#SeasonalProduce: Come Home to Filipino Flavors with Kusina Kultura Day at Hilton Manila's Kusina Sea Kitchens

A wide array of comfortingly familiar all-time Filipino favorites alongside a variety of international dishes in a sumptuous weekend brunch buffet spread plus entertaining cultural presentations, Sunday family days just got a whole lot more interesting at Hilton Manila... 

Hilton Manila invites you to #EatDrinkHilton and rediscover the richness of our local heritage with Kusina Kultura Day every Sunday for brunch at Kusina Sea Kitchens.  The lavish buffet spread takes you on a nostalgic culinary journey highlighted by its diverse offerings of regional cuisine using the finest and freshest #SeasonalProduce focusing on Local Herbs for January-February (local artisan chocolate will be featured in March-April). It's the perfect venue for family gatherings, including those visiting from abroad, to reconnect with their roots one plate at a time while being entertained with a cultural show at Kusina Sea Kitchens' Kusina Kultura Day. Time to come home to Filipino flavors this Sunday...

Located at the 3rd Level of Hilton Manila, Kusina Sea Kitchens prepares to welcome guests and families for a memorable Sunday brunch experience with an inspired Filipino spin. And they have more than just an impressive buffet spread...

Kusina Sea Kitchens is the hotel property's spacious all-day dining outlet with panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass walls draping the muted warm earth and wood tones in natural light. After the breakfast service, Kusina Sea Kitchens is transformed and prepped for the much-awaited premier of the Kusina Kultura Day Sunday Brunch buffet featuring live cultural presentations presented by Hilton Manila's very own stable of talented employees and staff. These, and other elements, combine in a seamless weave for a unique dining experience at Hilton Manila.

#SeasonalProduce, Local Herbs and Food Provenance

The hotel's advocacy on fresh, organic and local is on full display at the Fresh Fruits and Salad Station and it's a timely initiative. Knowing where your food comes from just opens up your perspective for a deeper appreciation of clean and natural flavors that's good for you. That day, the local ensalada with grilled eggplant, pickled radishes, red onions and mangoes, succulent tomatoes, salted duck eggs and even lato or sea grapes recreated a bountiful harvest of fresh flavors to start your feast at Kusina Sea Kitchens. 

And the options served that day were impressive. The natural crispness and bold, rich yet clean notes of the various produce that day allowed you to reconnect with the flavors often taken for granted in your childhood or worse, ran away from as a child. But now, older and wiser, a better appreciation of simple flavors made from the freshest #SeasonalProduce simply proves that your mom was right all along. The quality and freshness of the local produce is both tempting and nostalgic, neatly laid out on ice. 

The initiative also supports local farmers and their communities as well as encourage sustainable practices for the continued production of real honest-to-goodness food. It's good to see this movement gaining the much-needed traction. As you navigate your way through all the stations at Kusina Sea Kitchens, you can't help but notice that nostalgic local vibe that makes you feel right at home. After all, what makes dining special are the fond memories triggered by familiar dishes done masterfully well.  

You can start with one of many locally-inspired prepared salad dishes...

...including the fresh and vibrant flavors of the Squid Salad with the sharp hints of pickled vegetables, red onions and fiery chili tempered by the clean and briny sweetness of the tender squid...

...or make your own bowl with garden-fresh greens drizzled with a variety of dressings. Salad days were never better or as lavish as the spread at Kusina Sea Kitchens.

Following the brunch buffet's theme of Kusina Kultura Day, I go for a heaping plate of Ensalada with seaweed, sea grapes or lato, grilled eggplant with shrimp paste, steamed okra, pickled red onions, pickled radishes and burong manga, salted duck eggs and tomatoes drizzled with sour and sweet vinegar. This just brought it home for me, and that's how you start Kusina Kultura Day at Hilton Manila.

Pair your feast at Kusina Sea Kitchens with a refreshing beverage from the Samalamig Station offering a variety of freshly-squeezed fruit juices...

