Who Is Rhoda Magbitang? Meet the Filipina Winner of “Top Chef Season 23”
Born and raised in the Philippines, Rhoda finished the competition strong with a four-course menu spotlighting Filipino cuisine.
by Kyla Villena
Published on Jun 16, 2026
Rhoda Magbitang is the winner of Top Chef!
The Philippine-born chef took the crown in Season 23, representing Hawai’i and competing against 14 promising chefs from the United States. It’s safe to say that it wasn’t a smooth-sailing journey for the contestant—she was initially eliminated from the competition. However, she fought her way back through a wildcard challenge and ultimately became the champion.
Find five facts about Rhoda Magbitang ahead.
Who Is Rhoda Magbitang? 5 Things About the Filipina Chef
She was born in Antipolo.
Rhoda was born and raised in Antipolo as the eldest of six children, and her love for cooking began at home. According to Bravo TV, her works are “inspired by her grandmother’s food stall and the traditional Filipino dishes she learned to prepare at a young age.”
She initially pursued teaching.
She moved to the USA at 17 to pursue a career in teaching. Eventually, she followed her culinary calling and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California. She has since worked in celebrated kitchens such as two-Michelin-star Mélisse, Suzanne Goin’s A.O.C., and Bazaar by José Andrés, to name a few.
She is the first female Executive Chef of CanoeHouse.
Rhoda is currently the Executive Chef of CanoeHouse, the oceanfront restaurant of Mauna Lani in Hawai’i—and she is the first female chef to achieve this. There, she merges Hawaiian Regional cuisine with modern flavors and Japanese-inspired techniques.
Before this historic stint, she also served as Executive Chef at Chateau Marmont and led the culinary team at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Collection in Los Olivos, California.
She won Top Chef with a Filipino menu.
For the finale of Top Chef, Rhoda leaned into her Filipino roots and presented a personal four-course menu. Roasted sweet potato with miso butter and uni served as the starter, followed by a comforting abalone lugaw—the porridge her mom would make for her.
She then whipped up her childhood-favorite tortang talong or grilled eggplant omelet. Rhoda finished strong with a rich short-rib stew, usually made by her dad during the holidays—a dish we know as kaldereta.
She is the first Top Chef winner from Hawai’i.
Apart from proudly representing the Philippines, Rhoda’s win is also a feat for Hawai’i as she was the first contestant from the island to clutch the prestigious title. It has also been six seasons since a female chef won the competition.
She expresses, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well. I’m proud to represent Filipino chefs, women in the industry, and anyone who’s taken the long road to find their purpose. I’m taking this title home to Hawaiʻi with so much gratitude.”
Congratulations, Rhoda!
Kyla Villena loves a good lip gloss and a trip to the art gallery. She is Preview's beauty girl, who doubles as a self-proclaimed motivational speaker.