Amy Besa

• Recipient of the Pamana ng Pilipino Award for the Year 2008
  
• Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas
  
• Named one of the 100 “Most Influential Filipina Women in the United States”
  
• Owner, Purple Yam Restaurant, New York
  
• Author, Memories of Philippine Kitchens
  

Amy Besa is a graduate student of mass communications at Temple University in Philadelphia. When she and her husband, Romy Dorotan moved to New York City in 1979, it was Amy who ended up working on Wall Street for ten years, while Romy became Lunch Chef at the legendary 3-star restaurant Hubert’s before becoming Executive Chef at other New York restaurants. In 1991, Amy left her job in Wall Street, and she and Romy decided it was time to pursue a restaurant of their own. Cendrillon (Cinderella in French) was born in 1995, and quickly gained a reputation as one of the best pan-Asian restaurants in New York. In almost eleven years, they have developed a passionate following among the Filipino community as well as “foodie” fans ranging from Marion Nestle to David Rosengarten. In 2009, they moved to a new location in Brooklyn and named the restaurant Purple Yam.
Amy’s long term goal is to establish an Asian culinary heritage foundation to fund projects that would document and preserve culinary traditions, native ingredients and the food-making culture of Asia.