AVANT GARDENER
I’m very honored and grateful to have worked in Manila Bulletin’s Agriculture section in various capacities, first as editor-in-chief of Agriculture Online, then following in Zac Sarian’s footsteps as Manila Bulletin’s Agriculture section editor and later, editor-in-chief of Agriculture Monthly magazine as well. This line of work allowed me to learn about, observe, and experience different facets of our agriculture industry that aren’t necessarily seen by the general public. It’s also given me the opportunity to meet different people from the sector.
But before I was an agriculture editor, I was a food writer during the early stages of the sustainability movement, when chefs were beginning to work directly with farmers to source specific produce. Even though I was no stranger to life on a farm, it was really the act of eating and the curiosity about where ingredients come from that sparked my interest in the agriculture industry.
And even though I’ve resigned from my post as Agriculture editor, my interest in the agriculture industry by way of food continues.
One of the organizations I interacted with when I was editor was the Agribusiness and Countryside Development Foundation (ABCDF), an NGO whose main purpose is to facilitate job generation in the agriculture sector. One way to do this is to introduce farmers directly to buyers, which is what ABCDF, where I am a board member, did in a collaboration with The Westin Manila and Chinoy chef and TV personality Sharwin Tee, owner of Little Grace popups.
In a two-night event called CuiSCENE no. 2: Farm-to-Table Contemporary Chinese Degustation Menu, Chef Sharwin collaborated with Chef Rej Casanova of Seasonal Tastes in The Westin Manila to come up with a Chinoy-inspired tasting menu using produce from local farmers.
The eight-course dinner showcases traditional Chinoy dishes presented in imaginative ways. Tee specifically refers to Chinoy dishes as Chinese dishes, usually from the Hokkien region where a lot of Chinese immigrants hail from, that use Philippine ingredients that, over time, have developed into its own cuisine. It’s rare to find these dishes in local Chinese restaurants as most of them serve Cantonese cuisine, but they tend to be common in Chinoy households. It is from his memory of lutong bahay (home-cooked meals) that Tee draws inspiration.
There are a couple of things that aren’t part of the eight courses but should be watched out for: the appetizer, radish prepared like char siu (asado), is completely vegan, but has the rich, sweet, umami taste of Cantonese-style roast pork, and the fortune cookie everyone gets at the end of the meal, where one lucky guest per night (out of two nights) gets the chance to win an overnight stay at the hotel.
Many diners liked the first course: Earth, Land, Ocean Handcrafted Dimsum—mushroom and peas with truffle essence, lobster and chives, and pork siomai with seared goose liver. It’s recommended that they be eaten in that order so the diner can experience the most delicate top the most robust in taste.
Another crowd favorite was the Fish & Kale, sous vide Asian seabass, organic kale XO sauce, kale puree, crispy rice cracker, fish milk broth, scallion oil. It’s a subtle but richly flavored dish that put it in many diners top dishes for the night.
Tee, who is on a crusade to convert everyone to the joys of cooked lettuce dishes, is especially proud of the Lettuce & Kiniing, poached romaine, iceberg, and Lollo Rosso lettuce, Benguet kiniing XO Sauce, Lollo Rosso oil. The three lettuces have different tastes and different textured, despite all of them being cooked. The XO sauce, made from kiniing, cured pork from Benguet, adds richness to the dish.
One of my personal favorites was the Tofu & Mushrooms, twice-cooked tofu, mushroom tofu mousse, shiitake mapo sauce, fried oyster mushrooms. This vegan dish is a medley of flavor and texture, with the mushrooms providing umami.
All the dishes were delicious but for me, it was the vegetable-based ones that really shone. Of course, I could be biased because I really like vegetables.
I’ve said before that the easiest way for the regular Filipino to support our agriculture industry is to buy local and if possible, buy directly from farmers. While a dinner like this may not be for everyone, it’s a huge deal that The Westin, along with many other organizations that include hotels, restaurants, and food manufacturers, are making an effort to buy directly from farmers, despite the industry’s unfortunate reputation of having unstable supply, among other kinks that have to be ironed out.
The limited-run menu is available on Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, 2024, from 6 to 10 p.m. at ₱4,800 nett per person. For reservations, contact The Westin Manila.