Filipinos love their sisig and beer and are now beginning to enjoy good wine with steak. To celebrate the increasingly vibrant local food and bar scene, Don Papa throws in their hat in the “food pairing” ring through their first Philippine edition of the Don Papa Chef and Shaker Competition. This is a hybrid concept integrating the worlds of gastronomy and mixology.
There will be five teams composed of five renowned chefs with two bartenders each who will battle it off for the first Chef & Shaker 2019 Philippines title and exciting prizes including an all-expense paid trip to London in October, with access to the London Cocktail Week and guest shifts at Trade Venues, plus 1,000 pounds pocket money.
“This unique cocktails-and-food pairing format was first introduced by Don Papa in the Netherlands and has quickly expanded into France, Italy, and other markets in Europe. We are bringing the experience home to the Philippines and sharing it not just to the contestants but to other members of the culinary and mixology community here as well,” Erica Larkins, Brand Manager of Don Papa Rum, said.
To orient the finalists and help them prepare for this most mouthwatering battle, Italian Chef & Shaker 2018 winners Chef Eugenio Roncoroni and Franco “Tucci” Ponti will be flying in to hold a special food and cocktail pairing masterclass on March 19 at Cicchetti in Bonifacio Global City.
As a special treat, Don Papa Rum is opening the workshop to the public for free, but interested parties need to register here until March 17, 2019.
Chef Roncoroni owns the AL MERCATO group, which today includes a gourmet restaurant, a Burger Bar, and a Noodle Bar in his birthplace Milan. He began his culinary apprenticeships in a number of Milanese “trattorie” or traditional hostels. Also part Californian, he moved to San Francisco in the 1990s where he worked with some of the finest chefs who impressed upon him the importance of keeping local ingredients and produce an integral part of culinary creations. When he came home, he teamed up with his childhood friend Beniamino Nespor to offer something new to the culinary world. Roncoroni’s winning dish is a boned suckling pig, filled with spring onion, lemon grass and garlic, rolled like a pork, cooked in a vacuum in Sprite and then sautéed in the pan, with cucumber salad, coriander, sesame dressing, and a touch of garlic.
Tucci, meanwhile, is an experienced mixologist, having worked at several establishments in Italy, London, Paris, and Berlin, as well as New York and Los Angeles. He came back to Milan in 2001 and put up the club Atomic Bar in 2005. Tucci has previously worked with Chef Roncoroni and Nespor as a consultant and bar manager at AL MERCATO Noodles Bar from March 2013 to April 2015. He collaborated with them for the book “Street food d’autore,” writing cocktails recipes. Tucci also teaches cocktail-making and bar management occasionally. His winning cocktail that paired best with Roncoroni’s boned suckling pig dish is made of Don Papa Rum, muscovado and date syrup with chili jam, citrus mix with yuzu juice and grapefruit, shaken with sage leaves.
Together, Tucci and Roncoroni will share their Chef & Shaker experience and impart tips to the contenders and other guests.
“The cocktail landscape in the Philippines is continuously growing and evolving. It is exciting to see that everyone is so open to learn and be exposed to new ideas. This workshop is a great opportunity for cultural exchange where our local chefs and bartenders will get to hear firsthand what is currently happening on the international stage and at the same time have the chance to showcase Filipino food and beverage culture,” Monica Llamas-Garcia, Communications Director, stated.
Don Papa is yet to announce the final list of contestants. On March 25, the Philippine Chef & Shaker contenders will determine their teams for the next round of the competition. All contestants, both Chefs and Bartenders, will then be given time to prepare before the competition event, which will happen on April 8.
Follow the journey of the 15 contenders at the official Don Papa Rum Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. For more information about Don Papa, visit their official website.
