Filipino food is making waves around the globe, with the cuisine gaining popularity in the United States to Canada to London and even all the way in Iceland. In Sydney, Filipino food restaurants and eateries have been making noise with pop-ups happening around the metro and Filipino ingredients making their way into desserts from cakes to gelatos.
Shangri-La Sydney has been celebrating South Asian cuisines at their buffet restaurant Café Mix every so often and this month, a 10-day Filipino food degustation is happening from 20th to 30th September as part of their annual Philippine Food Festival, presented in partnership with the Philippine Department of Tourism. On its sixth year, the authentic selection of dishes will showcase an array of regional dishes for guests to savour.
Executive sous chef of Shangri-la Makati, Anthony Galo who is a native from Ilocos said his favourite among all the dishes is the pinakbet – a stew of assorted vegetables cooked in a sauce of fermented fish. A pungent dish packed full of flavours. With Chef Anthony is Chef Zharin Salac and Chef Manny Alday, who worked together to curate the menu, offering nine main dishes from different regions of the Philippines and ten classic desserts plus the fresh salads on offer. The menu will showcase different main dishes each day such as sisig, lechon (pork belly), chicken inasal and adobo. The dessert section will feature a halo-halo station, bibingka, brazo de Mercedes and more of the classics loved by Filipinos and foodies.
TV host Andrew Zimmermn calls Filipino food the next big thing and we cannot agree more. It’s time this cuisine takes the limelight and be introduced into mainstream as Filipino ingredients get more and more popular. Filipino cuisine is an intricate pattern of Spanish, Chinese and Malay flavours that serve as proof of the country’s rich cultural history.
Disclaimer: The writer dined at the was invited as part of the media launch
