Manila welcomes the kiwi season

I have always liked the kiwifruit so you can just imagine my joy when Zespri, makers of the best kiwifruits from New Zealand, announced recently the onset of the kiwi season in Manila.

Expect the shelves of supermarkets and select stores to be teeming with the freshest, juiciest kiwifruit.

Flying in from Singapore to formally kick off the kiwifruit season was Zespri regional market development manager for Southeast and South Asia Steve Bunyan. Joining Bunyan during the luncheon for members of the media was Dexter Difuntorum of Fresh Studio Innovations Asia, the exclusive marketing arm of Zespri Kiwifruit in the Philippines.

Bunyan said, “We’re excited to bring the delicious and nutritious kiwifruit experience to Filipinos. We encourage everyone to enjoy our kiwifruit anytime, anywhere as it is naturally fresh, full of flavor, safe and good for everyone’s health.”

He explained Zespri Kiwifruit comes from Mount Maunganui in the heart of New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry. He added that Zespri offers an innovative range of premium kiwifruit products: Zespri Gold and Zespri Green, to cater to any person’s taste preference.

During the launch hosted by Patricia Hizon, the sweet, uniquely tropical taste and juicy texture of Zespri Gold as well as the tangy, sweet sour taste of Zespri Green were enjoyed by guests like Patricia’s husband, former basketball superstar Vince Hizon. Kiwi shakes, fresh kiwi slices and a dessert of panna cota with kiwi glaze helped guests appreciate the refreshing and delicious goodness of this fruit.

(Check out those tasty and healthy Zespri kiwis now.)

Don’t miss the next Cenas Españolas

The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines organized its first dinner for Cenas Españolas. Cenas Españolas, the former Rutas Gastronomicas, are dinners organized in the best Spanish restaurants of Manila. The food and the wine are Spanish and each chef decides his menu. The venue was one of my favorites, Cirkulo Restaurant on Pasay Road in Makati, and the chef was J. Gamboa.

That night, guests enjoyed tapas such as assorted marinated olives, tomato tartar with jamon iberico, truffle oil infused custards, asparagus veloute with crispy jamon, salt cod, pimiento piquillo and rosemary shoestring potatoes. Dinner was composed of asparagus salad, poached free range egg, almond bread crunch, red wine vinaigrette, slow roasted lamb short ribs with garlic and pepper and lamb rump “sous vide,” roasted vegetables, paella a la montana with portobello mushrooms, asparagus and roasted garlic, caramelized brioche, olive oil ice cream, sweet olives and tomatoes with Pedro Ximenez syrup. Spanish wines served were Marques de Carceres Blanco and Ramon Bilbao Crianza.

I have patronized Cirkulo since its start, even when it was known as El Cirkulo, because its food has been consistently good. Make sure not to miss the next Cenas Españolas at the Tapella Restaurant in September.

(For more information, please check www.lacamara.com.ph or www.facebook.com/spanishchamber.)