Last Friday, Lifestyle Network hosted its second annual Around the Philippines in Small Plates charity dinner, where 31 rockstar chefs showed off their modern takes on Philippine cuisine. As we roamed the tent, eager to try it all, we learned a few things about Filipino food and buffet etiquette, and people and life in general.
1. Filipino food is the next big thing
Believe the hype: Ours is the cuisine that will next capture the hearts of foodies all over the world. At the event, the chefs impressed us with dishes like Duck with Balut Adobo Sauce and Pork Pata Menudo (chef Juan Carlos de Terry) and Tocino Sliders (Wildflour + Bakery). These are dishes that we’re sure will be a hit with non-Filipino palates.
2. Look before you eat
Maybe you know this already, maybe you don’t, but when at a buffet, reconnoitre. No, that’s not a fancy French cooking term. It just means survey the landscape and see what’s worth tucking into. That way you maximize your storage space and don’t waste calories.
3. Drink before you look
This was the first word of advice that foodies gave us the second we entered the venue. It seems to be on the same thought trajectory as the Pepita’s Degustaction dinner we attended a few weeks ago which started with lambanog. A thin lining of alcohol coaxes your stomach and loosens you up to become the perfect dinner partner. So we headed straight to where Don Papa Rum was — another proudly Pinoy product — and grabbed a cocktail.
4. People are kind
The event was for the benefit of I Can Serve Cancer Foundation as well as for Yolanda relief efforts. Tickets were sold out two hours after it went on sale.
5. Collaboration is important
Mushroom minister and model Marco Lobregat told Coconuts Manila that Ministry of Mushroom had a small part to play in Alavar Seafood Restaurant’s Zamboanga-themed offering. IMHO, the best dish that night.
6. Dessert doesn’t always have to come last
“After a few dishes, get dessert to cleanse your palette,” food writer Alicia Sy advises. We gladly had some of chef Jay Gamboa’s super panalo guinumis which was so light and refreshing and all things beautiful, preparing us for round two.
7. Mindanao is the new culinary frontier
Mindanao was a revelation that evening. Apart from Alavar’s clams, there was also chef Sharwin Tee’s magical Davao Crostini which had durian purée hidden underneath caramelized onions and strawberry. Divine!
