An ‘Iron’ feast for Yolanda survivors
The Next Iron Chef Season 4 winner Geoffrey Zakarian flew in to Manila to whip up a “one-of-a-kind†five-course gala dinner for Manila’s elite.
Held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, the charity event dubbed “A Feast of Colours†was organized by Cignal Digital TV and Colours magazine channel to raise funds for the survivors of typhoon Yolanda. It was done through the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation or PDRF with Cignal TV chief Manny V. Pangilinan as co-chairman with Jaime Augusto Zobel.
Zakarian is one of the most popular celebrities in the culinary world having been a judge in numerous cooking competitions as well as author of several cookbooks. He was also recently named culinary director of the prestigious Plaza Hotel in New York. Manila’s hardcore food lovers were definitely thrilled to sample the gastronomic delights personally prepared by the Michelin-starred chef.
The world-renowned chef served his own version of an all-time favorite Filipino food — the adobo – with a twist, in keeping with the event’s theme of East-West fusion. Zakarian prepared for his culinary masterpiece by experimenting with different types of vinegars, then gave the dish his own signature treatment by throwing in extra special ingredients that enhanced the flavor. In fact, the American culinary guru brought in ingredients that are not locally available to make sure his creations will have a distinctive flavor and texture.
According to Zakarian, he derived his inspiration from the memory of an old friend who introduced him to “the wonderful world of adobo.†Manila’s “who’s who†were enchanted by the affable chef, who disclosed that he has a number of Filipinos in his staff, which is why he has become a bit familiar with some of our dishes.
The gala charity dinner was definitely a success — and we won’t be surprised if The Next Iron Chef winner will soon be back to Manila for another gustatory event.
Photos by Ramon Joseph J. Ruiz
