Flavors of Pampanga: The Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival by Chef Sau del Rosario at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange

The colorful and rich culinary heritage of Pampanga takes the spotlight at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange. Prepare yourself for some real serious kanyaman moments...

One of the country's highly regarded and much respected culinary icons returns to his roots with a lavish Capampangan feast on a grand scale. Chef Sau del Rosario shares his modern take on traditional Capampangan cuisine at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange in a colorful feast of fresh and authentic flavors dubbed the Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival from June 8 to 22, 2017 (for more on Novotel Manila and the Food Exchange, see my previous posts, Novotel Manila: Luxury Comes to Quezon City and International Flavors at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange). Read on for a tasty peek at the Food Exchange's Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival...

Chef Sau del Rosario (R) brings Pampanga to the metro with the Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival at Novotel Manila (for more on Chef Sau, see my previous post, From Page to Plate: Chef Sau del Rosario's 20 Years of Love + Cooking). That's two weeks of authentic Capampangan flavors curated by Chef Sau del Rosario...

Known for his modern and inventive take on traditional Capampangan flavors, Chef Sau del Rosario offers inspired reinterpretations of regional classics for a unique dining experience. Adding color to the festival's launch at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange is the latest collection from noted Capampangan designer Phillip Torres...  

The collection's festive colors combines both tradition and modern contemporary lines, a visual feast for the eyes replicating the culinary offerings of Chef Sau del Rosario at the Food Exchange's Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival. 

At the launch of the Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival, Chefs Sau del Rosario and Edith Singian, along with Novotel Manila's General Manager, Bernd Schneider, welcomed guests to kick-off the two-week festival of Capampangan flavors at Food Exchange. And what a feast...

Start your culinary journey of authentic Capampangan flavors with Chef Sau del Rosario's refreshing Kinilaw na Tanigue, a local regional variation of ceviche with cubes of raw sliced fillet of mackerel, vinegar, calamansi, red onion, bell pepper, chili, cucumber, salt, and pepper. The clean yet vibrant notes open up your palate for even more flavors from Chef Sau del Rosario's impressive spread at the Food Exchange.

With Chef Sau del Rosario's signature touch, the comforting Ensaladang Talong is transformed with grilled eggplant topped with onion, tomato, coriander, salted egg, and sour cream, a great tasting side that pairs well with the savory main courses at the Food Exchange.

Chef Sau del Rosario's creative style is evident in many of the dishes featured at the Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival. The use of edible flowers not only adds color but a whisper of delicate sweetness to Chef Sau's dishes, like the elegant Chicken Galantina, a traditional Capampangan dish stuffed with chicken, sausage, chorizo, Spam, olives, green peas, eggs, cheese, cream, salt, and pepper. Chef Sau adds colorful visual cues reminiscent of his popular restaurants in Pampanga, Cafe Fleur and 25 Seeds, to the sumptuous feast at the Food Exchange.

The colorful and ornate Maya-Maya Mayonesa made with fresh fillet of snapper draped in creamy mayonnaise and topped with onions, pickles, carrots, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, olives, salt, and pepper adds yet another layer to the richness of Pampanga's culinary heritage. The delicate notes of the snapper are kicked up by the creamy mayonnaise and fresh toppings, adding both flavor and textural contrasts.

Pampanga's iconic tamales gets a fresh, new, and contemporary update by Chef Sau del Rosario with his Tamales Pampanguena made with rice flour, annato seeds, garlic, onion, chicken, coconut cream, salted egg, spring onion, salt, and pepper. The traditional delicacy is reinvented and presented in a new and refreshing way while preserving the key flavors associated with the dish. The blend of subtle yet rich flavors melt in your mouth releasing even more flavors. Think of it as a version 2.0 upgrade of tamales, and I'm loving it.

The refreshing Pako Salad with fiddlehead fern, prawns, salted egg, tomatoes, onions, watermelon, and kesong puti is another rustic dish from Pampanga not to be missed at the Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival of Novotel Manila. When you have the freshest ingredients, you get real, clean, uncluttered and uncomplicated flavors. Each ingredient lays its own distinctive layer in a seamless blend, coming together in one tasty bite after another.

Drawing inspiration from Spanish influences, Chef Sau del Rosario's savory Gambas with Shiitake delivers the briny sweet notes of plump prawns with the nutty and earthy hints of shiitake mushrooms. The complex dish includes olive oil, garlic, onion, chili garlic sauce, tomato sauce, olives, and bell pepper, another tasty starter at Novotel Manila's Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival.

The use of familiar local ingredients for new and exciting dishes is a trademark of Chef Sau, and you'll find examples of his creativity throughout the impressive buffet selection. Chef Sau's inventive Tinapa Mousse made with smoked fish, olive oil, garlic, onion, butter, white wine, salt, pepper, and fresh dill is one excellent example, and another must-try at the Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival at Novotel Manila.

Buru and Steamed Vegetables, another iconic Capampangan dish made with fermented rice and shrimps best paired with steamed vegetables like green string beans, eggplant, okra and bitter gourd, can also be found at Novotel Manila's Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival (for more on the classic Capampangan fermented rice dish with shrimps, see my earlier post, What's in the Fridge...Burong Hipon.). It's a milder, less salty version that's easy on the palate, and a perfect introduction to Pampanga's diverse flavors. 

