Don't Tell My Lola by Chef Sharwin Tee

I think I have met Chef Sharwin Tee a couple of times but have never really gotten to know him on a more personal level. A few days ago, I had the chance to actually do that via a pop up dinner held at the Gourmet Gypsy Art Cafe in Roces Avenue, Quezon City. It was hosted by the Culinary Historians of the Philippines (CHOP) of which most members are famed Filipino chefs, historians, experts in their fields and food connoisseurs from around the country. I was a bit intimidated by their titles but I was there to get to know Chef Sharwin, and how he grew up in good, home made Tsinoy food.

I believe in social enterprise and inclusion, but this is only the second time I've been in Gourmet Gypsy Art Cafe. It's my first time to actually see differently abled guys were part of their workforce, to serve us what good food that was about to hit our tables. This place is governed by Chef Waya Araos-Wijanco who made it her passion to help people with special needs a place to work, and make them productive parts of society. She says "Thank you for supporting our advocacy of people with special needs, as we train them to be included in the workforce and society." We didn't talk that much about the cause during our small chat so I think I'll be back very soon. She was also excited about what Chef Sharwin was preparing on her kitchen. They met earlier and planned this out quite extensively, preparing some of the best dishes he had during his childhood. 

Igue Bonifacio, President of CHOP (Culinary Historians of the Philippines) adds "This is Chef Sharwin's pop up dinner called Don't Tell My Lola, I wanted to eat something that Chef Sharwin ate as a kid growing up. We make restaurants like this into a playground, to know the people who cook our food, and trace where they came from. Being a member of Slow Food Philippines, where the philosophy is good, clean and fair. Chinoy food has played a major role in developing local tastes, I hope we get to experience that his evening."

I was ready for this opening salvo!

For Amuse Bouche or literal play in the tounge, he presents this Asian Pear, Plum Powder, Pork Floss and Nori Wrapper strips. It was an apt way of starting the meal with different textures and temperatures. This wasn't in the original menu but he wanted to serve it because he remembers this so fondly from his childhood. He hasn't found anyone who disliked pork floss of course!

The second one was like a deconstructed fresh lumpia (Philippine spring rolls), which he call Lumpia Tsai . He went out of the kitchen and uttered "Thank you for coming, what you had just now was just Pears, Plum Powder and Pork Floss. The Chinese lumpia is different from the pinoy one, so in making this we added seaweed and hot sauce to our lumpia, I hope you enjoy the first course."

It was a play on different temperatures and textures. I like the crispy lumpia wrapper made of flat bread. It makes an interesting take on Ongpin made lumpia which I usually see at stores there.

The second course is called Tao Meng Tsai. He says "For the second course it's Hair Vegetable, a dried one combined with other veggies that my grandma used to cook. I added clams so it'll have protein so I hope you enjoy." Albeit a little weirded out by the common chinese hair vegetable, it felt like corn hair to me. It was edible, but I mostly like the broth that came with it because it's very subtle. I would like to have this on a rainy day but he says it's more of a summer dish because it's refreshing, and he's right. The clams were like bits of treasures, you were lucky to spot one if you had it on your bowl. It's like it'll break that spell you get from the broth, and appreciate how sweet those clam meat becomes when you bite into it. Pretty good!

For the main course, we had Kiam Peng. It's a rice topping dish made with seared pork belly, dark soy flavored rice, and mustard leaf pickles. He explains "Your next course is based on my grandma's recipe, I added abalone which is not a usual thing in kiam peng (salty rice). Each Chinoy family has a version and this is mine. Hope you enjoy this!"

Then he came out with the Tsap Sek Ke Tsi for dessert. He says "I am sure you are fond of fruit cocktail, but we made our own using what I saw in the market/fruits in season plus a dollop of avocado ice cream, orange juice for syrup and almond jelly."

Chef Sharwin is going to be on a tour of Canada, the US in different cities for more popups like these. It would be a good thing to experience Tsinoy cooking from a legitimate Tsinoy Chef. He's also going to be on a new season of his show Curiosity Got The Chef on the Lifestyle Network so make sure you follow him on IG and Facebook. Thank you to Lee Kum Kee and CHOP for having us!

Taste Setters: SYSU International's Food and Beverage Workshop

We are at the Taste Setters: Creativity That Shapes Food and Beverage Trends workshop sponsored by SYSU International in cooperation with their partners Lee Kum Kee, Clara Ole, Tabasco, Tulip, Treetop and Smuckers here at CCA Makati. It's a series of workshops that the company and the brands are sponsoring with their partner and non partner restaurants, caterers and establishments to hone their skills using the very best products in the market. The morning sessions had them start with food trends and how Filipino restaurants and casual dining places have improved over the years, to learn how they would be successful.