...and enjoy it with a serving of fresh spring rolls or Lumpia Sariwa (L) from the Sariwang Lumpia Station. The station also offers deep-fried and crisp spring rolls served with a sweet chili sauce as well as creative interpretations using purple yam lumpia wrappers (R) filled with fresh fruits for a sweet option. 

The Day's Freshest Catch

The dampa-style Fresh Seafood Station showcased an abundant ocean harvest of plump Mussels and Salmon Heads ready for grilling...

...and large Curacha Crabs or local spanner crabs prepared and cooked to your preference. I'm thinking garlic and butter...

In a few minutes, my crabs and mussels are served fresh from the kitchen topped with herbs and vegetables. Prepared a la minute, you get to enjoy your seafood at its flavorful peak. The fresh, clean and briny flavors of the succulent crabs and mussels followed by the nutty notes of garlic and rounded out by the indulgent finish of butter makes this one of the many flavorful highlights at Kusina Sea Kitchens. But there's more...

Chart-Topping Playlist of All-Time Filipino Classics

For the savory mains, Kusina Sea Kitchens laid out popular Filipino favorites like the classic Chicken Pork Adobo...

...the comforting Nilagang Baka with fork-tender beef and garden-fresh vegetables in a light yet rich broth...

...the Pinakbet with large plump shrimps and vegetables simmered in shrimp paste that will have you going for another serving of steamed white rice...

...and the elegant Chicken Relleno, a local and savory chicken roulade with vegetables and sweet raisins allowing you to relive fond memories with all your favorite dishes in one place. 

Extra rice? Just go for it. And grab a few slabs of grilled pork belly, grilled eggplant, shrimps, squid, okra, tomatoes and salted duck eggs too.

Don't pass up on the Chopsuey made with crisp vegetables for that nostalgic vibe...

...and the savory duo of local noodles like Pancit Canton...

...and Pancit Palabok. Think of it as your very own homecoming to local flavors and dishes you grew up with, each lovingly prepared and served for Kusina Kultura Day every Sunday at Hilton Manila's Kusina Sea Kitchens.

But there's one more dish that clearly made an impression. Hilton Manila's Executive Sous Chef, Patricia Messina, draws inspiration from her Capampangan grandmother's cherished Kare-Kare recipe for an absolute must-try dish at Kusina Sea Kitchens. The melt-in-your-mouth ox tripe drapes the palate with a savory richness completed by the mildly sweet and nutty sauce with its elegant silky smooth texture completed by a dab of salty shrimp paste. Texture and flavor combine for an indulgent take on a much-loved Filipino classic. It's comforting flavors like this, and the stories behind it that make Kusina Kultura Day at Kusina Sea Kitchens special.   

No Filipino feast is complete without the traditional lechon. Kusina Sea Kitchens also takes pride in their special Lechon, whole roasted pig with tender and juicy pork capped by a thin layer of lightly crisp crackling. The richly seasoned pork is great on its own, but Kusina Sea Kitchens also offers a variety of dipping sauces from the traditional liver sauce to vinegar chili dips. I enjoyed my lechon with a side of grilled eggplants and pickled red onions. 

The colorful Salmon Mayonesa (L) is yet another flavorful throwback to festive Filipino feasts. The salmon gives it a creamy and buttery texture, definitely an enhanced and much improved upgrade from the dish we knew then. Diners can also indulge in international flavors, like this savory Prime Rib Roast from the Carving Station.

At the Pizza Station, you'll find all your favorites as well as one variant with a playfully inventive local twist. And this is where the culinary team shines at Kusina Sea Kitchens with its reinterpretation of traditional Filipino flavors. The Kare-Kare Pizza is both innovative and creative, executing familiar flavors in new and refreshing ways for a whole new flavor experience. And it works. The thick peanut sauce topped with tender beef, ox tripe and chives with hints of shrimp paste delivered savory, nutty and mildly salty notes coming together perfectly with each bite. 

