Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events |

I was supposed to attend the International Cuisine Culinary Class at the Diamond Hotel but it was in conflict with our mommy lunch of Pinoy Moms Network. So I decided to let my daughter, Marielle take my place since she’s such an avid cook. This is what she had to say:

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Sakae Sushi has been in the must eat restaurants in my daughter’s list. Finally we made it to the SM Mall of Asia at the second floor.

The attractive feature of Sakae Sushi is the conveyor belt where various sushi plates are brought out .The Multicolored Plate is 80 pesos while the red plate is 189 pesos.

The kids were totally mesmerized with the conveyor concept that they kept taking sushi plates as it passed them.

It’s quite fascinating to see the sushi varieties such as these:

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I got a sample of Roasted Corn Coffee brew at the recently concluded International Food Exhibition 2007 at the World Trade Center. It really tasted like real coffee except that Corn Coffee has NO caffeine,No preservatives, High in fiber and 100% Corn. Old folks say that our forefathers used to drink this type of coffee.

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Halo-halo ( (shaved ice with sweetened fruits and beans, purple yam and ube ice cream) is the best dessert to take on a hot , humid summer day in the Philippines. Now I have eaten a lot of commercial halo-halo and most of these halo-halo scrimp on the fruits or the purple yam. Chow King’s Halo-halo is the best halo-halo (other than the ones served in Little Quiapo) because it is affordable and has generous servings.

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Starting May 12, I am attending the International Cusine Culinary Series at the Diamond Hotel, thanks to PR Practioner, Amor Maclang. The invite came at a perfect time when I am beginning to be a lazy cook. I haven’t had the chance to churn up exciting and pallatable dishes lately. Perhaps the culinary series will serve as a jumpstart to more appetizing family meals. Happy family meals make a great bonding experience amongst family members. Perhaps, I can also teach my daughters.

Today, it was traditional Japanese Rolls by Chef Junichi Sekiyama.

Demonstration for dishes like Miso Soup, Nigiri Sushi, California Maki, Ebi Tempura and mixed Japanese Fried Rice was led by Chef Junichi Sekiyama. Born in Kobe , Japan, Junichi Sekiyama started cooking at a very young age of 16. He was wooed by Diamond Hotel to head the Yurakuen kitchen team. Thirteen years later, he is now the Japanese Executive Sous Chef and has served 3 Japanese Prime Ministers and minister ih his celebrated career. Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, Junichiro Koizumi, Shinzo Abe, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Taro Aso.

I was quite excited for the lessons to begin. At first, it was difficult to understand the chef’s accent but with time, I finally got adjusted to his teaching style. There was a Japanese translator nearby and other Filipino chefs to assist us. Chef Junichi is quite an enthusiastic teacher. Often, he’d encourage the participants so we get to feel the texture, taste the mixture or give a helping hand to the live demo.

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Amor Maclang’s email stated “An Invitation to a Media Launch”. Wagyu Beef—everyone’s heard of it; the beer, the sake, the massage (not for you, for your rib-eye!) But have you ever tasted this foie gras of steaks the way the perfectionists in Japan meant it to be enjoyed? It felt strange to be invited to a media event. Apparently, Jayvee gave a list of bloggers to Amor who in turn invited us to this festival . And I happened to be one of them. I am not a food writer. I’m not even a food critic. I’m not exactly a food blogger either though I take photos of the food we eat at restaurants or at home and post them here. I am just someone who loves to eat good food. So the invite piqued my curiousity. It helped that a few blogger-friends (like Lori, Jayvee, Annalyn and Anton) would also be attending and secondly, I wanted a taste test of the wagyu beef dishes. Upon arrival at the Diamond Hotel, I was handed a media kit with a description of Wagyu Beef:

…in a recent BBC poll, which named it as one of the top 50 foods one should eat before you die. Traditionally available only in Japan, the famed foie gras of beef has long been associated with tales of its 5-star cultivation. Regular massages , top notch food, the odd sake skin treatment, some ven go as far as incorporating heated water beds while listening to Bach and Mozart.

Am I glad I went! This was not an ordinary media event. It was a royal experience. Carlos Celdran gave us a walking tour of the various restaurants of Diamond Hotel that showcased various Wagyu Beef dishes. Carlos warned us that we will be tasting 12 dishes in all.

Wagyu Burger served in toasted ciabatta olive bread with a side of onion rings, tomato jam and yellow mustard.

wagyu black cheek beef which is braised in sesame broth served on buckwheat noodles with vegetables aka wagyu bulalo

What can I say?

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Technorati Tags: Wagyu Beef

written by Butch
photographed by Noemi

Note: photographs are fuzzy as it was taken in the dark by my Canon Powershot A530

We found a new fine-dining place, without the swanky prices, at In-Yō or inyo, located at Esteban Abada St. in Loyola Heights, near the busy Katipunan strip. We used to pass by the place quite often while taking the kids to their dorm in the area but we never had the chance to try the place out until recently. In-Yō offers “fusion cuisine“, an overused and abused phrase, but in the case of In-Yō , its an apt description. Western and eastern cuisine is blended in new and delightful ways by chef Nino Laus and In-Yō (”yours”, in Tagalog) is a place one will surely keep coming back to. Noel used to work for Parallel 45 and Kai.

The place is a converted house and the decor is Balinese meets Filipino rustic, with a garden area and an enclosed, airconditioned section with a 2nd floor. You will be welcomed by amiable restaurant manager and part owner Cris Orocio.

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Technorati Tags: fusion cuisine