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Chef Michelle Adrillana aims to put Filipino cuisine high on Bahrain’s food radar by dishing out a selection of her country’s flavourful fare with a modern twist at the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel.
The former professional singer flew in from Manila to share her culinary skills and special recipes at this week’s Filipino Food Festival at Soie restaurant, staged in collaboration with Bahrain’s Philippine Embassy, Philippine Airlines and World Travel Services.
“The purpose of this festival is to put Filipino food on the culinary map because I believe it’s been left behind,” said Chef Michelle, 40. “What diners will get is basically my world on a plate - the stories of my family, of my culture and the food that I grew up with.
“When I arrived in Bahrain, first thing I did was go to the central market because I believe to be able to understand the culture and people you will be cooking for, you really have to go to their market. I like to immerse myself in the culture of every country that I visit.”
Chef Michelle, who runs a culinary consultancy and catering company named after her grandmother Salud by Adrillana, has created an a la carte menu for the occasion which runs until Friday.
“In my opinion, authenticity is having the flavours you grew up with in a dish that also has a story behind it…as long as it keeps Filipino flavours intact!” said the mother-of-two who also specialises in Western, European, Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine.
Diners are feasting on her interpretation of traditional fare such as adobo - a popular dish that involves meat, seafood or vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and black peppercorns, browned in oil and simmered in the marinade - sisig, pansit and halo halo and according to Chef Michelle, her portions are large enough to share because that is very much a part of Filipino feasting culture.
Chef Michelle, who has been cooking for the past 10 years, has her own YouTube channel called Mischef & Chef Michelle Adrillana. After a successful singing career which took her around Asia, she attended the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management in the Philippines, graduating with honours. She aims to emulate the composure of celebrity chef Nigella Lawson with the strength of restaurateur Gordon Ramsay and continue to learn her art.
The festival is staged daily from 7pm to 11.30pm. For details, call 17533533.
Check out Editor Stan Szecowka’s Youtube interview with Chef Michelle with a guest appearance from Philippines Ambassador Alfonso Ver by scanning the QR code below.
