Favorite Filipino dishes, we all have them. These are usually what you feast on during Sunday get-togethers with family, cooked by your mom or lola no less.
Chef Bruce Lim, of Chef’s Lab, admits he can never compete with someone’s mom’s home-cooking. Case in point, my mom’s sinigang will always be the best for me. But what he can do is bring Filipino cuisine to a broader foreign market, the kind who need to be introduced to a prettier, more appetizing sisig or kare-kare.
This idea of putting Filipino dishes at the forefront is why Corniche Restaurant by Diamond Hotel is holding Cocina Filipina: A Philippine Food Festival. Every year, special dishes are added to the buffet line, highlighting traditional dishes that FIlipinos already love. It’s the time to really share that love with those who have yet to get their feet wet in the gastronomic delights of Lutong Pinoy.
Running from May 15 up to May 25, Cocina Filipina is on its third run and featured chef already. Their previous guest chefs were Chef Laudico of Bistro Filipino and Chef Sau of Villa Cafe.
Chef Bruce’s approach to it was to make the dishes in his collection a hundred percent Fiipino by sourcing only local products. He accepted the task of bringing in some international flavor or appeal to our traditional dishes, and to him it was also about supporting our local industry.
The buffet stations are littered with these specially-marked black cards indicating the dish’s name. Of those we tried, these were our top picks.
Pinangat na Liempo with Aligue Cream Sauce
Kalderetang Itik with Chilli Sauce
Gamey meat is really flavorful when it’s cooked well. This one definitely was. The chilli in that sauce was just right. Over this dish, we even got into a discussion of what an itik was compared to a duck or bibe. I honestly don’t remember anything except that the itik was really good.
Sinigang sa Batuan with Grilled Pork Belly
Like I said, I love sinigang and the sourness of that soup was such a joy to sip.
Barako Coffee Profiteroles
This is cream puff on steroids. The bittersweet barako coffee assures you that the sweetness won’t be overpowering.
Chef Bruce mentioned the Lobster Palabok as one of his favorites. Another interesting item was the Tuna Tartar with Paco Salad and Aratilis. Aratilis just sent everyone back to childhood. Seems it’s hard to find nowadays (except near cemeteries we heard) but it was typically in our grandmother’s yard when we were all growing up.
Cocina Filipina and the rest of the Corniche Buffet offerings can be enjoyed for Php1,680.00 nett per person. If you would like free-flowing tropical drinks to go with your meal, it’s Php1,888.00 nett per person. They’re even throwing in a chance to win exciting prizes like roundtrip tickets to Cebu with accommodations or an overnight stay at Diamond Hotel for those who will avail of the buffet.
For reservations, call Corniche at +63 2 528 3000 local 1121.
Corniche is located on the ground floor of Diamond Hotel, which can be found along Roxas Boulevard corner Dr. J. Quintos St., Manila. For more information, you can visit the following:
Diamond Hotel Website: www.diamondhotel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/diamondhotelphilippines
Twitter: DiamondHotelPh
Disclosure: This was an event sponsored by Diamond Hotel.
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