Putting together a dinner for a worthy cause is always an event I’ll support, as it brings together our enjoyment for food and dining, with an altruistic and charity angle. As Chef Jessie Sincioco relates, it was a no-brainer when Globe approached her and asked to get involved with their Hapag Movement, an advocacy that tries to do something about involuntary hunger here in the Philippines. Chef Jessie is so committed to championing this advocacy that she called Chef Kay Carreon in San Diego, California to be involved in a four-hands menu. The Rotary of Makati chapter similarly threw their full support behind this dinner and called upon their members to make the benefit dinner a big success. For Jessie, it’s always about giving back, being grateful for the success she’s had in this industry she calls home, and finding like-minded people and causes will always be a blessing. Porchetta with atchara rice
Sliced pulpo with sushi rice
Of interest to note is that while Filipino cuisine often acted as the base or starting point for the courses, the two chefs made use of their experience with other global cuisines to come up with something unique. The starter was a baby octopus served with soy sauce jellied sushi rice, the Sliced Pulpo over Sushi Rice. Then there was a Chicken Binakol that employed very young coconut meat to enhance the broth and experience. Easily, this was a favorite among the many who attended the dinner. Renowned Filipino seafood was next on the culinary agenda, as it was the Pan-Fried Fillet of Apahap, the surprise flavor coming from the Mentaiko Bihod sauce that topped the fish filet, and the “pako” found under the filet. Fried fillet of apahapa and chicken binakol
A native pink guava caviar, which served as topping for a coconut sherbet was our palate cleanser, and it served its purpose in a refreshing manner. The weeks-old native pork porchetta, paired with atchara rice and lowland greens was our main course. Here, the two chefs excelled, as the porchetta was juicy and tender. Personally, I’d have liked the pork skin to be crispier, but that’s a very minor quibble. Purple yam truffle bar and milk chocolate namelaka; Chefs Kay Carreon and Jessie Sincioco.
Chef Kay used to train under Chef Jessie when she first graduated from culinary school, working in the pastry section of Le Soufflé. So we all looked forward to dessert, a purple yam truffle bar, that sat adjacent to a milk chocolate namelaka, and festooned with edible flowers. Pretty and delicious is always a potent combination. The dinner event was held at Chef Jessie’s Place, a building off JP Rizal in Makati that serves as Jessie’s headquarters and events place. It was so nice to finally make it to this building of hers, as it stands as a testament to how hard Chef Jessie has worked for decades, and the kind of success she has amassed in that time. I look forward to future collaborations and special projects of Chef Jessie and Globe’s Hapag Movement.