RP foodfest offers exotic, scary cuisine

RP foodfest offers exotic, scary cuisine

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

If you are fond of exotic cuisine or even "extreme" food, then
the Philippine food and culture festival, running for just over a
week, at one of Jakarta's plush hotels could do more than just
satisfy your appetite.

Since June 3, Jakarta Hilton International hotel has been
offering a wide array of Philippine traditional food, served
along with traditional cultural performances (mostly folk
dances), creating a unique ambience at the hotel's Sriwedari
Garden poolside restaurant.

A total of 25 dishes comprising main courses, appetizers and
salads (plus grilled items in the evening) are available at
relatively low prices each day during the festival. If combined
with the traditional dance performance the price is indeed very
reasonable.

The festival offers a variety of unique dishes that will
likely be sought after when the festival has finished. Among the
dishes are adobong -- beef stewed in vinegar and garlic along
with selected vegetables to give a combined bitter and salty
taste.

Other items that could easily attract the attention of food
lovers are kilawin isda and tortang talong. The former is fish
marinated with red chilli and ginger while the latter is eggplant
marinated with minced beef, both with a signature bitter and
salty taste.

Nickanor C. Ramos, one of two chefs hired to prepare the food
during the festival, told The Jakarta Post that the three dishes
represented the essence of Philippine cuisine.

"The basic characteristic is mild -- neither too hot nor too
sweet. It stands in the middle. Whereas Thai or Indonesian food
is spicy, Philippine food uses mild herbs such as fresh tamarind,
ginger and also vinegar," he said.

For appetizer, the festival has on offer items made from
exotic materials such as coconut palm and banana heart as well as
jackfruit.

Lumpiang ubod, for instance, is shrimp rolled inside a fresh
wrapper with coconut palm heart. Whereas adobong is influenced by
American cuisine, Ramos said that Lumpiang Ubod got its influence
from Chinese food.

The most exotic, if not extreme, item on offer at the festival
is balut, a traditional food that also serves as an aphrodisiac
for ordinary Filipinos.

For those who are not squeamish, balut is a ripe duck egg
containing a one-week-old chick, boiled in water for 10 to 15
minutes and then served as it is. One need only break the shell
and enjoy the chick and sip the tender juice.

Ramos suggested extra caution for its consumption. "Those who
have high blood pressure should not consume balut. It is also not
suggested for when your stomach is empty -- it's just too
strong," he said, adding that balut had high nutritional value.

To neutralize the aftertaste of balut, the festival has halo-
halo, a traditional, rich drink suitable for any occasion. Known
as es campur in Indonesia or es kacang in Singapore or Malaysia,
it is made from coconut flesh, sago, yam, banana and red kidney
beans combined with condensed milk, syrup and crushed ice.

Hilton food and beverage manager Erwin Bernhard said that
after a succesful try-out last year, the hotel management decided
to make the Philippine food and art festival an annual event.

"The response was so good that we decided to hold it annually;
it will also be part of a year-long food festival that offers
food from various countries," he told the Post.

Philippine Food, Art & Culture Festival runs through June 12 at
Sriwedari Garden Restaurant at Jakarta Hilton International, Jl.
Jend. Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta, tel. 5703600 ext. 2227,
1002, 1003. Lunch is Rp 127,000++, dinner Rp 150,000++ per
person.