By Sol Vanzi CULINARY TOUR Clockwise from the top: ‘Luzviminda 6’ offers a wealth of dishes from various provinces; Their collection of panghimagas or desserts; The celebration's opening; Beef belly tapa; Litson liempo; F1 Hotel Manila LUZVIMINDA featured chefs Zhe Jacinto, executive chef Angelo ‘Chubby’ Timban, and AJ Reyes; Dried and smoked fish Hotel food festivals normally feature a special chef, a prized ingredient, or the cuisine of a selected province or foreign country. The dishes presented are familiar to foodies, and rarely are there any surprises. Definitely an exception is the “Luzviminda 6 and Timeless Flavors,” a well-researched and excellently executed celebration of Filipino cuisine currently ongoing at the F1 Hotel in time with the country’s observance of 120 years of independence. Three chefs scoured the countryside, travelling extensively to remote islands and mountain villages to capture the essence and spirit of obscure native dishes at their very source. F1 Hotel’s executive chef Angelo “Chubby” Timban and guest chefs AJ Reyes and Zhe Jacinto summed up their extensive research and cultural immersion by creating memorable feasts served daily until June 30 at the hotel’s restaurant, F All-Day Dining. “Luzviminda 6” is the culmination of the chefs’ collaboration, recreating for city folk rare and authentic Filipino cuisine akin to a culinary journey through the Philippines’ more than 7,000 islands. RARE SOUPS At the opening of the food festival, we sought out dishes that are rarely found outside of their own regions of origin. We started with soups from our southernmost islands. Two were Tiyula Itum and Chicken Piyangga, which I last tasted while shooting a documentary on Siasi Island south of Jolo, hometown of my late friend, Newsweek correspondent Nelly Sindayen. Tiyula Itum is a meaty soup with pounded charred coconut meat, which blackens the entire dish. Piyangga is simmered with a variety of herbs normally available only in Mindanao. The third soup, Bulcachong, is a gingery, spicy Davao specialty loaded with carabao meat, seasoned with peanut butter and colored with atsuete. DIPS, PICKLES, BBQ To enhance the flavors of grilled and steamed vegetables and seafood, the buffet offers a wide variety of pickles and fermented dips from all parts of the country: Sisi (bagoong tahong) Padas, Balaw-Balaw, Birabid, Artem, Burong Hipon, Burong Manga, and Atsara. Boneless Lechon Pork Belly, Cebu-style, was served and deemed by everyone as more convenient and less wasteful than the old-fashioned, whole roasted pig. Rubbed with seasonings for hours, the meat needed no sauce other than a touch of Mama Sita’s organic Sukang Ilocos with crushed garlic. Surprisingly, one of the most popular buffet sections served street food: Isaw na Baboy (pig intestines), Tenga ng Baboy (pig ears), Betamax (beef blood), Bituka ng Manok (Chicken intestines), and Paa ng Manok (chicken feet). ORIGINAL SISIG Two Ilocano dishes support the theory that sisig is but a copycat: Insarabasab and Dinakdakan. Insarabasab means cooked over flames. It is composed of grilled pork sliced into very small pieces and seasoned with onions, garlic, lots of chili, and strong Ilocos vinegar. Dinakdakan is pig parts (including the head) boiled, grilled, sliced into small pieces and mixed with broiled pork liver, vinegar, onions, garlic, and chili. The Ilocanos have been cooking Insarabasab and Dinakdakan since time immemorial, while the Pampangos admit their sisig first appeared only a few decades ago. MORE SPECIAL DISHES Other rare regional specialties found at “Luzviminda 6” are Pinausukang Panga sa Tiyan ng Bariles (smoked tuna jaw and belly), Dinuguang Baboy Ramo (wild boar blood stew), Bone Marrow Adobo, Barako Pork Ribs, Beef Korma, and Beef Belly Tapa. The dessert section was a kaleidoscope of native sweets, jams, cakes, and other sinful delights. It included homemade ice creams in cheese, ube (purple yam), avocado, and mango flavors. The Halo-Halo station was loaded with preserves, such as durian, langka, macapuno, garbanzos, mongo, nata de coco, and leche flan. Smooth and creamy cassava cake went well with carabao milk pudding, sapin-sapin, and unusual tamales blanca and banana suman. Kalabasa flan was beautiful and tasty, while Brazo de Ube was colorful and filling. We could not resist the unusual Avocado Panna Cotta sa Gata and shared a slice of Guyabano Cheesecake. After a feast like that, we barely had space for coffee! We salute F1 Hotel and the chefs for their effort to find and preserve regional dishes for future generations to enjoy.