Filipino cuisine took center stage at the Academy of Culinary Arts of Cambodia (ACAC) with a live cooking demonstration on preparing adobong baka sa gata, chicken binakol soup and palitaw.
Led by Filipino culinary expert, Ana Limjap-Park, and Chef Miguel Paulo Roxas of Fairmont Raffles Makati, ACAC students were taught how to cook popular Filipino food with the coconut as main ingredient.
"Coconut is a product that is widely popular and available both in the Philippines and Cambodia, and we wanted to impart a cooking lesson that will resonate with the palate of ordinary Cambodians so that they will be encouraged to repeat the dishes at home," Chef Ana said.
On the other hand, the Dean of the ACAC, Chef Markus Kalberer, observed that while most of the ingredients seemed familiar, the distinction between Khmer and Philippine cuisine lies in the preparation of the ingredients and the cooking process.
The cooking demo was well received by ACAC students not only due to its lively and entertaining presentation but also because it exposed them to Philippine flavors and textures for the first time. It was covered live by CTN, Cambodia’s leading news network and the Khmer Times newspaper.
As an offshoot of the cooking demo, Chef Luu Meng, Cambodia’s celebrity chef, and Mr. Pierre Tami, the founder of the ACAC, expressed interest in pursuing a joint project with Chef Ana Park, featuring Philippine cuisine in Cambodia.
Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Christopher B. Montero expressed optimism that the cooking demo would pave the way for Philippine cuisine to take root in the mainstream culinary scene of Cambodia.
Done in partnership with ACAC, with the support of Cebu Pacific Air, the live cooking demo was one of the commemorative activities of the Philippine Embassy for the 120th Anniversary of Philippine Independence. END
