IN PHOTOS: Mouthwatering dishes at APEC welcome dinner
MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos wowed the leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) welcome dinner with a sumptuous menu envisioned by Via Mare founder Glenda Barretto and Margarita Forés of Cibo.
"This is an invitation not only to share whatever food is on the plate, but also and more importantly, an invitation to be a friend. Here in the Philippines, a meal is always seen as a joyful occasion, no matter how simple the fare," said President Benigno Aquino III on his toast.
The guests were treated to a festive night, from the delectable food served to the decorative setup arranged by Kenneth Cobonpue, the event's creative director.
For the menu, Glenda said the overall concept was simple. “We [presented] what is classic, national in taste like flavors of adobo, tinola, kesong puti, itlog na maalat,” she said. But the dishes were plated in a modern manner, Margarita added.
The ingredients they used for dishes were local, sourced from all over the country. Citing that because microgreens are often overlooked, they chose to use “provincial” vegetables like alugbati and sigarilyas as ingredient to showcase the uniqueness and diversity of our ingredients.
Here's the menu for last night's event:
