SM-Philippine Star Tie-Up Highlights the Best Sinigang na Diana and Pastillas Recipes: ‘My City, My SM, My Cuisine’ goes to Olongapo

MANILA, Philippines - Olongapo is a city of contrasts — highly urbanized, but retaining much of its natural beauty — a deep-water harbor, windswept mountains, and lush rainforests. It is an investment hub that is also home to its first settlers: the Aetas, an indigenous people who still live the way their ancestors used to.

Olongapo’s cuisine is also one of contrasts — ranging from indigenous food of the Aetas to Asian and Spanish influences, and of course, hearty American food.

Mallgoers had the rare opportunity to discover the city’s traditional and modern food influences during the recent “My City, My SM, My Cuisine” launch at SM City Olongapo.

A joint project of SM and the Philippine STAR with support from SM Homeworld, “My City, My SM, My Cuisine” 2 celebrates the flavors of Philippine regional cuisine through a culinary contest featuring two signature recipes from 10 cities where SM Malls are located.

Held just in time for the city fiesta, the event’s cookfest showcased two Olongapo dishes: sinigang na Diana for the entrée and pastillas for the dessert.

Miguel Recacho and Merlita Garcia were adjudged winners for their sinigang na Diana and pastillas recipes, respectively. Their delightful flavors and food presentation got the nod of the distinguished board of judges: former Tourism Secretary and International School of Sustainable Tourism chairman/president Mina Gabor; the Castillejos Farm and Conservatory’s Lourdes Labrador, chef Ramiro Aquillo of Chef’s Avenue Catering Services; Philippine STAR advertising manager Grace Laurel and Metropolitan Museum of Manila Manila trustee Cora Alvina.

The winners each received P5,000 worth of SM gift certificates and Homeworld gift packs from Mayor James Gordon, Jr., SBMA director Anne Gordon, and SM vice president for marketing Millie Dizon. The rest of the finalists received gift packs from SM Homeworld.

Two showcases — one featuring the Aetas and another an American diner — revealed Olongapo’s contrast in cuisines; as did the prominent families who showcased their heirloom recipes in one grand spread.

Aeta Pederasyon ng Olongapo vice chairman Mike Recacho showed how Aetas cook their rice by steaming a bamboo tube.  Once cooked, the bamboo is split open, releasing the natural aroma of its fillings. Called binugey, which in the local dialect means, “cooked in bamboo,” the rice has a very fresh and organic taste.

The city’s multi cultural influences were seen in the Mongolian Barbecue recipe shared by Ramon del Rosario  and daughters Marie Antonette del Rosario-Tan  and  Maria Dorella of the By the Sea Resort Hotel.

As the site of a former US Naval Base, Olongapo residents grew to love American food like the square pizza of Sam’s Pizza, one of the city’s oldest restaurants. Cara Francesca del Rosario shared her father’s famous recipe.

The event also featured the foodie side of a family long known for public service in Olongapo — the Gordons.  James Leonard T. Gordon is fondly remembered as the Father of Olongapo, while his sons Richard and James Jr. have continued this tradition.

The Gordons have long had a thriving restaurant business, and Barbara and Cecille demonstrated their fish en croute and spinach crustade heirloom recipes.

The “My City, My SM, My Cuisine” stop in Olongapo is the seventh in Season 2 of this exciting culinary road show which was launched last April at SM City Rosales with the best bangus and tupig recipes. It later celebrated the specialties of the province of Rizal and the city of Marikina with a cookfest featuring the best binayabasan na alimango or alimasag and suman sa Ibos recipes at SM City Masinag.

Just in time for the Rizal@150 celebrations, foodies vied for the best lutong Intsik entrée and buko pie dessert recipes; while our National Hero’s descendants featured their heirloom recipes at SM City Calamba. The Golden Days of Coffee at SM City Lipa brought mall goers back to the halcyon days when Lipa supplied all the world’s coffee, highlighting the best bulalo and pinindot recipes.

More recently, its stop at SM City Baguio showcased the cuisine of the Cordilleras, as well as the city’s bountiful produce with the best salad and strawberry dessert recipes.
Last year, it made 13 stops all over the country, beginning in Santa Rosa where participants competed for the best lauya and puto maya with kilawing puso ng saging recipes.  Its last stop in its first season was SM City Clark where Kapampangan foodies showcased the best tidtad and tocino del cielo recipes.

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