Chefs Lau and Jac Laudico have long championed the cause of preserving our local culinary heritage and this is highlighted with their continuing series Taste of the Philippines at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's. Here's a flavorful and indulgent peek that afternoon at Guevarra's...
Chef Laudico's Guevarra's recenty hosted Filipino-American baker, cookbook author and James Beard award winner Abi Balingit for an afternoon of pure indulgence inspired by familiar Filipino cuisine. Part of the on-going Taste of the Philippines series at Guevarra's, Brooklyn-based Abi Balingit shared her passion for baking while reconnecting with her roots with Chef Jac Laudico of Guevarra's in a lavish and creative reimagining of traditional local flavors. Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies, Halo-Halo Baked Alaska and Thai Tea Kutsinta? Yes, please...
The second edition in the Taste of the Philippines series of Guevarra's after Australia-based Chef Fhred Batalona (see more on my post, #GuevarrasxChefFhredxnutribullet: Savor A Taste of the Philippines at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's with Guest Chef Fhred Batalona Powered by nutribullet from late last year), Chefs Lau and Jac Laudico presents another colorful weave in the local culinary tapestry highlighted by the playfully inventive dessert creations of Chef Abi Balingit. Embracing both imperfection and authenticity, Chef Abi Balingit recreates the flavors of her Filipino heritage in indulgent and novel expressions like Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies, Halo-Halo Baked Alaska and Thai Tea Kutsinta redefining local flavors on a bigger global stage.
The success of Chef Abi Balingit's debut cookbook, MAYUMU: Filipino American Desserts Remixed back in February 2023 reflected her own personal culinary journey while weaving two culinary traditions in an elegant and decadent weave while defining her unique identity. Her passion for baking shines on her social media accounts, The Dusky Kitchen where she continues to explore and reconnect with her roots expressed in decadent baked creations. Her efforts have been recognized by the prestigious James Beard Awards as the winner of the coveted Emerging Voice Award for 2024. Her unique perspective also provides a refreshed look and taste of comfortingly familiar and nostalgic notes for a whole new flavor experience among local diners. And you can experience it yourself. That's right, Chef Abi Balingit's dessert creations will also be featured at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's buffet offerings.
Chefs Lau and Jac Laudico are committed to the cause of Filipino cuisine, discovering local flavors around the world through the diaspora of global migration bringing a fresh and even surprisingly unexpected renditions of local flavors. And this is where it gets interesting as familiar flavors are reinterpreted from a global perspective like the savory dishes of Chef Fhred Batalona from the previous Taste of the Philippines edition and now desserts reimagined by Chef Abi Balingit. The stage is now set at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's for yet another deep dive into Filipino flavors with Chef Abi Balingit...
The on-going Taste of the Philippines series at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's is made possible with its partnership with Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, Masterplan Global and nutribullet. Collaborations like this goes a long way in a timely and relevant advocacy.
Filipino cuisine has long been said to be the next big thing, on a par with our Southeast Asian neighbors on the global stage. But there's still a lot of work to be done for Filipino cuisine to be top-of-mind on the same level of awareness as Thai, Singaporean and Vietnamese food. It's all about taking those small steps building up to achieve critical momentum and Chefs Jac and Abi are right there contributing to the cause. Powered by nutribullet, Chefs Abi and Jac prepare the first of four featured dessert creations with a distinctive Filipino spin starting with the Thai Tea Kutsinta.
The steamed rice cakes are a ubiquitous staple enjoyed throughout the country with its comforting textures and notes but Chef Abi goes further by infusing a distinctive richness to the local delicacy with Thai tea adding a flavorful depth.
The bite-sized treats take you back to countless childhood summers filled with simple yet memorable pleasures...
...masterfully recreated by Chef Abi. Inspired by her love for the local steamed rice cake and boba tea in the Bay area, the Thai Tea Kutsinta is a masterful blend of fond memories. Good food is transformative, taking you to another place or time while triggering memories and emotions. And that's just the start as Chefs Abi and Jac bring out even more flavorful surprises for a Taste of the Philippines at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's.
Chef Jac then takes the stage for her Ube Crinkles using the finest local sustainable ingredients sourced from farming communities. Food provenance or knowing where the food comes from is part of Chef Jac's culinary philosophy at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's for pure, real, honest and fresh flavors. And it all makes sense complementing proudly homegrown flavors with local produce.
Topped with two kinds of cheeses, the Ube Crinkles with its deep nutty sweetness are perfectly tempered by the mildly sharp notes of the cheeses. The local ube is one more uniquely Filipino ingredient gaining popularity around the world and the Ube Crinkles by Chef Jac perfectly showcases its flavors in a cookie.
One more Ube Crinkle? Yes, please...
Chef Abi then draws inspiration from the iconic shaved ice dessert transforming it with her luscious Halo-Halo Baked Alaska...
We've all seen the popular halo-halo rendered in a variety of ways but the Halo-Halo Baked Alaska by Chef Abi just works perfectly with the same fruity medley of festive flavors interpreted in an elegant form.
Served in individual portions, each shot of pure indulgence leads to another with each ingredient coming together seamlessly in a unique and creative rendition of the classic shaved ice dessert.
From the torched meringue to the creamy ube and fresh fruits, the Halo-Halo Baked Alaska first feeds the eyes before the palate. That first spoonful then drapes the palate with its luscious richness for an excellent representation of the halo-halo as reimagined by Chef Abi.
Finally, the viral sensation from Chef Abi is presented. The Adobo Chocolate Chip may sound a bit odd and perhaps even pushing it just too far but one bite clearly settles the case with its delicately balanced finish of sweet and salty notes. Imagine soy sauce, bay leaf and peppercorns, the traditional components of adobo in a cookie and it's quite understandable if you're not too keen on trying it. But do take that first bite and suddenly everything aligns for another delectable and even surprising dessert creation by Chef Abi. It just works. Perfectly.
Now here's some good news. For a limited time, the featured desserts will be part of the buffet spread at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's. Comfortingly familiar yet refreshingly different, the dessert creations by Chef Abi offer an insightful glimpse of Filipino flavors from the perspective of a Filipino American. But the bigger picture sets the stage for Filipino cuisine in general, as Chef Abi presents her childhood memories interpreted and expressed through desserts to a much wider audience. It's the small steps leading to more and even bigger leaps that push Filipino flavors to its place among the world's cuisines.
The Taste of the Philippines series by Chef Laudico's Guevarra's aims to showcase Filipino talents both here and abroad for the advancement of Filipino cuisine. And you can be part of it. The extensive buffet spread at Chef Laudico's Guevarra's is a daily celebration of local flavors, so book your reservation early. And enjoy your Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies, Halo-Halo Baked Alaska and Thai Tea Kutsinta, available only for a limited time...
Guevarra's is located at 387 P. Guevarra Street, San Juan. You can also visit their FB Page and IG Feed at https://www.facebook.com/guevarrasph/ and https://www.instagram.com/guevarrasph/ for more information and updates. You can also call 0917 311 2222 for reservations and inquiries.
Dude for Food is now on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, check out these social media accounts for regular updates on good eats. Better yet, click "Like" and "Follow" and enjoy the ride...just look for the FB and IG widgets on the right sidebar.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Got something to share? I'd love to hear from you...