Savoy Hotel Manila has been curating food festivals that give people a taste of the various local cuisines that deserve attention not only from food connoisseurs but also from the general public.
Following the hotel’s move to put the spotlight on Ilonggo and Cebuano dishes in the past months, another local cuisine takes centerstage—the flavors from Boracay Island.
Continuing the tradition from the previous food events, Savoy Hotel Manila’s “Boracay Island Flavors” featured a menu crafted by Savoy Hotel Boracay executive chef Nicks Valmeo in collaboration with Savoy Hotel Manila executive chef Kit Carpio.
The menu includes delectable dishes such as Hurmong Talaba or baked oysters, Binakol na Manok or chicken sautéed in ginger, garlic, and onion with a hint of lemongrass, fresh coconut juice, and meat, Ensaladang Pako or a salad consisting of fiddlehead fern, cherry tomato, sliced onion rings topped with crispy Danggit fish with calamansi vinaigrette, Alugbati at Kesong Puti Salad which consists of mesclun greens, local alugbati, cherry tomato, black olives, and kesong puti drizzled with dalandan-honey vinaigrette, and Tinumis or sautéed pork with fresh tomato, onion, garlic, vinegar, and Batuan puree for a tangy twist.
Other dishes include the Inubarang Manok or slow-cooked chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass, ginger, and ubad or banana pith, Tinumkan or freshwater shrimps, coconut meat, ginger, and spices wrapped in taro leaves and simmered in coconut cream, Chori Pasta or Pinoy spaghetti with a Boracay twist, Pansit Bisaya or a Visayan noodle dish that combines egg and rice noodles with seafood, pork, and chorizo, Inday-Inday or palitao with bukayo, and Eangkoga or the Aklanon version of binignit or bilo-bilo.
“As the Philippines’ Leading Airport Hotel, we have guests who stay with us while en route to various parts of the country. Serving Boracay Island’s iconic dishes at our very own Savoy Café gives our guests a taste of vacation even before they reach their destination,” said Savoy Hotel Manila general manager Den Navarro.
Speaking on the dishes, Valmeo shared how the curated menu was inspired by his experience when it came to the food that customers usually requested from him.
“I take great joy in cooking the most requested dishes from our customers who are vacationing with us, especially favorites from Aklan and the Visayas region. These are the flavors that bring people together,” said Valmeo.
Carpio told Manila Standard Life that there were challenges that came with curating the menu.
“It took us several days to finalize the menu, ensuring it would cater to all of our guests. The most challenging part was recreating the heirloom recipes, as many of these dishes are rarely prepared in Aklanon households today,” said Carpio.
The executive chef of Savoy Hotel Manila also added that there were also some difficulties that came with the preparation of some dishes such as the Kansi, which required a long cooking process to make sure that the deep flavors were extracted from the beef shank while also being tender. Another challenge that came with the dish was the sourcing of fresh batuan fruit since it was only endemic to the Western Visayas region.
Despite the challenges, Carpio believed that the dishes from Boracay will be loved by the hotel’s patrons because of how it is made.
“Their cooking techniques are more straightforward, favoring tradition over innovation. Some of the vegetables they use are so unique that you might not even realize they’re edible such as the banana trunk heart. They’ve learned to make use of these ingredients out of necessity and adversity,” said Carpio.
“The flavors and variety may resemble other regional dishes in the country, but they stand apart in certain ways, especially in their use of local ingredients. These dishes have evolved around the belief that what grows together, stays together,” he added.
Savoy Hotel Manila’s “Boracay Island Flavors” event will run until Oct. 20. For more information and table reservations, call +63253172817 or email dine@savoymanila.com.
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