Iya Villania-Arellano and Jose Sarasola refuse to eat these foods


Iya Villania-Arellano and Jose Sarasola

Even celebrities like television host Australian-Filipino Iya Villania-Arellano and Spanish-Filipino chef Jose Sarasola have foods they just can't stand — and some findings are a bit surprising!

They have been vocal about the foods they hate, as they promised never to touch these dishes - again.

During a Zoom conference for the second season of the cooking show "Eat Well. Live Well. Stay Well" on GMA-7 recently, Iya and Jose revealed the foods that would never end up on their plates.

"Hindi ko kayang kumain ng lengua (beef tongue). Feeling ko nakapasok yung dila sa bibig ko. Hindi ko talaga kaya. Just the thought of it, I cringe. (I really don't want to eat lengua. It's like there's a tongue in my mouth)," said Iya as she laughed.

"Kahit na sabihin mo pang masarap, pag pumasok na sa isip ko na dila siya, ayoko na. Gusto ko hindi ko na lang alam," she added. (Even if you say it's delicious, if I start thinking it's a tongue, I don't like it anymore. It's better you won't tell me what I'm eating).

Iya Villania-Arellano, husband Drew Arellano and kids

Jose said: "I was in Japan. Kumain kami ng chicken sashimi. This place is for chicken sashimi lang talaga. But eating raw chicken, that's salmonella (bacterial disease).

"But Maria (Ozawa) was saying 'no, our chickens here in Japan are different blah, blah, blah. You need to try it. Eventually I tried it. I survived naman."

Iya added: "Okay na yung ganyan. At least nasubukan mo. Pero hindi na talaga mauulit." (It's okay, at least you've tried it once. But I won't have it again).

Jose and Iya also revealed the foods that are always in their refrigerator.

"I am not picky naman, but I eat healthy. On cheat days, I enjoy cheeseburgers, fried chicken. Usually it's more of vegetables, fish, chicken here sa condo ko. I just add spices and flavors," said Jose.

Celebrity chef Jose Sarasola

Iya goes for chicken and vegetable potstickers. "My go-to recently has been a big bag of chicken and vegetable potstickers. Para siyang dumplings. You can buy this big pack from S&R. Ang sarap niya! Hindi mo kailangan ng dipping sauce. You let it cook in boiling water, and let the boiling water dry out. Kapag wala akong maisip, yun ang favorite ko ngayon."

"Eat Well. Live Well. Stay Well." is a 10-minute cooking show which aims to inspire the audience to cook through their stories and discover themselves through food.  

Follow Iya's character, a bubbly and modern mom, who strives to improve her cooking skills and adapt to the new normal while still putting her family as her top priority.

As a hands-on mommy and fitness enthusiast herself, Iya wishes to encourage her fellow parents to cook up nutritious and delightful meals for their families, “We all know how a good meal can bring the whole family together. A good meal always makes everyone happy! So, for the mamas and papas who are all at home juggling work and preparing meals for their families, here’s a show that can give them great tasting meal ideas that will make them feel great and confident in putting simple, yummy, and quick dishes using the versatility of AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning and AJI-GINISA® Flavor Seasoning Mix.”

Chef Jose, in turn, hopes to inspire the viewers to live a healthier lifestyle. "Being picked by a well-known food company like Ajinomoto Philippines Corp. to be the show’s resident chef was really something. Since we are in a time when health must be our top priority, the recipes we have prepared for our viewers are perfect for those who wish to be fit and to start eating healthier."