Diwal and other Ilonggo flavors at Mandarin Oriental, Manila's Paseo Uno

Chef Pauline Banusing, renowned for representing Iloilo’s famous culinary scene, visits Mandarin Oriental, Manila’s Paseo Uno once again for a 10-day fete highlighting the island’s seafood delicacies, particularly the famed shellfish diwal (angel wing clams), as well as its other gastronomical delights. Held in conjunction with Makati’s 342nd Foundation Day celebrities, the food festival celebrates the ties between Makati and its sister city Iloilo. “Diwal and Other Ilonggo Flavours” is held from May 25 to June 3, for both lunch and dinner.

Grilled Diwal (simply grilled “angel wings” from Capiz)

Diners can look forward to lining up at the grilling station for the succulent diwal, a specie native to the Visayan region; Grilled Managat (Mangrove Jack); and Talaba (large oysters from Aklan). Also on the menu are Ilonggo specialties such as Chicken Inasal, Iloilo’s most popular chicken dish; Chicken Tinuom (steamed chicken cooked in banana leaves); Uhong na may Gata (oyster mushrooms from San Miguel Iloilo with coconut cream and grilled pork); Adobado na Alimusan (cultured mudfish from Guimaras); Kinilawin na Tanigue na may Tuba (slices of tanigue fish marinated in a special native vinegar from the mountains of Leon, Iloilo); Lukon na may Aligue (fresh prawns from Roxas City with crab fat sauce); and Sinugba na Lokos (grilled squid stuffed with lemongrass, cilantro, ginger, and tomatoes) among others.

Chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing, Iloilo’s culinary ambassador and celebrity chef.

Chef Pauline’s versatility stems from her roots as a student of the Culinary Institute of America, New School of New York, and at the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump’s New York), where she had rigorous training to meet the most challenging of culinary demands. In May 2006, she had her Mandarin Oriental debut as a featured chef at an Ilonggo food festival dubbed as “Manamit!” at what was then the Captain’s Bar (now the MO Lounge), where she delighted guests with a medley of her hometown’s signature cuisine. She had two more successful food festivals at the hotel, her most recent one being the “Diwal-iciousVisayas: Bounties of the Sea” held in September last year.*

“We look forward to working again with Chef Pauline”, notes Executive Chef Rene Ottlik “and presenting to our diners her divine recipes of Iloilo’s prized delicacies”. He further highlights: “Having had already three successful promotions in the hotel in the past, Chef Pauline is no stranger to Mandarin Oriental and we are confident that she will again bring excitement to Paseo Uno when she unveils the distinctive flavors of her native Visayas”.

The buffet is priced at PHP 1,818+, while Friday and Saturday dinner is priced at PHP2,200+, inclusive of Paseo Uno’s Luxury Buffet.*PR

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