Chef Louise Mabulo, a finalist in Junior Masterchef also paid a visit. Her credentials would gladly beat any seasoned Chef as she also has international ones at a very young age. She's very eloquent and has been doing workshops and seminars in the past. During the session, she shared her views on our affinity to food. She mentions it stemmed from doing feasts, and our fiesta spirit and the happiness we get from it is immeasurable. I get that we do thank the saints and God in general with these celebrations, but what gets us together is the concept of family, community and love, that's a fact. She also shared how successful blogs and social media has been just by sharing genuine food recipes that remind them of home, the Philippines.

During the activity, we were also split into groups and I got together with some food researchers, specialists and chefs from Max's Restaurant, Goldilocks, Peri Peri Corporation and a lot more. We needed to conceptualize a stir fry dish that would be innovative using products from Sysu International's brands. In the end, they worked as a team and in this manner it's not much of the company they work for but the innovation we do with these recipes that could help the food industry grow, be practiced among Chefs, R&D people and restaurateurs who choose to not only make the best Filipino representation of food, but create new ones as the word "innovate" suggests. 

I can't wait to join them in more Taste Setters Workshops that they have in store this year. For those who want to join, make sure you follow the social media accounts of the brands they carry. That's Tabasco, Lee Kum Kee, Clara Ole, Tulip Chocolates, Treetop Juice and Smuckers or their website www.sysuinc.com.ph/.

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Food From 121 Grille and Restaurant x Lee Kum Kee

I've been so happy to have been part of the few who have been privileged to have a glimpse of the best dishes that can be done with Lee Kum Kee. It's a well loved brand that has been in the country for years and this time we're doing it in 121 Grille and Restaurant, did it in Upper McKinley Road at McKinley Hill. There's a lot out there and to stand out, they really need to do their homework when it comes to food. With that in mind, they whipped up a few dishes using the Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce and the Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce.

We had appetizers first and this was really good Cheese Sticks from 121 Grille. You MUST order this!

They have fresh fruit juices, ask your friendly waiters for what they have in the restaurant and they can make one for you. I had Ripe Mango Shake for starters.

The Calamari was nice, they've got aioli sauce together with it. Pretty good to match with beer during happy hour. They served this quite fast as it only takes a few minutes to fry.

If you want something more filling, the Lumpiang Shanghai is a good choice. A little oily but it does the job!

They've go really good wings, a little spicy but that kick will make you eat more. Make sure to order rice separately, or perhaps beer would go good with this too!

The Gambas was a hit, a lot of them actually finished the plate after a few minutes.

This is Grilled Liempo, I liked this a lot and it's pretty authentic.

I like the Kilawin too, pretty fresh and make sure you eat this right after they put it on the table. You can have this with beer too!

Get ready with a show when they serve you the Sizzling Chicken dish

This is the Sizzling Kung Fu Wings, part of the things they made with the Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce. Take a photo of this and post it on your social media accounts together with #BigGrillMasters and #LeeKumKeex121Grille hashtags and you could win prizes from the restaurant and Lee Kum Kee too!

Aside from that, these Pulled Pork Sliders are included too with the special menu. Try it out and use the same hashtags I mentioned earlier (#BigGrillMasters #LeeKumKeex121Grille) then post it on your social media channels and you could win GC's and prizes from 121 Grille and Restaurant and Lee Kum Kee!

Remember, this is only out for a limited time. Run to McKinley Hill's mall where you'll find 121 Grille and Restaurant so you can get these lovely dishes prepared with love from Lee Kum Kee sauces!

For more information about their products:

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Luna J Filipino Gastropub and the Wonders of Lee Kum Kee

I'm sure you still remember my little adventure down south when I judged the recent semi finals of Lee Kum Kee' s Big Grill Masters (remeber BAGA Manila?). Well apparently they're not stopping there. They're partnering with several restaurants now in hopes that they too would benefit from the lovely products that they have today. A stones throw away from my house is Luna J Filipino Gastropub in Sct. Madrinan corner Tomas Morato in Quezon City. They serve real deal Filipino comfort food dishes and I must say, their version of ribs just spoke to me. I wanted to whip out an ouijia board and some glasses so I could spread my mumbo jumbo, but it's not magic or incantation that was happening, the Baby Back Ribs was cooked with Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce.

