Innovative for Independencia
As Filipinos commemorate Independence Day on June 12th every year, so does Marco Polo Plaza highlight vibrant Filipino cuisine with the Independencia Culinary Journey. I’ve had the privilege of being invited to the media pre-journey launch the past few years, and it’s always fun gathering with media friends at the Marco Polo. This year’s menu, influenced by flavors of Northern Philippines, was perhaps the most memorable and unique I’ve experienced thus far, as traditional Filipino favorites got some innovative twists.
Sisig was not the expected sizzling pork cheek, but made of santol with coconut cream. Pancit this time around was not made with egg noodles, but with a lighter and healthier alternative— stir-fried noodles made of coconut meat. Kare-kare was not made of meat but of seafood in peanut sauce. For some of the more traditional Filipino dishes, there was a flavorful beef bulalo, and tender bistek Tagalog. Dessert was colorful puto, kutsinta, pichi-pichi on traditional woven baskets with banana leaves. We had heritage cuisine guru Jessica Avila and the creative team of Marco Polo Plaza to thank for these delicious, imaginative dishes.
To add some fun to the night of the media launch, the hotel handed out prizes for those who dressed in their modern Filipino best. One lucky winner also got a prize for guessing how many hundred calamansis were in the towering glass vase in the front of the room. Everyone clearly enjoyed the evening, though, as we lingered after dessert. We all still felt like we got prizes anyway as we were each sent home with a potted plant to look after at home. I hope everyone’s plants are still alive!