A first: Celebrity chefs in cook-out

MANILA, Philippines - It will be a first in the metro. Imagine six of the country’s top chefs in a friendly competition, serving their gourmet dishes from food trucks in a public place. This unique event, billed the “Celebrity Chef Food Truck Cook-off,” will happen on Feb. 22, starting at 5 p.m. at Block 12 of the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. It will kick off the First Manila Food and Wine Festival (MFWF), a four-day event from Feb. 22 to 25, which has for its theme “Cooking Revolution 2013.”

“The activity will showcase to the world the wonders of our own cuisine in a celebration filled with activities, promos, fun and of course, food,” says MFWF’s chef Gigi Angkaw.

Organized by the Culinary Education Foundation (CEF) in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT), all proceeds from the event will benefit 500 poor but deserving students who will be given scholarships under the Culinary Education Foundation, “which has a vision to fulfill dreams by implementing projects that would encourage culinary education to the majority of Filipinos.”

CEF was started in 2001, five years after the start of CCA (Center for Culinary Arts Manila, which pioneered in culinary arts education in the country), recalls Annie Pascual-Guerrero, the visionary founder of CCA and CEF. She is also the author of the groundbreaking book An A-Z Guide for a Green Chef, another advocacy. “The kitchen has the most biodegradable materials,” she says.

CEF benefits not only young students but also housewives as well as secondary education teachers who are taught basic culinary skills, which they can in turn impart or even use to start a business such as a carinderia or a small resort, which has actually happened.

“Women and out-of-school youths empowering and transforming their lives are causes closest to my heart,” Guerrero says. The MFWF supports this. It is “a celebration with a cause.”

The four-day event will feature three major activities, starting with the “Celebrity Chef Food Truck Cook-Off” on Feb. 22, then the so-called “Restaurant Wars” from Feb. 22-25, and a gala dinner presented by the Asian Food Channel (AFC) as the culminating event on Feb. 25. 

The Food Truck Cook-off will feature well-loved celebrity chefs with popular name recall, naturally. Who has not heard of chef Florabel Co-Yatco of the Florabel chain of restaurants? For the event, chef Florabel will be serving “a favorite global delicacy — sausages.” She says, “Everyone I know, no matter the nationality, has a favorite sausage. The dish is easy to eat, and with a variety of sauces I’m planning to serve, I’m sure that this will be a hit during the cook-off.” 

Chef Sau del Rosario of Food Garage will prepare jumbo dim sum, “simple but with a modern twist,” he adds. Chef Bruce Lim of the Asian Food Channel will serve his own gourmet version of the popular chicken wings. “I won’t make it complicated,” he noted.  “It will be something that people can easily enjoy.”

While chef Marvin Agustin of the Sumo Sam chain will display his “sushi-making skills,” culinary endorser chef Tristan Encarnacion will go “all-Pinoy” with all-time Pinoy favorites such as kilawin.  

Surely, Cyma’s executive chef Robby Goco will not fail to impress, with a recipe he has perfected of the porchetta, the “Italian lechon,” served with four types of sauces.

“It’s high-caliber cooking for the mass market,” he says. “Good food is a right, not a privilege.”

For cook-off tickets, log on to www.mfwf.ph.  Tickets may also be purchased at the Eastwood City booth, as well as onsite.

From Feb. 22 to 25, more than 70 restaurants and seven hotels will participate in Restaurant Wars, offering specially designed meals at big discounts, which can be availed of through purchase of exclusive MFWF tickets at the event’s website: mfwf.ph.

Some of the participating restaurants include the Cravings Group’s Casa Roces, Lombardi’s, C2, Cravings, CCA Market Café and The Coffee Beanery; the Sumo Sam chain: Florabel, Felix, Crisostomo, and Elias; The Bistro Group’s Italianni’s, Fish & Co., Friday’s, Flapjacks, Krazy Garlic, Bulgogi Brothers, Ma Maison, Modern Shanghai, The Stock Market Café, Village Tavern and Watami; the New Orleans restaurants: Alba’s, Sentro, Mr. Kurosawa, John & Yoko, and Gambino, among others.

Participating hotel restaurants include Spiral of Sofitel, Café Ilang-Ilang of Manila Hotel, Corniche Restaurant of Diamond Hotel, as well as the restaurants in Bayleaf, Luxent, Acacia, and Traders Hotel, where buffet meals will be offered at half price. Get your tickets online as well as in all Megaworld Lifestyle Malls on the days of the event.

Finally, the MFWF will host a by-invitation-only AFC gala dinner at the Makati Shangri-La on Feb. 25 as its culminating activity. “It will showcase the best of the best in all the fields of culinary, hospitality, entertainment, culture and, of course, Filipino talent,” CCA chef Melissa Sison noted.  “It will highlight the Philippines as the next must-visit destination for food and hospitality. This festivity will further deepen the world’s appreciation, not only of the Filipino lifestyle, but also and more importantly, make the globe appreciate Filipino food and talent.”