The Best of Filipino Cuisine at Diamond Hotel's Corniche

A fiesta of Filipino flavors featuring authentic culinary classics and dishes with a distinct Filipino yet modern twist awaits diners at Diamond Hotel's Corniche in another exclusive event. The lunch and dinner buffet at Corniche showcases another lavish feast prepared by Manila's finest for one memorable dining experience...    

Diamond Hotel's very own Executive Chef Marko Rankel is joined by three of Manila's celebrated chefs, Sau del Rosario, Bruce Lim, and JP Anglo in Corniche's The Best of Filipino Cuisine, a culinary feast of Filipino classics from May 13 to 23, 2014.

Your culinary experience with comforting Filipino classics begin with familiar favorites and surprisingly new, playful and refreshing interpretations, like the Beef Tapa Pizza (L) and the unique Itlog na Pula Pizza (R), topped with local salted duck eggs. And there's more...

After the successful Arabian Nights featuring the best of Middle Eastern cuisine (see more here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2014/04/if-its-tuesday-it-must-be-arabian.html), Diamond Hotel's Corniche collaborates with three of Manila's finest chefs for an impressive Filipino feast. Filipino cuisine is a virtual melting pot of flavors, drawing inspiration from diverse local regional dishes, including Asian and Spanish culinary influences, and all these are brought to life by Marko Rankel, Sau del Rosario, Bruce Lim, and JP Anglo. Start your feast with Chef Sau's refreshing Pako Salad, fresh fiddlehead fern with prawns, radish, itlog maalat (salted duck egg), kesong puti (local cottage cheese), cherry tomatoes, onions, carrots, and cucumbers. And in true Sau del Rosario style, edible flowers are mixed in for a refreshing dish.

Chef Sau then gives his creative spin on the popular Kare-Kare, with his unique Bagnet Kare-Kare with Truffle Macademia Sauce...

...and the popular Sisig is given a flavorful makeover with Chef Sau's Pampanga Sisig with Foie Gras, Fried Eggs, and Shallot Confit. Kare-Kare with Truffle Macademia sauce, Sisig with Foie Gras...just can't get better than that. The playful twists elevate your favorite local dish to an entirely new level, making each familiar dish so new and refreshingly different.

Chef Bruce Lim adds his own inventive take on fried squid, with his unique Fried Pusit with Sweet Salted Egg Cream Sauce, topped with peppers and cashew. Fresh, clean flavors enriched with a unique salted egg sauce make this different and special.

Then, there's Chef Bruce Lim's Pechay Wrapped Lapu-Lapu Paksiw, another unique and playful take on the popular paksiw. Familiar flavors in a totally new and refreshing presentation. And that's the best part about Corniche's The Best of Filipino Cuisine, with each new dish taking you on a culinary rediscovery of Filipino flavors.

The traditional Kaldereta in another flavorful reinterpretation, Chef Bruce Lim's Kalderetang Itik, replacing the traditional beef with native duck in the same rich and familiar sauce. The delicate yet rich flavors of the native duck play well with the traditional Spanish sauce for another winner at Corniche.

Other classic flavors include Chef Bruce Lim's light and refreshing Kilawin na Lapu-Lapu with Corn and Grilled Pork, a regional variation of ceviche with sweet corn and pork...

...and a rich and flavorful Baked Salmon cured in Lambanog, a local spirit made from coconut, adding a subtle new layer of flavor.

Chef JP Anglo brings the flavors of the Visayas with his own version of baked salmon, Banana Wrapped Baked Salmon with Kalabasa Gata, delicate salmon wrapped in banana leaves and baked with sweet pumpkin and coconut milk. Light, fresh flavors with a distinct Filipino twist.

The popular salpicao is reinvented by Chef JP with his rich Wagyu Salpicao, tender premium Wagyu beef in a rich olive oil based sauce with mushrooms and garlic. The flavorful, almost melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu beef adds a whole new experience to this familiar dish.

And why not include premium Kurobuta pork in the mix? Chef JP adds his own indulgent take on the popular crispy pork chop with his Crispy Garlic Kurobuta with Homemade Banana Ketchup. One bite and images of childhood meals with pork chop and banana ketchup come back, fond memories relived with Chef JP's indulgent version.

Chef Marko Rankel gives his own creative spin on the classic Adobo, a traditional dish meat dish stewed in garlic and vinegar. Chef Marko's version features farm-raised lean pork tenderloin with apple cider and shallots, giving a fresh and new flavor profile to a familiar dish.

Chef Marko then pairs his adobo with prawns and pickled eggplant on a skewer for a delicious blend of flavors. The sweet apple cider and shallots blend well with the tender and lean pork, and the prawn simply completes the dish.

Chef Marko then focuses on another Filipino classic, Goto, a traditional Filipino version of congee cooked with beef and ox tripe. But Chef Marko adds his own playful twist by adding foie gras, duck meat, white asparagus from Germany, and chicken liver topped with a variety of condiments including spring onions, crunchy chicharon, boiled quail eggs, crispy shallots and calamansi. Hearty and comforting, Chef Marko's Goto is one of the best I've tried yet...

No Filipino feast would be complete without Lechon, and Chef JP offers his Ilonggo Lechon, tender slow roasted whole pig with juicy pork lined by a crisp layer of crackling. Richly seasoned with herbs and spices, Chef JP's lechon is great on its own, even without the traditional liver sauce.

For dessert, drop by the dessert station and make your own Halo-Halo, with all the sweet ingredients topped with shaved ice and homemade ube ice cream.

Or you can try one of many indulgent Filipino desserts prepared by Chefs Marko, Sau. Bruce and JP. Like Chef Sau's creamy Leche Flan with Duck Egg (L) and Chef Marko's sweet Fried Biko (R).

Chef Sau's other native dessert creations include Tibok Tibok with Langka or jackfruit (L), a sweet coconut milk based dessert, and Dona Editha's Bread Pudding (R), a traditional Spanish dessert. 

And the parade of sweets continue with Chef JP's Mango Jubilee (L) and Melon N' Cream (R). Corniche's signature desserts, including its impressive line of pralines and chocolate truffles, to rich and creamy homemade ice cream are also available to complete your dining experience. 

And that's just a sampling of The Best of Filipino Cuisine at Diamond Hotel's Corniche, with still so much more dishes to discover, and rediscover. Corniche's The Best of Filipino Cuisine is another culinary event not to be missed. And the best part of the experience is rediscovering traditional and familiar flavors with a unique and inventive twist that make each dish new and different. Congratulations to Chefs Sau del Rosario, Bruce Lim, JP Anglo, and Marko Rankel for yet another memorable culinary experience at Corniche. And you too can experience authentic Filipino flavors reinterpreted by the metro's best chefs at Corniche from May 13 to 23, 2014. As an added bonus. diners get a chance to win round trip airline tickets for two to Coron, Palawan for a minimum of P 5,000 net spent on single receipt at Corniche's lunch or dinner buffet. Now that's cool.

The Corniche is located at the Lobby Level of Diamond Hotel, Roxas Boulevard corner Dr. J. Quintos Street, Manila. For inquiries, please call 528-3000 or email bizcenter#diamondhotel.com. Formore information on Diamond Hotel Philippines, please visit www.diamondhotel.com. For hotel updates and special offerings, visit their FB page at http://www.facebook.com/diamondhotelphilippines and Twitter at http://twitter.com/DiamondHotelPH.

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