Philippine Food Expo
The 15th Philippine Food Expo Last April 28 to 30, 2023, the Philippine Food Expo was held at the SMX Convention Center. This exhibition focuses on the local food industry through booths from different businesses, cooking demos, competitions, and seminars. The event’s central theme is the dynamic and transforming trends in consumer behaviour, urbanization, food manufacturing, and agriculture.
SISFU’s International Culinary Arts students and faculty chefs participated in two cooking competitions – the PINASarap Breakfast and Modern Filipino Dessert categories. Each category lasted for an hour with 10 teams from different schools consisting of one student and one faculty chef.
For the PINASarap Breakfast round, finalists Chef Cecile and AJ presented Black Rice Omelette with Chicken Pastil and Crispy Fish Biti, Banana Crunch in Choco-coconut Sauce, and Ginomis. This breakfast platter of assorted breakfast favourites featured Chicken Pastil from Mindanao, Longganisa from various provinces, and black rice from Baler wrapped in an omelette which perfectly encapsulates the different Philippine regions. The Banana Crunch in Choco-Coconut Sauce is a dish composed of Banana fries with a chocolate coconut sauce that pairs well with Ginumis, a refreshing coconut drink with jelly and sago.
Faculty Chef Rina Sarreal and Christian Nazaire Rengel won third place in the Modern Filipino Dessert category for their Halo-halo Bibingkoy, Deconstructed Mango-Tamarind Pie, and Deep Fried Mango Taho. Their version of Bibingkoy, a special Filipino rice cake, was elevated by incorporating flavours from another famous Filipino summertime dessert called Halo-halo. They are filled with mango-banana-langka jam and served with ube sauce made with coconut milk, ube puree, and condensed milk then garnished with candied nata and kaong plus coconut-cornflakes streusels.
For their modern rendition of traditional Filipino pies, they crafted a mango-tamarind pie with a cashew-layered crust. This dessert used flavours of mango graham cake with a twist of sweet tamarind and Kasilyo as the cheese crema garnished with graham streusels. They also made their own version of Taho with soy milk and ripe mango puree in a fried spring roll wrapper. This was topped with arnibal and asukal na negro garnished with tapioca pearls.
These complex and creative dishes are a true reflection of the intensive training our International Culinary Arts students experience. Our faculty chefs and global curriculum ensure that our future culinary experts excel in challenges locally and abroad. Through the multiple international credentials our students earn after their completion of the programme, they can continue to hone their skills by pursuing high-paying roles in top hotels and restaurants in Australia or the US.
Congratulations to our Faculty Chef Rina Sarreal and Christian Nazaire Rengel for winning third place in the Modern Filipino Dessert category and finalists Faculty Chef Cecilia Belleza and Gabriel Alberto Javier in the PINASarap Breakfast!
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