Serving local – a delicious alternative

For a long time now, hotels get to keep guests for more than just the three day/two night stopover. Now, quarantine can be 5-10 days for most travelers  anywhere in the country. Let’s look at the positive side to this phenomenon. What can we do to serve these tourists for the extended time we have with them – and having them as “captive” audience?

• Serve local food. Since quarantine restrictions forbid them from going out for a few days, introduce them to good adobo, sinigang, tapa, longganisa and the like. Serve heirloom rice or adlai (Job’s tears).

• Serve local fruits. Bananas, pineapple, mangoes are year-round fruits now. You can make them taste local flavors rather than buying the easy and cheap apples and oranges from China.

• Serve local coffee. There are many roasters around the country serving freshly-roasted coffee in drip bags for those who do not wish to put coffeemakers in each room. If you are four- or five-star hotel, get a simple coffeemaker and local coffee to serve. The guests now  have time to brew coffee in their rooms.

• Serve local snacks. Turon, halo-halo, local ice cream flavors like ube and macapuno are sure treats.

Let’s take this time to start the beautiful experience of tourists – local or international. The Philippines has a rich heritage of food flavors.

Let’s not take just the easy way always – serving the cheapest food with no thought of promoting local culture and local food. You will be appreciated more by your guests even if they were just “forced” to stay at your hotel due to COVID restrictions. Think of it as an opportunity to share our best food and drinks with them. The initiative will come back to you and your business a hundred fold. – Chit U. Juan, Slow Food councilor for Southeast Asia