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| Chef Dennis Uy’s pork humba from the Visayas |
The month of June proves to be glorious if
you’re into Philippine cuisine as there are more dining outlets offering local
dishes in celebration of the anniversary of the declaration of Philippine
independence on June 12. Many of these are hotel restaurants, and all of them
have their own interesting takes. Some feature familiar dishes with modern
twists, while others focus on a particular region. Some stick to the
traditional, while some serve the classic favorites.
One outlet to try in this month of Filipino
food is F All-Day Dining of the F1 Hotel Manila at the Bonifacio Global City Taguig City
As the name suggests, the portmanteau of the
three island clusters of the Philippines Luzon , Visayas and Mindanao on its buffet spread. This is the fifth year
of “Luzviminda” and it is steadily gaining following.
Every year, the hotel features different chefs
to interpret Filipino dishes, and this year it has Mikel Zaguirre (of the new
restaurant Locavore) to do the Luzon cuisines; Dennis Uy of Meximama for the
Visayas; and Kalel Chan of Museum Café, who will take on Mindanao dishes. These
chefs work with the hotel’s executive chef Decker Gokioco, but they have a free
hand on how to present their menus.
For his dishes, Zaguirre carefully researched
heirloom recipes and made little adjustments for the modern palate — a little
updating. Luzon dishes are characterized by the use of
coconut milk, especially in the southern part, and the penchant for a variety
of tastes such as sweetness, saltiness and sourness.
Uy, who gets culinary inspirations from his
travels around the country, tends to blend
different flavors, but mainly sticks to the classic recipes. He likes
traditional dishes plated in modern and innovative ways.
Being an island groups itself, the Visayas is
known for seafood and the use of ginger to temper the lansa (fishy
aftertaste). But its pork dishes are outstanding, such as Uy’s cochinillo de
Cebu and pork humba, a perennial favorite.
The humba here is exemplary, very classic and very tasty. The pork is so
tender that the meat shreds as you scoop it out of the pot, blending with the
dried banana blossoms. There is a right amount of sweetness and saltiness.
Although not from Mindanao , Chan took on the challenge of learning and
cooking the island’s dishes, researching and asking friends. He got to play
around with different spices as the dishes make use of them more than the
dishes from other parts of the Philippines
One must try the Mindanao dishes, most of which are unfamiliar to Metro
Manilans and not available in Metro Manila, such as the delectable piyanggang
manok of the Tausug, which is chicken marinated in burnt coconut meat,
turmeric and coconut milk; and tiyula itum, another Tausug dish of beef
in soup spiced by turmeric and burnt coconut meat.
Overall, modern culinary techniques and
technology are used on traditional recipes, resulting in livelier flavors and
attractive presentations. Fusing is also used, adding another dimension of
cooking Filipino food.
The “Luzviminda” buffet spread is offered from
June 9 to June 30, for lunch and dinner at P1,699 nett per person. Get 40
percent off when you use a Maybank Credit card. It is in partnership with
Destileria Limtuaco, Masflex, Top Chef Enterprise, Onesimus, Raflora, R.
Lapids, Aging’s Food Delight, D’ Original Tablea De Alfonso, Bestworld Beverage
Brands Inc., The Crescent Moon Café, Eurobake Original Inipit De Leche, Figaro
Coffee Company, Golden Wines, Jalees Farms, Titania Wine Cellar, Hogsmith
Aprons, Maybank, Foreign Post and Cook magazine. For
reservations and inquiries, call 908-7888 or visit www.f1hotelmanila.com.
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| Guest chefs Mikel Zaguirre, Dennis Uy and Kalel Chan |
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| Chef Kalel Chan’s chicken piyanggang from Mindanao |
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| Chef Mikel Zaguirre’s adobong short ribs sa gata from Luzon |
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| The opening of ‘Luzviminda 5’ at F All-Day Dining of F1 Hotel in Taguig City |
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