Growing up in the Philippines, Mico Banua has always loved staying in the kitchen, helping his grandmother prepare Filipino dishes in a wide variety. This made him passionate about food as this paved the way for his curiosity about different types of delicacies.
Mico is described as a very adventurous person even at a younger age. He recalled being fascinated by cookbooks and food magazines.
“I guess I am an artist by heart–I used to cut out the photos and create a collage out of it,” he said.
However, he took a different path in college and studied a course that was not in line with his passion. He finished Chemical Engineering to pursue what his parents wanted him to be.
Before embarking on an overseas journey, most of Mico’s professional life revolved around the BPO industry, leading and managing operations.
Fast forward, he came to Dubai in hopes of better opportunities. He worked as an account manager in a maintenance company for four years and got promoted to client services manager.
“Working overseas, of course, sets bigger financial opportunities but more than that, getting to know new people across the world and learning from them is something I really appreciate,” he said.
Mico’s food journey started amid the Covid-19 pandemic. One day, while he was planning to post something on social media, he realized that there wasn’t any content to post until he found some of the food photos he had taken during his previous trips or in just some of his regular dine out in the UAE.
“I was surprised when I got really good feedback from my followers, from a huge number of likes to hearty comments, so I continued posting food photos and videos,” he said.
During the lockdown period, he took advantage of it by honing his cooking and photography skills, which he happily shared on his social media platforms.
Until one day, a food brand reached out to him and offered delivery in exchange for featuring their product on his page and other platforms.
“And of course, being the giddy me, I accepted the offer,” Mico said.
Since then, he started getting more collaborations and dining review invites, even more after the lockdown period.
“My inner foodie prince just wouldn’t let me stay at home. I am very fortunate to have been invited for a restaurant review or visit on a daily basis,” he said, revealing that there were even times when he had to attend two food reviews in a day.
Mico would like to think that he can help restaurants and brands showcase their specialties through his platforms in his humble little ways, especially during these trying times.
“Amidst the meaningful experiences, this journey taught me to always believe in myself with utmost humility,” he further added.
He has already worked with over 400 food brands in Dubai. he is also the brand ambassador of Dubai’s flagship water bottle brand Mai Dubai.
Mico said that his main objective is to uplift the spirit of the Filipino community in the region that they can excel too. He also wants the other nationalities to see that Filipinos are skillful and talented individuals.