The Manila Food and Wine Festival, organized by respected individuals such as Anton Diaz, Spanky Enriquez, Rachel Diaz, Tourism Assistant Secretary Verna Buensuceso, and renowned chef Marco Anzani, is currently taking place. Originating from Cebu as an initiative to revive the food industry after the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival has expanded its reach to Manila, Ilocos, and Davao. Collaborating with the Department of Tourism’s regional offices, the festivals aim to position the Philippines as a leading culinary destination in Asia.
These celebrations are designed to showcase our diverse traditional and regional cuisines, as well as highlight the talented local chefs and restaurateurs. The ultimate goal is to elevate our cuisine and promote innovation through the establishment of the “Tatak Pinoy” food stamping program.
As a firm believer in the potential of Philippine cuisine, I had the honor of being the first to cook for the Manila Food and Wine Festival. At my event, “Filipino Done My Way, in Reggie’s Kitchen,” I curated a very personal menu that drew inspiration from my roots, cherished memories, and my own cooking style. The theme of the event was a festive Sunday lunch, featuring native dancers, vibrant decorations with kiping, tropical flowers, and local fabrics.
For appetizers, I put my own twist on chicharon bulaklak, serving them with seasoned vinegar and a variety of achar. I also presented a unique version of kilawing hipon, paying homage to Cebu’s famous mangoes by incorporating dried mangoes, fresh mangoes, and pickled green mango relish. Additionally, I prominently featured bagnet in my spread, turning it into sisig drizzled with sriracha aioli and topped with arugula ensalada.
The salad consisted of fried chipirones on a bed of pako ferns and my hydroponically grown salad greens mix, dressed with bugnay balsamic vinegar from Ilocos Norte. For soup, I presented a coconut-based dish that infused buko juice, chicken, oyster mushrooms, and aromatic flavors. This refreshing soup served as a palate cleanser before the main course.
Among the main dishes, I prepared Badjao lumpia with bangus, sweet garlic vinegar, and vegetable confetti. I also offered a seafood pancit Malabon, inspired by the renowned recipe of Aling Nene. For a unique twist, I introduced pistachio kare-kare with dried fruit bagoong and salmon wrapped in pechay leaves, served with smoked bacon laing.
To showcase my Ilocano pride, I served kurobuta lechon stuffed with Ilocos garlic, Ilocos shallots, and karimbuwaya. This was accompanied by seasoned sukang Iloco, influenced by the famous suka at Dawang’s karinderya. Of course, no lechon feast is complete without dinuguan. In my kitchen, I call it Silky Dinardaraan, cooked according to the La Union-style, and served with okilas, a delicacy made from huge pig-skin chicharon.
For dessert, I delighted guests with a warm cronut base filled with homemade coconut cream ice cream, ube coulis, sweetened beans, jackfruit, and bananas.
“Filipino Done My Way, in Reggie’s Kitchen” is just the beginning of the exciting dining experiences at the Manila Food and Wine Festival. The organizers, Anton Diaz and Spanky Enriquez, have done an exceptional job curating the events. Stay tuned for upcoming events like the 12 Hands Collaboration featuring Antipolo’s best chefs, a Feast of the Best Chefs from Tagaytay and Silang, Cavite, and the Tsinoy Heritage Dinner. Follow @manilafoodandwine on Instagram and Facebook for more updates.
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