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A fabulous array of Filipino fare is being prepared for the kingdom’s first-ever themed brunch to celebrate the country’s cuisine and diners are in for a delightful experience at Keizo restaurant.
The Al Areen Areen Palace & Spa’s picturesque dining destination, which offers food lovers all things oriental and Asian, is concentrating on the Philippines on two dates in November.
Chef Joel M Decena, who heralds from Bicol, a region known for its active volcanoes, and his home-country colleagues in the kitchen, have created an explosive choice of dishes which they kindly helped prepare for a special GulfWeekly taste-testing session.
Star turns at the coming Filipino Fiesta Brunch include a superb Sinigang, made with a little tamarind paste and Philippine lime juice infused with a variety of delightfully peeled and perfectly presented vegetables, with succulent shrimp swimming in the breathtaking broth.
This one dish perhaps shows just how Philippine cuisine and the style of cooking and the food associated with it have evolved over many centuries.
There is a clear hint of the nation’s Austronesian origins, shared with Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines, to a mixed array of Indian, Chinese, Spanish, and American influences, in line with the major waves of the cultures influencing the archipelago, as well as others adapted to indigenous ingredients and the local palate.
Dishes range from the very simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to the complex paellas and cocidos created for fiestas of European origin.
One such celebratory dish is the kare-kare, which in my opinion is a great name for a tasty delight. This version used splices of beef and vegetables cooked perfectly in a peanut sauce.
I thought peanut butter could only be spread on toast but I was proved lip-smackingly wrong. Plain fluffy white rice proved to be the perfect accompaniment.
The Chicken Sisig was a sizzler too. Again, this sweet, sour and spicy number really tantalised the taste-buds. Seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers, sisig was first mentioned in a Kapampangan dictionary in the 17th Century meaning ‘to snack on something sour’.
Celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain recently told broadcasters that he thinks Filipino food is about to become one of the trendiest cuisines in America and this chopped meat dish could be many first-timers’ gateway into those flavours. Who can argue with the great man!
I was also stunned by the tenderness of the kebab-style pieces of barbequed chicken and beef prepared by Chef Rani which tasted even more divine once dipped into Chef Joel’s superb soya, chili and garlic dip and BBQ sauce.
The desserts on show were also a delight. Look out for Biko, a sweet rice cake, and the Puto, a type of steamed rice cake which can also act as an accompaniment to savoury dishes.
There will be Filipino drinks on offer too. In a tropical country like the Philippines, where it is mostly sunny all year round, anything cold and refreshing is appreciated.
Samalamig is a beverage concoction which often contains sago pearls, brown sugar syrup and chunks of ice and, mine, with slivers of fresh melon, made for a mightily refreshing change to my normal choice of sparkling water.
The Filipino Fiesta Brunch, priced at only BD12net, on Friday, will be staged on November 3 & 17, from 12.30pm to 4.30pm. It features these timeless Filipino classic dishes and much more, all prepared by the restaurant’s own Filipino chefs, alongside special mocktails. Make it a date in your diary, you will not be disappointed. Get 15 per cent discount for groups of six or more, for hoteliers, cabin crews, US Navy and the Filipino community. There will be karaoke sessions too to add fun to the occasions. Call 17845000 for more details.