After your fill of Filipino flavors, why not change the pace with authentic Japanese dishes like noodles, sushi and sashimi?

There's more than enough time to grab one more tasty bite, like the Pomelo Salad topped with a skewered shrimp served in a martini glass before the show...

Let the show begin...

The shades are drawn and the lights are dimmed. Kusina Sea Kitchens becomes a stage for the cultural performances adding yet another layer to your dining experience. Probably the only hotel dining outlet in the metro with a cultural show, Kusina Sea Kitchens not only delights the palate but entertains as well.

But what makes it even more special is that these performers are part of Kusina Sea Kitchens' very own team. Some of them may have even served your freshly-squeezed fruit beverage earlier, and now garbed in ethnic costumes performing regional dances. It's a nice, cool and entertaining touch to Kusina Kultura Day at Kusina Sea Kitchens.  

Decadent Sweet Endings at Kusina Sea Kitchens

Round out your feast at Kusina Sea Kitchens with an indulgent array of desserts, including Filipino delicacies like Bibingka prepared a la minute, Sapin-Sapin or layered sticky rice cakes and Brazo de Mercedes...

...and the colorful Ube Panna Cotta (R) made with purple yam. You'll find an extensive variety of international desserts as well, from exquisite pastries and tarts to cakes. Simply head on over to Kusina Sea Kitchens' Panaderia Station and have your fill of decadent sweets. 

Completing the nostalgic vibe is the wooden ice cream cart serving homemade ice cream in indulgent flavors like Peanut Butter, Pandan and Vanilla Ice Cream. Served in a cone or a bowl, go ahead and add some of your favorite toppings like candy sprinkles, chocolate chips and marshmallows.

The Sunday Kultura Day Buffet for Brunch and Dinner is priced at P 2,450++ per person (enjoy an additional 25% discount with the Hilton Dining Discount, just inquire with the staff). Kusina Sea Kitchens is open daily for Lunch (12:00nn to 2:30pm), Weekend Brunch (11:30am to 2:30pn) and Dinner (6:00pm to 10:30pm). The weekly buffet schedule and rates at Kusina Sea Kitchens are as follows:

Lunch Buffet (Monday to Friday): P 1,900++ per person
Saturday Brunch Buffet: P 2,450++ per person
Dinner Buffet (Monday to Thursday): P 2,050++ per person
Premium Dinner Buffet (Friday to Saturday): P 2,450++ per person

But do check out Hilton Manila's tempting offerings for the first quarter of the year, including the Choco Berry Afternoon Tea Buffet (more on my next blog post at EatDrinkHilton: Level Up Your Afternoon Tea with the Choco Berry Afternoon Tea Buffet at Hilton Manila's Madison Lounge & Bar), Majestic Feasts at Hua Yuan Brasserie Chinoise, Surf and Turf at Port and the Valentine's and Chinese New Year treats for epic culinary celebrations to start 2020 on a bright and festive note. It's time to #EatDrinkHilton at Hilton Manila. 

Hilton Manila's Executive Chef, Dennis Leslie (seated) and his entire team are ready to delight your palates and entertain you for Kusina Kultura Day at Kusina Sea Kitchens. It's also a homecoming of sorts for Executive Chef Dennis Leslie, a Filipino Australian with a wealth of experiences from prestigious Australian and European hotel properties. From the reception down to the station chefs and servers, Kusina Sea Kitchens brings you home with familiar flavors and creative interpretations to jazz up Sunday family days. 

Have you booked your table for Kusina Kultura Day at Hilton Manila's Kusina Sea Kitchens? Time to come home and see you on Sunday...

Kusina Sea Kitchens is located at the 3rd level of Hilton Manila, 1 Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay City or call +63 2 7239 77 to 88 local 7375 for inquiries and reservations.

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