Kelvin Chen | Taiwan News

13 Mar. 2024

Taipei Restaurant Creates New Menu Highlighting Filipino Dishes

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — ABV Southeast Asian launched an all-new menu spotlighting Filipino cuisine with a special tasting event on Wednesday (March 13).

To create the dishes, ABV executive chef Tsai Zhen-nan (蔡勝男) led a team to the Philippines’ Luzon Island to research and experience the rich history, culture, and diet of the region. Tsai visited numerous food stalls, night markets, traditional shops, and restaurant chains. He tasted the differences in food from large cities to small villages to identify the unique flavors and essence of each dish.

To complement the Filipino fare, the restaurant prepared craft beer from the Philippines from Engkanto Brewery. The name comes from the environmental spirits found in Filipino folklore that are said to be able to shapeshift into human form.

The brewery chose the name to highlight the cultural roots of the brand and the rich natural environment and products of the Philippines. A mango-flavored and ube (purple yam) flavored beer was among those sampled during Wednesday’s event.

Some of the traditional fare featured were kare kare, a peanut sauce-based stew typically made with oxtail, sisig (a mixture of chopped, grilled pork jowl, belly, and ear seasoned with calamansi, chili peppers, and onions), tortang talong (an omelet made with grilled whole eggplants), and chicken adobo (chicken simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic, along with other seasonings).

For dessert, halo-halo, crushed ice garnished with a variety of sweets, was served.