Photo From THEPHILBIZNEWS/Monsi A. Serrano
Local and international food connoisseurs will get to taste and discover Filipino cuisine as Australia’s iconic food and wine festival brings the spotlight on Filipino cuisine at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) happening on 9-13 March 2019.In a series of events that will feature and celebrate Filipino cuisine, top chefs from Manila, New York and Melbourne will serve Filipino food and also conduct masterclasses during the MFWF.
Chefs Jordy Navarra, Nicole Ponseca and Yasmin Newman will prepare a one-off ‘BARRIO’ dinner series with Ross Magnaye, head chef of Rice Paper Sister Restaurant on 12 and 13 March 2019. This dining series is part of the Global Dining Series of MFWF.
Navarra runs Toyo Eatery in Manila, crowned with the Miele One to Watch Award 2018 amongst Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Ponseca is behind New York City’s Maharlika and Jeepney, while local food and travel writer Newman is the author of the critically acclaimed cookbook, 7000 Islands: Cherished Recipes and Stories from the Philippines.
These three global chefs will join Magnaye to tell the story of their shared heritage, culinary journeys and advocacy for the cuisine they love most – Filipino.
Drawing on their Filipino heritage, these gourmands will co-create an exclusive BARRIO menu, providing the entree for MFWF visitors to immerse themselves in the Philippines’ rich culinary heritage.
The House of Food & Wine, the festival’s premium drinking and dining destination will also host a program of activities including its signature MasterClass with Jordy Navarra and Nicole Ponseca, and John Rivera in the line up on Sunday 10 March, while Rice Paper Sister will help showcase some sizzling Asian Street Food Filipino style on Saturday 9 March.
Filipino Food Movement
The Filipino Food Movement in the U.S. was founded to create broad awareness, appreciation, and enhanced investment in Filipino Culinary Arts.
In just a few years, the Filipino Food Movement has gathered national attention in the press, millions of worldwide impressions on social media, and hundreds of passionate and talented individuals who believe Filipino cuisine deserves its rightful place in the global menu.
This year and beyond looks to celebrate the Filipino Food Movement locally and globally, which includes Toyo (Manila) being the first Filipino restaurant globally awarded the ‘Miele One To Watch Award’ at World’s 50 Best Restaurants event in 2018, and LASA (Los Angeles) named 2018 Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year.
In Melbourne, John Rivera (San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year and executive chef at Restaurant Lûmé), Ross Magnaye (head chef of the highly regarded Rice Paper Sisters) and Yasmin Newman (food and travel writer, photographer and TV presenter) are the ambassadors of Filipino food and creators of its modern interpretation.
The Entrée.pinays
A Melbourne-based group of Filipino female entrepreneurs – THE ENTREE.PINAYS is leading the charge to bring the Filipino Food Movement to Australia. “Entree” being the first course of the meal in Australian culture and “Pinay” referring to the Tagalog word for “Filipino girl or woman”. Appropriate since each of the members are food-loving, enterprising Filipinas.
Fides Mae Santos-Arguelles, the co-founder and sales and marketing director of Entrée.pinays says they aim to combat the challenges and negative stigmas facing Filipino cuisine, shed light on the true value of Filipino cuisine, build a better platform upon which to celebrate and elevate the Filipino food experience and gather those that are working tirelessly to do the same.
It is for this reason that they approached the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre in Sydney (PTIC-Sydney) to explore ways to partner with the Philippine government in promoting Filipino food and culture via creative collaboration, community experiences and stories.
Alma Argayoso, the Philippine government’s Special Trade Representative praises the initiatives of the Entrée.Pinays as it has been the thrust of the Philippine government to mainstream Filipino cuisine.
“Our trade office will collaborate with Entrée.pinays and other relevant stakeholders to promote a better appreciation of Filipino cuisine and commercially ensure that more Filipino food and ingredients are available in the Australian market,” says Argayoso.
“We also have a Very Important Buyer Program and Fly-in-Journalist Program in the Philippines where we sponsor food importers and journalists to fly to the Philippines to attend IFEX Philippines, an international food exhibition showcasing the freshest produce and finest food and ingredients that the Philippines can offer”, Argayoso added.
