Authentic Filipino cuisine but with a distinct international flavor

from: By Alexander Villafania, loQal.ph / Yahoo! Southeast Asia

MALVAR, BATANGAS – By and large, the Philippines has among the best chefs in the world and there are a number of them who are experts in just about every kind of international cuisine. There are also those who excel in culinary arts focusing on the Asian food culture.

Filipino food has gone through many changes in the hands of professional chefs and some of them have brought their own version of Filipino food in international hotels and events.

Nonetheless, Filipino food, as it is, is very basic, using immediately available ingredients and prepared with only fundamental cooking skills. Despite being flavorful, Filipino food still lacks the gastronomic equivalency of, say, Thailand’s tom yum goong.

While noting on the “one or two dimensional” commonality of Filipino food, culinary expert Chef Paul Poblador sees that Filipino food can always aim for an international market if infused with ingredients that hit the palate of foreigners who are familiar with their own culinary cultures.

Poblador, who is currently the lead chef of Asian Flavours Restaurant in Lima Park Hotel has tried a variety of Filipino foods and infused these with ingredients normally found in international food items.

But Poblador, who is known for his stint at Kusina Salud, said that the addition of non-traditional Filipino ingredients will cater to a larger, more international market, but will also give a new gastronomical experience to Filipinos.

Poblador, who studied at the California Culinary Academy, said that based on his experience with Asian cuisine, the very nature of Asian food, particularly the main courses, is to fit all the flavors into one – a difficult task considering that each of the flavors, salty, spicy, sweet, and sour, have to complement than compete with each other.

“Asian love balance and we find balance in what we eat. Most Asian, especially Southeast Asians, have it in one dish. Trying to balance everything is what makes Asian food distinct,” Poblador said.

At the Asian Flavours Restaurant, the items in the menu are mostly Filipino, which Poblador said have also been innovated with Southeast Asian flavor. The restaurant itself was originally a Japanese nook and Poblador said he kept some of the items, making sure that they all fit into a coherent and unified style that the restaurant patrons would remember.

The items in the menu do highlight the innovations in the ingredients and preparation. For instance, there are several types of appetizers, especially ensaladas such as Chicken Teriyaki Ceasars Salad, and Thai-style Beef and Prawn Salad.

The main course is especially long, with over a dozen items. Among the Filipino food items are the Salmon Sinigang sa Miso cooked the Japanese way, an innovative Bangus “Sandwich”, Sizzling Bistek Bangus, a Thai-style Fried Apahap (sea bass), Kare-Kareng Bulalo (beef shanks in peanut and annatto sauce), and Nasi Goreng and Sati Baboy (pork kebabs with Indonesian fried rice and sunny side-up egg).

Nevertheless, Chef Poblador made sure there are Filipino classics in the list; Batangas Bulalo Soup (stewed beef shanks with corn and cabbage), Crispy Pata (deep fried pork leg), Pinakbet Batangas and Lechon Kawali (sautéed native vegetables and deep fried pork belly).

As for the Japanese items, Asian Flavours made sure it had among the most important items between the Hiyayakko (chilled tofu) and the Donburi (meals in bowls).

Asian Flavours Restaurant is celebrating its first year anniversary this month and is offering buffet lunch meals of up P299 per person. It is located at the first floor of Lima Park Restaurant at the Lime Technology Center, Malvar, Batangas. You can contact them at (043)9811555/ (0917)504238 or via email asianflavourrestaurant@yahoo.com

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