ILOILO CITY – The 10th Sabores de Visayas will highlight West Visayan heritage cuisine in a degustation dinner here on Saturday, July 27.
“Sabores de Visayas is just an instrument. This is about our local cuisine,” said chef and heritage cuisine advocate Rafael “Tibong” Jardeleza Jr.
Jardeleza, a 2023 recipient of Manila Bulletin’s UPLIFT Awards and winner of the Best Cookbook during the 41st National Book Awards, is bringing the most renowned and respected chefs from all over country to work alongside Ilonggo “kusineros” (cooks).
It will feature chefs Sandy Daza, Margarita Forés, Myke Tatung, Panky Lopez, Mikel Zaguirre, Kalel Chan, and Patrick Go as well as Iloilo’s Jose Wilson Esperancilla, Maridel Uygonco, and Jardeleza.
These renowned chefs will collaborate with local chefs Frances Aimee Tiu Villanueva, Ariel Castañeda Jr., Andrea Valdez Gorriceta, Karl Jason Hibionada, Jeff E. Ticao, Aaron Pastilloso, Keith Warren Apurado Bianson, Paul Frias, and Paul Aligaen.
“We are introducing our way of cooking, our ingredients and our culture,” said Jardeleza.
With the collaboration, Jardeleza hopes that recipes and ingredients will be brought back to their restaurants in Manila to promote both Ilonggo and Western Visayan heritage cuisine.
Jardeleza also wants to highlight the varied agricultural and fisheries products found in Panay Island that become key ingredients to the local food.
The 10th Sabores de Visayas will be held in partnership with the Iloilo MICE Alliance headed by Nat Lim, the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) headed by Allan Ryan Tan, Department of Tourism-6 Western Visayas, Philippine Airlines (PAL), Iloilo Business Park of Megaworld Corp., MORE Power, La Filipina Uygongco, and Manila Bulletin.