‘Manila Iconic’: The Manila Food & Wine Festival Gala Night with Chef Sau & Chef Tatung
- The Garlic Press
- Jul 28, 2023
- 3 min read
Last night, I had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing the first collaboration between two of the biggest names in the Philippine culinary industry: Chef Sau del Rosario and Chef Michael ‘Tatung’ Sarthou.
Dubbed ‘Manila Iconic’, the landmark collaboration paid tribute to three icons of Philippine gastronomy: Chef Nora Daza of ‘Let’s Cook with Nora’ fame, ‘Lola Asiang’ Reyes of The Aristocrat Restaurant, and Larry J. Cruz who founded Café Adriatico and Metro Magazine (which years later gave birth to ABS-CBN’s Metro.Style where I now work as a food/lifestyle contributor). The gala dinner is just one of the many events mounted for the first Manila Food & Wine Festival, which was founded and organized by the OG influencer Spanky Hizon Enriquez and blogger couple Anton & Rachelle Diaz of Our Awesome Planet with support from the Department of Tourism.
The first six dishes of the gala dinner were envisioned by both Chef Sau and Chef Tatung and created with the help of their equally talented and hard-working team.
The dinner started with a trio of appetizers: Sisig Foie Gras ‘Pie Tee’, Sticky Cod Fishballs, and Truffled Balut Mousse. Paired with Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling, the appetizers whetted our appetites for the feast to come.
The soup was an elevated and minimalist version of the beloved Bulalo with tender pieces of beef and roasted bone marrow.
In honor of Chef Nora Daza, the third course was a roulade of Chilean Sea Bass filled with Chorizo served with hearty Pochero broth, sweet potato purée, and banana purée. The sweet and savory flavor profiles were complemented with the subtle fruity notes of Pago Mota Chardonnay.
The fourth course of Knockout Knuckle Crispy Pata was made in memory of Larry J. Cruz and served with traditional sawsawan of soy sauce, onions, and chili on the side.
And what better way to honor Lola Asiang than by modernizing adobo the way only Chef Sau and Chef Tatung can? The fifth course was Sous Vide Moulard (Duck Breast) Adobo with French Beans and Brussel Sprouts. The adobo sauce was bright, familiar, and gave life to the elements of the dish. It was paired with the deep notes of Le Fou Pinot Noir to balance the salty and sour profiles of the dish.
After a palate cleanser of Sampaguita-perfumed Granita with Pomelo, the two chefs — icons in their own right — served their solo creations.
Chef Sau’s dish was Lobster Aligue Adlai, composed of butter-poached lobster tail on a bed of creamy Adlai risotto and topped with umami-rich Aligue sauce — reflecting the refinement and maturity of Chef Sau’s techniques that he’s honed throughout the years. The lobster tail was perfectly cooked (not tough or rubbery) and the saltiness of the Aligue sauce worked well to counter the richness of the risotto.
Chefs Bong Sagmit (leftmost) and Oye Panganiban (rightmost), Chef Sau’s left and right hand, did a beautiful job of preparing the dish.
Chef Tatung’s Polenta Beef Balbaqua was as decadent and as flamboyant as he is — in the best possible way. The dish featured a piece of crazy tender and flavorful beef, which fell apart at the slightest touch of the fork. The pieces of beef belly were beautifully marbled and soft. The polenta was seasoned just right to balance the bold flavors of the beef. It was paired with a glass of Cartlidge & Browne Merlot, which punctuated the savory dishes on a perfect note.
For dessert, Chef Christian Monera (the executive pastry chef of Admiral Hotel Manila) created a dish that celebrated merienda’s greatest hits. The dish had layers of house-made apas (sugar cones) with Ube Halaya Cream, Mango chunks, and Toasted Kasuy for crunch and nuttiness in between; on the side, it had a light and satisfying Guinataang Munggo Espuma, Mango pearls, and some kind of chocolate-flavored soil.
The dinner was made extra special by seeing dear friends in the industry (and all The Botanist gin & tonic I could drink). It felt like a reunion of sorts, celebrating the greatness of Filipino cuisine, its colorful and delicious history, and the bright future ahead — icons paving the way for the new generation of chefs and F&B workers.
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