It was savory as savory as can be. It was a little on the salty side as you'd probably have to pair it with rice. The sauce says it all, dabbing a few of it on the blanched vegetables, corn and carrots just made that perfect bite happen. 

It wasn't fall off the bone soft, but it had the right bite to it that you can still distinguish it as meat... as it should be. It was easy to bite off the bone, so if you're in Luna J, don't hesitate to get a little messy when you have to hold the ribs with your bare hands. Make sure the white rice is piping hot too because it really completes the experience!

Aside from those lovely ribs, they have other greats like this Bagnet Kare Kare. I've had several ABSCBN friends who swear by this as their favorite. They'd walk a couple of blocks just to have this for lunch and walk a couple of minutes back because they want it. It was pretty good! 

Now I adore crunchy veggies and this version of Bicol Express was just lovely. Aside from the finger chili, I think this has string beans, winged seguidillas beans and the oh so soft (binagoongan) shrimp paste laden pork. The coconut cream makes it creamy, hearty and lovingly perfect to pair with steaming hot white rice. This is joy!

To end our meal, we also had this plate full of Palitaw. It's rice cake formed and boiled til it floats. Then after that, rolled in coconut, sprinkled with sugar with roasted sesame seeds. It was nutty, sweet and so nice to have that afternoon. I almost finished the whole plate by myself but thought of the others who haven't had it yet LOL! This was really good, don't go out of the restaurant without ordering it!

While you have your old stuff in the kitchen, try something new like the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce and maybe you, your friends and family would love it. I'm experimenting with their soy sauce in the kitchen too and getting great feedback with my steaks and sauces. There are going to be a few more restaurants that will try their hand on the Lee Kum Kee products, I'll keep you posted about that!

For more information about their products:

LeeKumKeePh

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Visit their official website

http://ph.lkk.com/

Lee Kum Kee Big Grill Masters at BAGA MANILA

I haven't been down south for quite a while because traffic has been generously horrendous in that part of the world - but when they invited us over to judge winners for the Lee Kum Kee Big Grill Masters, I immediately said YES! Imagine, around 20 vendors (who's probably been doing this for years) will converge in Lakefront in Sucat, Paranaque to whip up their best grilled dishes to impress me. Well, technically the others too but what the heck! 

I'm already salivating just thinking about it. I also heard they were coached by my favorite Chef in the Philippines Bruce Lim (couldn't say the world because Nigella Lawson might give me a spanking). Lovely pork, fish, squid,  even beef were all going to be perked up with Lee Kum Kee products so they could win the title. Sounds good right? They're even flying the top 5 to Boracay in the culminating event. If that wasn't so good as a prize, I'd probably join in the contest too. I mean, it's easy to use the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce for marinade and dips. I could also just use the Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce for that Asian barbecue flavor in seconds. Aside from that, there's also the Lee Kum Kee Chicken Marinade, Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce and Lee Kum Kee Sesame Oil for some nutty flair! Use it in one dish, or mix it up, you can have the lovely sauces be a symphony, to make your proteins taste as good as your imagination. The possibilities are endless! 

 First up was Nasi Lemak and Biko Z Stick On Grill. These are two vendors in one tent, Nasi Lemak presented us with that Malaysian thingy which consists of Barbecue, rice, anchovies, peanuts and sambal chili in a plate. The other vendor Biko Z, did really good barbecue and chicken intestines (isaw). They served it hot and fast, then I moved on to the next vendor.

Needless to say, the first salvo was a good combo of pork goodness. It was sweet and savory, they did it in different intensities but I liked the Biko Z's version more. Then we walked to the next one called "Inihaw Na Bangus", as the name implies, they do put milkfish over fire. 

They used Lee Kum Kee Panda Oyster Sauce on the filling they use for the squid. They also use the Premium Soy Sauce for dips on the side. They have home made salsa in the center, so it gets roasted while you're cooking. Aside from that, they serve it with Green Mangoes and lovely shrimp paste (sweet salty bagoong). It was nice, but didn't really prove the fish was actually the star of the show. The mango was better.

Then on the next booth, they had two vendors again. This is Grillers Poit and Brothers Sizzlers. Grillers Point actually made the barbecue with the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce as marinade. It was nice and hot, actually, it was the best barbecue we've had so far.

Brothers Sizzlers on the other hand served one of my favorite dishes, Sisig. This one was left on the sizzling pan a lot so it wreaked of pork cracklings' flavor. Now there's nothing wrong with that, but I was trying to find something special, this was just okay. They prolly should have spiced it up, or seasoned more. I had half a plate still because I love sisig as it is.

