I REMEMBER having eaten Canadian beef a couple of times before thinking it was just okay, good though not particularly memorable, but there was something about this particular batch that I liked. For one thing, it was robustly beefy as was shown in the beef carpaccio, which paired really well with a peppery arugula.
The dinner was called Canadian Beef for the Filipino Palate Fusion Dinner. It used to be that “fusion” was a scary word in the gourmet world, but I think the trends have come back around again to giving it another try because “restraint” is now something that accompanies fusion cuisine.
Chefs for the event are Chef Quentin Glabus from Canada and Filipino celebrity Chef Sharwin Tee, who hosts Curiosity Got the Chef on the Lifestyle Network. Tee, in particular, reveals that he was an alumnus Vancouver’s Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, which made it particularly apt.
Another memorable dish is the Beef Sinina Pate Chinois by Tee. Sinina is a Maguindanao beef stew. A purple mash surrounded the plate, which kept us guessing if it was purple yam or potato—it’s both. Espresso and Cocoa charred Ribeye Steak, Sunflower Seed Puree, Crushed Roasted Garlic and Corn Polenta is Glabus’s delicious and hearty contribution. Glabus has an interesting background as a First Nations Chef, referring to Canada’s indigenous people. He represents modern indigenous cooking, which should be a unique take on something we always think of as something that is solid and traditional instead of the evolving culture that it is.
The Honey Maple Pie with Fruit Compote is a revelation. It wasn’t overly sweet like you would expect, but it was a delectable harmony of unctuous goodness. I was thinking it was some sort of Canadian national dish because I’ve never had this pie before, but a Canadian national remarked to me, “Neither have I.”
Students of Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts helped both chefs in the preparation of the dishes, and they should be proud of the work they’ve done.
“Gastronomy defines us…gives us a sense of identity,” says Carol Bujeu, wife of Canadian ambassador to the Philippines, John T. Holmes. Bujeu is a Le Cordon Blue trained chef, so her understanding of food runs deep. “This is a sophisticated country,” she declares, referring to the country’s cuisine. “We were gobsmacked,” she admits when they went around the city trying out the food and visiting the markets. It bears saying, she says, that two of the top 3 contestants on Top Chef Canada are Filipino-Canadians.
Canada’s multicultural society is sure to produce cuisine that is ever evolving and diverse, which assures them that new and more exciting flavors are always on the horizon, and that’s good news for the culinary world at large.