For the whole month of June, F1 All-Day Dining Buffet at F1 Hotel Manila located at The Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig is celebrating the beauty of Filipino cuisine through a month-long festivity of Filipino food. Aptly called LUZVIMINDA: Filipino Festival of Flavors, this food fest features diverse cuisines from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Joining F1 Hotel Manila’s very own Chef Sau del Rosario and Chef Willie Ertez in this festivity of flavors are some of the country’s esteemed chefs representing the three island groups. Diners are set to experience Filipino gastronomical journey through scrumptious food prepared by chefs Martin Jickain, Paul Sidney Uy, Karl John Noel, and Ed Tuazon.
Plane tickets are not required to experience a palatable treats from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao as LUZVIMINDA Filipino Food Festival buffet spread offers you distinguished Filipino dishes which will not only satiate your hunger for good food, but will also make you proud to be Pinoy.
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| F1 Hotel Manila's Executive Chef Sau del Rosario |
I have been to F1 All Day Dining Buffet before and even featured it here on my blog. The stellar experience was well worth the drive to The Fort, but my recent staycation with other foodies to take part in experiencing the LUZVIMINDA Filipino Food Festival was way impressive. It is not everyday that you get the chance to feast on Filipino food prepared by some of the most respected chefs in the country.
Manila boy based in Boracay, Chef Martin Jickain is the chef representative for Luzon. This owner and chef of Station Juan Cafe at the White House Boracay showcased his skillful hands by preparing Pako Salad with Shrimps and Salted Egg during the cooking demo on our visit.
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| Chef Martin Jickain and his Pako Salad |
Natives of Cebu, chefs Paul Sidney Uy and Karl Noel who owns Frontgate Cebu and Casa Verde Cebu respectively represents Visayas and prepared two mouthwatering dishes; seafood Kilawin Visaya Style and Whole Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves.
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| Chefs Karl Noel and Sidney Uy |
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| Seafood Kilawin Visaya Style |
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| Whole Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf |
Chef Ed Tuazon of Marco Polo Davao represents Mindanao. Together with his beautiful daughter, they prepared Durian Panna Cotta, a crowd-pleaser of a dessert. These chefs were kind enough to share to us the recipes of the dishes they prepared so expect that I'll be sharing it with you as well in my future posts.
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| Chef Ed Tuazon |
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| Durian Panna Cotta |
As if the impressive buffet spread and the gastronomic treats prepared by the talented chefs were not enough, during the course of our stay, F1 Hotel Manila's Executive Chef Sau prepared Sisig Foie Gras, a dish of a genius that was both to-die-for and worthy-to-live-for. I believe diners will get to experience this awesome dish as well upon availing this promo.
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| Sisig Foie Gras |
The buffet spread are loaded with different Filipino cuisines that will make you feel like you are in a Philippines' food tour while staying in a really comfortable place that reeks of cozy vibe. I lost count of the dishes but I'll share with you photos of some of my favorites.
Humongous Tuna from Davao pontifically gracing the seafood station with his mighty presence alongside fresh oysters, sushi, sashimi, shrimps, mussels, and more.
The bagnets were enticing in its beauty and a sure winner in terms of crispiness and downright savory taste. It was so good I teared up on my first bite. True story.
The Lechon which was one of the highlights of our LUZVIMINDA lunch was unapologetically good since it was an organic pig and fed only with arugula. The skin was so crisp while the meat was so succulent I feel bad for a friend who recently turned vegan. (no offense to vegans, but this mighty pork here is the culmination of anything good that a carnivore could enjoy in this lifetime.)
While the Tuna Sisig made me feel less of a sinner, the Visayan Pork Adobo on the other hand made up for the lost chance to savor the goodness of pork once again. The Rib-Eye Pochero was also good as well as the Pinakbet, but what got me really raving was the Bagabay or sperm of some fish which name escapes me. It was my first time to try this dish and it got me hooked like a crockpot. It was so good I could trade my left kidney for it.
Did I mentioned that the oyster and the mussels were so big it could put my body fat to shame?
Dessert station were peppered with Filipino desserts but what stood out for me was the ethereally delectable Leche Flan and of course, the Durian Panna Cotta (I swear I will make one at home).
LUZVIMINDA Filipino Festival of Flavors was just one of the highlights of our F1 Hotel Manila Staycation. We also had a grand time with other leisurely activities we had, but that one deserves a separate post of its own. Meanwhile, I suggest that you my dear friends go at F1 All Day Dining Buffet while this food fest is still on-going because it is well-worth your money.
Weekend Staycation at F1 Hotel
In line with the celebration of Luzviminda Filipino Food Festival, our group were invited to spend an overnight stay at F1 Hotel. It was a weekend so it was a perfect time to have a staycation while feasting on great Filipino dishes at their restaurant.
Our group was welcomed with a little feast of overflowing coffee, juice, and unlimited pastries at F1 Hotel's Premiere Lounge. General Manager Lawrence Pena and Director of Operations Mr. Tony Co alongside chef Sau Del Rosario and other guests chefs were also there to welcome us.
The room assigned to me was the Fort Suite King. It is a one bedroom suite with living room.
The interior is modern and chic. I love earth tone of the entire room as it reminds me of my own crib. The living room has comfortable sofa and an LCD TV attached to the wall. The mini bar has the usual complimentary coffee and bottled water. Mini ref features more drinks but with price tag.
The room has a queen size bed and an LCD TV also attached to the wall. There's plenty of closets available which makes the room perfect for two people.
Inside the closet there are bath robe, iron board and iron, and a safety box. The bathroom was spacious enough and clean, an indication that this hotel is fairly new in the business. Complimentary shampoo, conditioner, among many other usual bath necessities were also provided.
Aside from the Luzviminda feast, our staycation also entitled us to buffet meals at F1 All Day Dining Buffet.
We were also treated to F1 Hotel's Canary Lounge where we spent our dinner and an after dinner barbecue feast.
The morning after, a breakfast buffet feast was waiting for our group. There were plenty of guest during our stay hence the breakfast buffet spread run out quicky. Good thing though that the chefs were also quick to replenish the spread.
Our staycation at F1 Hotel was very enjoyable and relaxing. We are lucky that there's an on-going food festival happening at their signature restaurant because we got to try dishes which are not regulars on the buffet spread. The accommodation was thoughtful and impressive, hence, I can see myself having another staycation at F Hotel, perhaps with some friends and family.
F1 All-Day Dining Buffet
F1 Hotel Manila
32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Telephone: +632 928 9888, +632 908 7888
Facebook: facebook.com/f1hotelmanila
Twitter: twitter.com/F1HotelManila