The next booth is Uncle Tony's. I love Caldereta don't get me wrong, but doing this in Baga Manila was a little out of place. It was nice though, especially if you put their chili oil on it. You would need rice, no excuses.

Iya's Grill was good, but we're finding the best here and having it cold like that just wouldn't really cut it.

Chef Jeffoy Bistro did something Indonesian too. It was actually good, especially the shrimp. I'm allergic but in these circumstances, I'd rather have it then worry about getting an asthma attack later. Good thing is, it was fresh that I didn't need to do anything at all. I love the reduced sauces they made too, it was sweet and savory. They also kept it hot, plus the crispy onions was lovely. Reminds me of my trip in Jakarta.

The next one was Grillfriends, a play on the word girlfriends perhaps but they only serve pork barbecues. A thing they're good on is that the pork is still soft, but it was almost going to be tough as it's not that hot anymore.

This next one is one of my favorites that evening. This is Mica's Flavored BBQ. They didn't serve us barbecue per se, but had us taste their lovely squid. They had it in different flavors like Garlic, Pepper and Chili.

Of course I had the chili. It was GOOD. It had a slight kick because the filling had some specks of Labuyo chili in it. I think they also marinated it in Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce, so it was good. They regulated the heat, so it wasn't rubbery and was cooked in minutes. We also had it hot off the grill, which was a plus in my books. 

Mr. Johnrich has had us talking about their dish. They did a Bacon Barbecue. Remember, anything that had bacon in it is heavenly, but put it in a barbecue? That's gonna be weird, but what's funny is that when we tasted it, it actually worked! You get that sweet, salty, smoky and savory smell you love from Bacon but had it twisted on a stick. The charred parts were also a good addition to the flavor profile, hate to admit it but this was really good.

Mhakovens 25 had us try their Grilled Tuna. They used the Oyster Sauce, the Premium Soy Sauce for this one. It was okay but it didn't quite go through the fish meat quite easily. I bet if it was actually marinated longer, it would be better. For its current form, it was just okay.

Dona's Grill was actually the MOST PRESENTABLE dish of all the vendors that evening. The problem is, there wasn't really something different about their pork barbecue. It was very tough too because it was already cold when we got a chance to taste it, so in a nutshell, I loved how it looked like but it didn't pass the barbecue category we were looking for.

A+ for effort on the presentation though!

This is one of my favorites that evening too. They made the liempo cooked well done, still on the grill. It's served quite nice and if I'd have an award for best liempo that evening, this would be it.

It was lovely as it looked on the photos, so they got my vote.

The Liemponatics had me wondering about how different they'll be in making this pork liempo special. The Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce got the meat a bit darker, you can tell sugars were on the marinade as it caramelized quite nicely. Compared to the earlier one, I'd rather have that. But this booth had us asking for their Indian mangoes, it was a good side dish and had us asking for more. They made it a bit fun I think.

I was addicted to the mangoes, so you can say there's acually a green mango war going on here and the first one we tasted earlier. They took advantage of the Mango season!

BRIBS by far was my personal favorite. They're the number 1 ranked on my list. The meat almost falls off the bone instantly, plus the gravy they put on these lovely meat, I am making my own mouth water just imagining it. They did good, and added some herb potatoes on the sides. How can you also not love the presentation? I know I did.

Two Angels unfortunately didn't have something served while we were judging. Apparently, they were giving out most of it to strangers. Don't quote me on that LOL!

For the piece de resistance, we had Vizcaya - A Taste of Ilocano Cuisine. They prepared for us some Grilled Salmon Belly. It was soft, nicely seasoned, they didn't really put that much in it because the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce and Hoisin Sauce was enough bold flavors to counteract the fishiness of it. It was hot off the grill too, so it just means they know what they're doing. Simple, fresh fish, no other ingredients to fuzz about. I like this but they didn't really become that inventive or be a little fuzzy about presentation. It was good overall!

BAGA MANILA has been in a lot of places and this one in Lakepark in Sucat Paranaque was actually nice and perfect for that Saturday night. The wind was blowing, some were seated, some did the Japenese style of seating, but overall people had a lot of fun. I wish I knew who won the competition, but I had a pretty good hunch who did good. I hope my bets get to go to Boracay soon!

Thank you so much to Lee Kum Kee for having us! Thank you also to the nice people of BAGA MANILA, keep doing what you're doing because you're taking Filipino grilling and street food to the next level! Easy on the beer!

For more information about their products:

LeeKumKeePh

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Visit their official website

http://ph.lkk.com/