Eating Out Special

Filipino star additions

November 30 - December 6, 2016
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Gulf Weekly Filipino star additions

Gulf Weekly Stan Szecowka
By Stan Szecowka

Fresh from a successful festival of Filipino food, one of Manama’s favourite dining destinations near the souq is set to ensure connoisseurs of the cuisine do not miss out in the future.

Specialty Chef Falconnerie M Gasmin has recently joined the Delmon International Hotel and has been creating quite a stir in the community with his culinary sensations and takes on traditional favourites from home.

Known simply as Chef Falcon, he has swooped into action adding an array of dishes to the four star property’s Café Sayah Restaurant’s international buffet offering which, at a mere BD6-net-a-head for the evening setting, has got to be one of the eating out bargains on the island.

Amongst his fans appears to be the ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines Alfanso A. Ver who attended the launch of the recent food festival … and he’s not the only one, you can add this reviewer and his good lady wife, Kathryn, to the growing list of admirers.

The 34-year-old perfected his kitchen prowess at the Red Tulip Hotel in his hometown of Angeles City Pampanga and country favourite Gerry’s Grill and is now being guided in the safe hands of experienced Chef Shankar Gaddam.

The Szecowka family had little understanding or appreciation of Filipino cuisine until we moved to Bahrain and sampled the fare dished up and shared by friends and former work colleagues (Jason, Ryan and Bambi, we miss you!).

The style of cooking and the food associated with it have evolved over many centuries from their Austronesian origins to a mixed cuisine of Malay-Indonesian, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and American, in line with the major waves of influence that had enriched the cultures of the archipelago, as well as others adapted to indigenous ingredients and the local palate.

Dishes range from the very simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to the elaborate paellas and cocidos created for fiestas of Spanish origin. Filipino cuisine centres around sweet, sour and salty concoctions, often uniquely paired together in various combinations.

It shouldn’t work but it does. Although the international buffet boasted some tempting offerings such as Mutton Masala, Kabab Fish Fillets and Mixed Vegetable Korma, for example, we were determined to put Chef Falcon’s Pinoy power to the test.

We started with Beef Batchoy, one of our waitress Anne’s favourite family starters, a delightful soup with slivers of beef, spring onions and noodles. I’m never quite sure how to tackle noodles in a soup apart from slurping them up so I would like to apologies to the couple dining on the table opposite for the unsavoury noises from our table and I take full responsibility.

It was too tasty to leave a drop! A neat appetiser followed called Kilawin, raw seafood, sushi-style, soaked in garlic and ginger with a green chili to add to the taste explosion.

It was the drum roll before the main act … the Kalderetang Baka, a magnificent meaty stew with melt-in-your-mouth diced beef floating in a seasoned sauce with potatoes, onions and green bell peppers with a touch of chicken liver, garlic and cheese for good measure.

This provides a diner with a wonderfully warming glow, the kind I normally associate with winter in the UK and the taste of meat pie and gravy when I’m standing in the freezing cold at halftime with fellow Bristol Rovers fans being lashed by hailstones and wind at the Memorial Stadium in between bellowing out Irene, Good Night Irene in full voice.

It gives me a tingle down the spine just thinking about it. Kathryn was so taken with the main course that she promised to take her friends in for dinner next time she goes shopping with them to Gold City.

The dinner tab might not prove too costly but I’m worried about the potential jewellery spending spree. Chef Falcon’s desserts are impressive too and he delivered a delightfullyrefreshing Turon ice-cream to sample.

Refreshing and sweet all wrapped up in a thin crepe pastry skin swimming in caramel syrup. Cooking and eating in the Philippines has traditionally been an informal and communal affair … so it’s clear to see why so many folk are flying in to this restaurant for more examples of this man’s creations. The Falcon has truly landed.

See Editor Stan Szecowka’s interview with Chef Falcon by scanning the QR or by visiting www. gulfweekly.com or our Facebook page.







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