The Filipino Story On A Plate: Acclaimed Chef Reggie Aspiras And CCA Manila Brings Traditional Local Flavors to BGC At The Launch of The Philippine Heritage Kitchen

Finally, a space for "living" Filipino food focusing on traditional ingredients, regional immersion and engaging culinary storytelling comes to BGC. A timely and relevant culinary initiative led by renowned Chef Reggie Aspiras and CCA Manila focused on documenting, preserving and sharing authentic Filipino regional cooking through workshops, shared tables and education, the Philippine Heritage Kitchen is both a space and movement to keep these cherished traditions alive. Step inside the Philippine Heritage Kitchen and experience the vibrant and colorful story of the Filipino experience shared with each dish...

In one afternoon, the nostalgic flavors from our collective memories takes the spotlight in a celebration of shared stories that shaped and defined our identity. Championed by Chef Reggie Aspiras in partnership with CCA Manila, the Philippine Heritage Kitchen is more than just food. It's "a story of community, culture and purpose" bridging the gap between historical practices and modern dining preserving traditional cooking methods and passing it on to the next generation. That afternoon at Origine in Brittany Hotel BGC, the Philippine Heritage Kitchen showcased the culinary heritage of the Ilocos Region with the Flavors of the North. Cooking demos, a bazaar featuring regional produce and a sumptuous buffet feast with an impressive spread of regional northern specialties capped the event. Read on for a tasty peek of the Philippine Heritage Kitchen...

Held at Origine in Brittany Hotel BGC, the Philippine Heritage Kitchen gathered some of the country's leading culinary personalities united by a shared cause and advocacy while celebrating regional diversity. At the launch, a bazaar filled with displays of local regional produce reflected a layer in the colorful tapestry of our culinary heritage supplemented by flavorful stories from the wide assortment of dishes from the buffet spread. Each dish  tells a story retold through countless generations, coming alive once more at the Philippine Heritage Kitchen. 

The cause of local cuisine is nothing new, but it's the growing coalition of multiple sectors from the academe to NGOs and LGUs, entrepreneurs, brands and businesses led by Chef Reggie Aspiras and CCA Manila that provides relevant traction for the movement. Through workshops and regional showcases, festivals, seminars and cooking demos, the Philippine Heritage Kitchen plates and serves the Filipino story in all its rich and diverse flavors from all 7,641 islands of the archipelago (for more on the launch, you can also view my IG Reels here at IG Reel 1 and IG Reel 2 for a better feel of the vibe at the Philippine Heritage Kitchen launch). 

The Philippine Heritage Kitchen launch featured three activities starting with the Ilocos Bazaar, a sumptuous lunch buffet of local Northern dishes and a series of cooking classes. At the different stations, local northern specialties were on display including the delectably crisp slabs of okilos or Ilocano chicharon paired and often used as a scooping vessel with savory dinuguan... 

...and crunchy and savory okoy or deep-fried fritters topped with succulent shrimps and served with spiced local vinegar dip. 

Sinaya Seafood and CCA Manila collaborate for some tasty bites like the Smoked Flying Fish Empanaditas...

...and the comforting sweet and salty play on nostalgic flavors with the Champorado with Dried Sapsap. The spirit of collaboration is alive and well at the Philippine Heritage Kitchen. 

At the buffet, guests feasted on traditional local northern staples including Bagnet, Pinakbet, Pinapaitan, Dinengdeng, crispy Dinardaraan, Higadu, Batac Miki, the famous Burgos Empanada with Gamet, Puqui Puqui and Imbaliktad. 

The Philippine Heritage Kitchen offers an immersive experience to our rich culinary traditions with its bazaar, buffet and cooking demo format.  The format allows for engaging conversations and insightful discussions for a better and deeper appreciation of local cuisine. 

The day's culinary demos began with guest Chefs Nic Rodriguez from Ilocos Sur's Bistro Candon and Pam Aragoza from Ilocos Norte's La Preciosa Restaurant with their rendition of the classic Pinakbet. 

We've all experienced a number of versions of the classic and popular Ilocano staple, but this is the real Pinakbet freshly prepared by Chefs Nic Rodriguez and Pam Aragoza aptly named as the GI ("Genuine Ilocano") Pinakbet.

The north's colorful and diverse cuisine isn't complete without Pampanga's iconic Sisig presented by local historian Ruston Banal for his talk "From Quilo Babi to Sisig & The Older Asado."

It was a full day of informative sessions at the Philippine Heritage Kitchen, as culinary experts, artisans, chefs and historians provided a comprehensive perspective on local cuisine. 

Chef Miguel Miggy Cabel Moreno of Palm Grill shared flavorful memories with his talk "My Lola's Mindanaoan Kitchen" (for more on Chef Miggy Moreno, see my recent post Take A Flavorful Dive Deep Down South And Experience Mindanaoan Cuisine At The Sinagtala Famsgiving Dinner Buffet In Marriott Cafe from early this month). 

And this is just the beginning as the Philippine Heritage Kitchen by Chef Reggie Aspiras in partnership with CCA Manila continues its mission of preserving culinary traditions by showcasing local regional cuisine where every dish is a story of a people. 

For more on the Philippine Heritage Kitchen at Origine in Brittany Hotel BGC, you can view their IG Feed at https://www.instagram.com/phheritagekitchen/ for more information and updates. 

Origine is located at Level 1, Brittany Hotel BGC, 6 McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila. 

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