Top 20 dishes

My first article as a food columnist appeared in The FREEMAN Magazine last August 2002 and at an average of one article per week, that about 400 commentaries about food which has been written to entertain you my beloved readers.

As a writer in The FREEMAN’s Lifestyle, we receive an average of one invitation a week and that is just enough fuel to keep this column going. Sometimes, I supplement it with data I have gathered from books, video collection (1.5 terabytes!) and the internet.

We do get invited to food festivals and food tasting usually held in 5-star hotels and top rated restaurants, inaugurations, anniversaries, weddings, fiestas and the reasons for food celebrations seems to be endless. I have been a member of that famed gourmet society, La Chaine de Rotisseurs (16 years), upgrading my food encounters with various cuisines of the world. Nothing though can substitute with first hand experience, like eating Cebu lechon in Cebu.

Today, your favorite food columnist presents a list of the top 20 dishes (from 3,000 dishes!) he has tasted the last eight years and the establishments where these were served. Desserts, I have excluded because I will have to tread on unfamiliar territory.

 1. Wagyu Burger Steak Bento paired with La Tache, 2000 Grand Cru, Monopole de la Romanee-Conti (Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa)

2. Wagyu Gold Rib-Eye Steak (PINO Restaurant)

3. Marget de Cannard Chocolate and Rose Petal Sauce Orange Bigarade (Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)

4. Fo T’iao Ch’iang or Buddha Jumps over the Wall, (Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort & Spa)

5. Bacalhau com Natas or Cod Fish with Cream (Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino)

6. US Angus Beef Short Ribs with Vegetable & Potato Pave and Red Wine Meat Reduction (International Culinary Arts Academy Cebu)

7. Sushi Platter (Chibori Shabu Shabu and Sushi Bar)

8. Truffle Pasta on 2004 Grana Padano, Rocket leaves, Roma Tomato, Wild Mushrooms and Truffle Cream (Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort & Spa)

9. Roast Piglet Chinese Style (Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa)

10. Roast Pigeon, Hong Kong Style (Grand Majestic Convention City) 

11. Mademoiselle Coco, An ensemble of quilted puff pastry stuffed with duck confit and chanterelle mushroom and cream pearls (Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino)

12. Traditional Coq Au Vin, (Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)

13. Kalderetang Bibe, Whole duckling in Rich Spicy Sauce (PINO Restaurant)

14. U.S. Beef Prime Rib (Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)

15. Grilled Pacific Lobster from Siargao Island Lobster Farm (Microtel Grand Resorts Mactan )

16. Rellenong Manok (Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)

17. Crab Cakes with Micro Greens with Tomato Vinaigrette (International Culinary Arts Academy Cebu)

18. Crackling Cured Pork Ribs with Spiced Apple Puree, Truffle mashed potato, Sao Thome Demiglace (Marco Polo Plaza Cebu)

19. Sautéed Deep-fried Prawns with Buttermilk (Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort & Spa)

20. The Farm Way Chèvre, a Rack of Organic Goat with Preserved Lemon Butter and Potato Mushroom Pavé (International Culinary Arts Academy Cebu)

After viewing these pictures and retrieving data from memory cells how each dish tasted, excuse me, I am hungry!