For the savory mains, diners can indulge in the rich Kare-Kare Macadamia with crispy pork belly, peanut butter, annatto seeds, garlic, onion, coconut cream, truffle oil, and macadamia nuts served with shrimp paste. The macadamia adds a unique layer of flavor, and the crispy pork belly a whole new richness to the traditional kare-kare. You'll probably want some extra rice with this one. Seriously.

Leave it to Chef Sau del Rosario to spice up familiar dishes with a refreshing twist, like the Seafood Pinakbet, the northern vegetable stew with mussels, prawns, and squid cooked with garlic, onion, tomatoes, string beans, eggplant, okra, bitter gourd and shrimp paste. The addition of seafood works, and a second round with this one is a good idea.

And there's more. The Rellenong Bangus (L) is a rich and creamy dish with boneless milkfish cooked in milk, white onions, tomatoes, and eggs, while the flavorful Duck Adobo (R) offers the unique richness of duck meat cooked in traditional adobo sauce with vinegar, soy sauce, whole black peppercorns and bay leaves.

The comforting caldereta gets a flavorful upgrade with Chef Sau del Rosario's Lamb Shank Kaldereta made with fork-tender lamb simmered for hours in tomato sauce, liver spread, garlic, onion, bay leaf, carrots, pepper, olives, kesong puti, and bell pepper. The novel use of duck and lamb in adobo and caldereta are just some of the many tasty surprises at Novotel Manila's Kanyaman Filipino Food festival by Chef Sau del Rosario.

Don't forget to stop by the Kapampangan Festival Noodles Station for tasty options of popular Capampangan noodle dishes like Guisado Noodles with Crab Fat or aligue...

...tasty Sotanghon with Squid Ink Sauce and topped with seafood (L) or the classic Pancit Luglug (R). Each noodle dish is prepared ala minute by the live station chef so you get it hot and fresh from the pan with all its rich notes at its flavorful peak.

Ready for some pork love? Chef Sau del Rosario indulges your craving with not one but three kinds of Roasted Pork Belly stuffed with Bringhe, Mangoes and Chocolate, and Cheese to complete your all-Capampangan feast at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange. Tender and juicy capped by a layer of crisp crackling, the delicate notes of the pork are given a flavorful spin by the stuffing, with the mangoes and chocolate being the most unique. The sweetness of the chocolate complements the richness of the pork, adding depth to its flavor. The Bringhe adds creamy notes, while the cheese gives it a sharp and savory profile. Whatever you choose, it's pure pork love. 

And here's the beef. The Prime Rib Bistek with onions, soy sauce seasoning, calamansi, and pepper gives this premium slab of beef familiar and comforting notes. The bistek style seasoning is another creative twist by Chef Sau del Rosario, so go ahead and have an extra large slice.

Extra rice? With Chef Sau del Rosario's Sisig Rice, absolutely.

From tasty starters and salads...

...to savory mains, each curated dish by Chef Sau del Rosario presents the true flavors of Pampanga in a new and refreshing light. Kanyaman moments? You'll find a whole lot at Novotel Manila's Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival.

An extra bowl of Sisig Rice, and all's good. This alone is a meal in itself. And make that one more bowl on the way...

At Novotel Manila's Food Exchange, you can also enjoy the regular offerings at the Indian, Chinese, Italian, and Japanese stations too. And go back for secinds and thirds. A bowl of Bulalo is too tempting to pass up, so just go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

And if you ask nicely, the station chef would carve Chef Sau's Prime Rib Bistek just the way you like it, bone-in and extra thick with just enough gravy on the side and not on the prime rib. 

For dessert, indulge in Chef Sau's Leche Flan Turon with Langka, fresh from the fryer. Just think of it, velvety smooth and creamy leche flan wrapped inside a crispy spring roll, just doesn't get better than that...

At the live station, the station chef prepares another batch of Leche Flan Turon with Langka, a popular station at the Food Exchange's Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival. Have a pair and drizzle it with sweet butterscotch for that extra indulgence. It's the Capampangan way...

Or why not make your own Halo-Halo to end your feast on a high note. The Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival by Chef Sau del Rosario at Novotel Manila is a celebration of pure local flavors, flavors that have defined us, recreated in one lavish feast at the Food Exchange.

A freshly brewed cup of coffee and indulgent Praline Sans Rival, just perfect. Savor the flavors of Pampanga with Chef Sau del Rosario's Kanyaman Filipino Food Festival at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange for Lunch for only P 1,200 net per person (Weekday Lunch/Monday to Friday) or Dinner for P 1,300 net per person (Weekday Dinner/Monday to Thursday). Better yet, enjoy the weekend with Chef Sau's authentic regional flavors for Lunch for only P 1,600 net per person (Weekend Lunch/Saturday & Sunday) or Dinner for P 1,600 net person (Weekend Dinner/Friday to Sunday). Indulge in your very own kanyaman moment, at Novotel Manila's Food Exchange.

The Food Exchange is located at the ground floor of Novotel Manila Araneta Center, General Aguinaldo Avenue, Araneta Center, Quezon City or call 990-7888 for inquiries and more information.

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