Guinness record on largest dinner buffet set

MANILA, Philippines - An Olongapo City-based culinary school is brainstorming various recipes as it prepares for the daunting challenge of whipping up more than 1,500 different dishes to set a new Filipino entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s longest and largest dinner buffet at the Subic Freeport complex on Thursday.

Adrian Viray, head chef instructor and owner of Blue Spoon Culinaire, said that while the task seems daunting, they are confident of achieving the feat with the support of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and corporate sponsors San Miguel Corp., PLDT, among others.

“We can do it but we will need a lot of help,” the Le Cordon Bleu of London-trained Viray told The STAR.

Viray said that Blue Spoon Culinaire itself has taken on the challenge of whipping up around 800 dishes.

The effort to set the record for the world’s longest and largest dinner buffet will be the highlight in the “Kitchen Wars Food Festival 2010” slated March 11 to 13 in Subic, an event celebrating the Filipinos’ love for food and cooking.

Event organizer and festival manager Marijo Viray said the affair hopes to lure thousands of local and foreign tourists to the Subic Freeport.

Viray said inquiries about events and competitions in the upcoming three-day festival could be made at 0916-6416620 or 0927-5669208.

“We observed that our fiestas usually highlight dance contests. But we envision Subic to have an annual fiesta that will showcase Filipinos’ cooking skills and love for food,” Viray said.

“If we are successful this week, we hope this to be an annual Subic event,” Viray said.

Viray said the festival will also include “kitchen wars” or cooking competition between professional and newbie chefs.

There will also be a “Kitchen Star Wars” where celebrities will showcase their cooking skills and their specialties to the public.

The competitions will give out special awards for individual dishes like Best Appetizer, Best Soup, Best Salad, Best Main Course and Best Dessert.

Major awards and prizes will be given to the winners plus the titles Kitchen Warriors (for the novice category), Kitchen Warlord (for the professional chef category), and Grandmaster Chef (for the master chef category); and for the flair tenders, the titles Junior Czar of the Bar (for the bartending students) and the Czar of the Bar (for the professional bartenders).

Other highlights are of the celebration are the “BSC Dance Party,” a dance party with the hippest Manila DJ’s coinciding with the flair tending competitions on March 11, 2010; “Reminiscing,” a night of easy listening music from some of the country’s loveliest singers on March 12, 2010; and the “Subic Rock Jam 2010,” featuring some of the liveliest rock bands in the Philippines.

A job fair and food expo are also scheduled.

Viray said inquiries about events and competitions in the upcoming three-day festival could be made at 0916-6416620 or 0927-5669208.