SM City, My SM, My Cuisine goes to Batangas

MANILA, Philippines - Great food and great music highlighted the recent “My City, My SM, My Cuisine” stop at SM City Batangas.

A joint project of SM and The Philippine STAR with support from Homeworld, “My City, My SM, My Cuisine” celebrates the flavors of Philippine regional cuisine through a culinary contest featuring two signature recipes from fourteen cities where SM malls are located.

Held just in time for the city’s Sublian Festival, the event had all the gaiety, sense of community, and great food of a town fiesta with food lovers, food experts and some of the city’s prominent families gathering together at the mall.

Kaldereta and coffee desserts, made from the livestock and produce Batangas has long been known for, were the selected recipes. And the judges — writer and curator Marian Pastor-Roces, food lover Adrian Jones, writer and editor Mikey Fenix, Meralco vice president Manolo Fernando, De La Salle Lipa Culinary School head chef Shirley de Jesus, and Metropolitan Museum vice chair Corazon Alvina — clearly had a difficult time choosing the winners from among the very delicious recipes. 

Batangas City Mayor Vilma A. Dimacuha awarded the winners, Michael Ilagan from Taal, Batangas for his kalderetang Batangas and University of Batangas HRM student Jayvee Aguirre for his coffee dessert. They each received P5,000 worth of SM gift certificates and gift packs from Homeworld from SM vice president for marketing Millie Dizon and SM City Batangas assistant mall manager Gemina A. Buenaflor. The rest of the finalists received P1,000 worth of SM gift certificates and gift packs from Homeworld.

Event judges De La Salle Lipa Culinary School head chef Shirly De Jesus, writer and curator Marian Pastor, food enthusiast Adrian Jones, MET Museum vice chair Cora Alvina, Food magazine editor-in-chief Mikey Fenix and Meralco VP Manolo Fernando

Guests, including former Mayor Eduardo B. Dimacuha and Vice Mayor Joe Tolentino, also had a glimpse of Batangas’ rich culinary tradition in a video featuring Metropolitan Museum of Manila vice chair Corazon Alvina visiting favorite food stops and the homes of prominent families who demonstrated their signature recipes — lawyer Antonio Pastor and his family’s Adobong Pastor and Bulanglang and Taal tourism advocate Dindo Montenegro and his family’s Adobo sa Dilaw and Sinigang na Maliputo.

In true fiesta tradition, members of prominent Batangas families shared their heirloom recipes with guests — Cristy Irineo of Batangas City and her ginataang sugpo; Ely Montenegro and her embutido, morcon and taghilaw; Nita Ilagan and her classic leche flan of Taal; Aling Rowena and her empanadang gulay; Mely Manalo’s lechada and Pastel; and of course, the very famous Tapa and Longganisang Taal.

The highlight of the event was a rare mall performance by the Pastor brothers — “My City, My SM” honoree Antonio Pastor and Rafael Pastor, who serenaded the crowd with classical songs, showing that music, like food, is a great passion among Filipinos.

“My City, My SM, My Cuisine in Batangas” is the fourth stop of this exciting culinary event. The first took place in April in Santa Rosa where participants competed for the best Puchero with Lauya and Puto Maya with Kilawing Puso ng Saging. It then proceeded to Lucena in May, where contestants whipped up the best Hardinera and Bucayo recipes; and then to Cavite in June for the Tamales and Sapin-Sapin cookout.

“My City, My SM, My Cuisine” goes south for its next stop in Cagayan de Oro, which will showcase the best Pastel and Pineapple Dessert recipes.

“My City, My SM, My Cuisine” is a joint project of SM and The Philippine STAR with support from SM Homeworld.

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SM shoppers and Philippine STAR readers can submit their recipe of their city’s selected entrée and dessert along with their name, address, and occupation to sm_starculinary@yahoo.com. They can also mail these to the Publicity Department, Building C, SM Corporate Office, JW Diokno Boulevard, Pasay City, or the Lifestyle Section of the Philippine Star at R. Oca Jr. and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Manila.

Ten finalists will be selected — five for entrees and five for dessert. Two winners — one for entrée and one for dessert — will be selected from each city during the culinary contest that will be held in time for the city’s festival. The two winners will each receive P5,000 worth of SM Gift Certificates, while finalists will receive packs from SM Homeworld.