Story and photos by Primrose Madayag Knazan
Chef Claire Snowball presented an 8-course dinner inspired by her Mestiza background at the latest Baon Manila Nights held on Sunday, May 22nd, 2016 at The Planit Restaurant and Lounge. Before dinner, she spoke of growing up with two meals on her table, western comfort food from her father and traditional Filipino dishes from her mother.
Chef Snowball is a graduate of the Red River College Culinary program. She is also a 2 time Iron Chef Winnipeg, a Manitoba CCFCC (Canadian Culinary Federation) Jr. Chef Competition Champion, and a CCFCC Nationals Competitor.
The progressive meal was a fusion of contemporary culinary techniques and Filipino home cooking. Courses included sweet Filipino spaghetti using thick bucatini noodles with a tocino crumble; crispy pork belly with atchara, calamansi pudding, and crispy kale; and a risotto-like arroz caldo topped with benito flakes and crispy chicken skin. For dessert, Chef Snowball created an upscale Halo Halo with condensed milk ice cream, pandan leche flan, coco de nata, and White Rabbit candy.
As a foodie, I’m proud to see Filipino food finally in the spotlight. With our unique flavour profiles that borrow from Spanish, Chinese and Malaysian cuisine, Filipino food is gaining in popularity. In a recent episode of Parts Unknown in Manila, world-famous chef Anthony Bourdain places Filipino food at par with the robust and exotic fare from Vietnam, Thailand and Korea. I believe that Filipino food is on the verge of being the next trend.
Baon Manila Nights is a monthly series of pop-up restaurants showcasing guests chefs and their takes on Filipino cuisine. The next instalment titled “SAMA SAMA NIGHT” is a fundraiser to support Norwest Co-op Community Food Centre and will take place on Sunday, June 12, 2016. For more details, check out Baon Manila Nights on Facebook or ManilaNights204 on Instagram.
