. Ang dami nag-congratulate. Sabi nila, ‘Di niyo ba alam, super prestigious?’ Kahit sa Viber and Messenger, may mga nagtatanong kung bukas pa kami,” she added.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Following the Michelin Bib Gourmand announcement, Morning Sun Eatery received the highest no. of orders in its 30yrs<br/><br/>Lyn Mortera said they’ve seen a surge in inquiries since last night’s news and had already sold out their Ilocano specialties well before lunchtime <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/PdAqSJLnn5">pic.twitter.com/PdAqSJLnn5</a></p>— Anna Cerezo (@annacerezo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/annacerezo_/status/1984098240116224270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>After the Michelin Bib Gourmand announcement on Thursday night, Morning Sun Eatery recorded its highest number of orders in its three decades.</p><p>Long before lunch time on Friday, they had already sold out of their Ilocano specialties, such as dinakdakan and pork kilawen. </p><p>“Gabi pa lang ang dami na nagtatanong if bukas pa. Madaling araw ang dami nag-order, nagtatanong kung ano menu. Specialty namin na Ilocano dishes, ubos na agad. Kailangan magluto pa,” she enthused.</p><p>Several family members, including Elizabeth, who was already heading to La Union on October 30 for the long weekend, needed to rush back to help support the eatery.</p><p>“Sa ngayon po, pati pamangkin ko tumutulong. Pinakamarami na ito. Lahat ng pamangkin ko kailangan andito para tumulong,” Lyn revealed.</p><p>“Ngayon ako ulit magluluto na din. Mga anak ko na kasi ito talaga,” Elizabeth added.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761894867053viber_image_2025-10-31_14-24-11-131.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>While simple, each order tells a story — a recipe Elizabeth refined over time and shared with her children, born not just from her love of cooking but from her devotion to family.</p><p>“Alam mo, may dalawa na ako anak nakatapos HRM dahil sa Morning Sun Eatery. Isa sa canteen, isa naman chef sa Malta,” Elizabeth said.</p><p>“Dito kinuha pagpapaaral kasi ang hirap mabuhay. Ngayon pati apo ko napapaaral na din. Dito tumutulong parents nila. Morning Sun na rin nagpapaaral sa mga bata. Tiyaga lang. Hiram, bayad. Ang mahalaga may Morning Sun pa din kami,” she added.</p><p>While Elizabeth believes Morning Sun Eatery will still face challenges ahead, this new milestone also opens dreams she never thought possible — far from those days in Dubai when she could only dream of home.</p><p>“Ang saya-saya ko. Dahil lahat ito kay Lord. Siya talaga,” she enthused.</p><p>Morning Sun Eatery, located at 170 JP Rizal Street, Project 4, Quezon City, is among the 25 restaurants recognized with the Bib Gourmand by the first-ever Michelin Guide in the Philippines. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9a8QNJsgQHI?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IplhvHTgaLQ?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c16p7bmiB4g?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>While working as a nanny in Dubai, Elizabeth Mortera spent her spare time poring over dog-eared cookbooks, driven by a simple dream — to one day open a small eatery that could help her family make ends meet back home.</p>

While working as a nanny in Dubai, Elizabeth Mortera spent her spare time poring over dog-eared cookbooks, driven by a simple dream — to one day open a small eatery that could help her family make ends meet back home.

How a former nanny’s dream became a Michelin-recognized eatery

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How a former nanny’s dream became a Michelin-recognized eatery

Anna Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 31, 2025 03:35 PM PHT

Read More:

Michelin Guide

Morning Sun Eatery

Bib Gourmand

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