Vibrant colors of parades, upbeat music, heartwarming dishes that are as flavorful as the costumes of parades are colorful, and the communal joy of sharing food with everyone. Festivals and fiestas in the Philippines started out as giving thanks for bountiful harvests and good community ties before, and if you miss eating legit Pinoy food, all you have to do is to visit Savoy Hotel Manila this May, with their new "Pistang Pinoy" offerings.
I'm here to share with you which ones to get: PS, I'd say collect and taste them all- they're that good!
The dishes are presented and inspired from a specific region's fiesta in the Philippines. Essentially making the whole thing a tour around Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. While I got to go and try out some of these dishes along with other members of the media, all opinions are my own.
Chicken Binakol-Aklan and their Ati Atihan Festival
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| Chicken Binakol |
We started out with the reigon of Aklan and their Ati Atihan Festival. Chicken Binakol is a warm and filling soup, typically served after activities during the Ati-Atihan Festival This chicken soup is traditionally made with coconut water, coconut meat (the young kind), and lemongrass. Personally, while served to us as an appetizer of sorts, I find this really good when paired with rice.
Ilocano Empanaditas - Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival
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| Ilocano Empanaditas: Empanada ala Savoy Cafe |
I've been to Ilocos Sur, and the empanadas there are made with this very thin orange pastry, made into a pocket and filled with Toge(beansprouts) and other meaty goodies. Either way in Ilocos Norte or Sur, they are a well loved snack especially when you're there for the Tan-ok ni Ilocano Festival. The Ilocano Empanaditas that Chef Kit made are quite the amalgamation of the two styles of empanadas you would see on both sides of Ilocos. Golden, crispy pockets filled with garlicky longganisa which is a staple for Vigan Longganisa, egg, and vegetables, specifically the shredded papaya filling that is usually used in Ilocos Norte as per Chef. The taste was a sweet-savory bite that’s truly Ilocano.
Balaw-Balaw, Mustasa Gulay atbp - Higantes Festival in Rizal
Prepared to us along with the Sinuglaw and Lucban Longganisa as a platter dish that you can eat similarly to a samgyupsal, with mustasa leaves as the wrap. the balaw-balaw or fermented shrimp paste as a kimchi of sorts, and add in the sinuglawon top to fully enjoy!
Sinuglaw - Kadayawan Festival in Mindanao
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| Sinuglaw as inspired from what you might eat at the Kadyawan Festival |
Sinuglaw, for the uninitiated is essentially smoky grilled pork and tangy fish ceviche, usually seen and tasted in Davao City’s Kadayawan Festival. The flavor of this is as bold as the colorful boats you will definitely see there. Best to order with the Balaw Balaw platter for the best take.
Lucban Longganisa - Pahiyas Festival in Quezon Province
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| Tiny but impactful flavors from Lucban Longganisa |
My favorite longganisa with its garlicy, peppery and best paired with vinegar is the Lucban Longganisa. Savoy Hotel Manila gives omage to the Pahiyas festival with this dish, as you can easily spot lots of strands of lucban longganisa hanging in front of houses and is a prominent sight in Lucban during the Pahiyas Festival.
Cebu Lechon Belly - Sinulog Festival in Cebu
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| The Well loved Lechon Belly of Cebu |
An ever present dish in Pistang Pinoy is the lechon. Savoy offers Cebu Lechon Belly, with its crispy skin and succulent, flavorful meat inside. This is a flavorful dish done the Cebuano way, marinated in herbs and spices before being slow-roasted. No sarsa or mang tomas for this one, as Cebuanos usually serve this with vinegar.
Chicken Pastil (Zamboanga Hermosa Festival)
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| Chicken Pastil |
Chicken pastil in Zamboanga is a go-to meal — steamed rice topped with savory, shredded chicken simmered in garlic, soy sauce, and spices. It’s usually wrapped in banana leaves and sold at karinderyas or by street vendors, perfect for a quick and filling bite while enjoying the sights and sounds of the colorful Hermosa Festival.
Inihaw na Tuna Belly (GenSan Tuna Festival)
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| Grilled Tuna Belly from Savoy Cafe |
Marinated in calamansi, garlic, and spices, the Inihaw na Tuna Belly was packed with bold, savory flavor. It was juicy, perfectly smoky, and tasted just like a slice of GenSan’s Tuna Festival.
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| Karne Fritas inspired from Iloilo's Dinagyang Festival eats |
Other must try dishes are Aligue Bringhe (Sinukwan Festival of Pampanga), their Lumpiang Sariwa(Bulacan's Singkaban Festival), and Karne Fritas (Iloilo’s Dinagyang Festival)
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| Ube Halaya (Baguio’s Panagbenga Festival) |
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| Suman Sa Ibus at Manggang Hinog (SuMaKah festival of Antipolo) |
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| Leche Flan, a well loved Filipino Dish made of milk, eggs and caramelized sugar |
We ended things on a sweet note with the desserts that were served- some of which reminded me of what one would get in a baranggay fiesta in the province. Loved the Lecheflan, but the star of the show was the Ube Halaya (Baguio’s Panagbenga Festival) with that well loved purple yam earthy goodness, mixed in with creamy milk, as well as the Suman Sa Ibus at Manggang Hinog (SuMaKah festival of Antipolo) that gave us the easiest way to eat up suman, paired with sweet mangoes to complement the coconutty, sticky rice cake conveniently wrapped in banana leaf for handling.
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From left: Ms. Thessa Dela Paz (Director of Marketing & Communications, Savoy Hotel Manila), Mr. Ivanovich Dimitri "Ivan" T. Agote (DOT-NCR Supervising Tourism Operations Officer), Ms. Sharlene Zabala-Batin (DOT Regional Director, National Capital Region), Mr. Ferdinand "Den" Navarro, (General Manager of Savoy Hotel Manila) and Mr. Gregorio "Greg" Limpin IV (DOT Project Officer for NCR).
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Also present with us that day were a couple of people from the Department of Tourism, Ms. Sharlene Zabala-Batin (DOT Regional Director, National Capital Region), Mr. Ivanovich Dimitri "Ivan" T. Agote (DOT-NCR Supervising Tourism Operations Officer) and Mr. Gregorio "Greg" Limpin IV (DOT Project Officer for NCR).
The festive decorations are also colorful but with a purpose, as they have recycled materials for banners, the buffet display were two miniature Ferris wheels crafted from second-hand scraps, and our placemats at the table were banana leaves too. This is all in line with Savoy Hotel Manila's sustainability goals.
Thank you so much to Savoy Hotel Manila for having us in your Pistang Pinoy celebrations this May. very first ones to taste this Pistang Pinoy offer of Savoy Cafe.
The dishes above are all available through Savoy Cafe's buffet offers. See below the rates and schedules below:
Fresh Off the Flame Lunch Buffet
Schedule: Mon & Wed 1030am - 230pm
Rates: P688 (adults) and P388 (kids 7-12 years old)
Delightful Weekend Buffet
Schedule: Fri & Sat, 6pm - 10pm
Rates: P1588 with live entertainment
Lunch Buffet Treats
Tues and Thurs 1130am - 2:30pm
Rates: P588
Sunday Family Lunch Buffet
Sun 12nn - 2:30pm)
Rates: P1088 (adults) and P588 (kids 7-12 years old)
You can book your stay for Savoy Hotel Manila direct via their website and socials on facebook or instagram, or various booking websites like Agoda or Klook.
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| Get 5% OFF on any hotel or activity (Reusable 3x) in KLOOK app |
Enjoy discounts of 5% on any hotel or activity (Reusable 3x) with KLOOK using the promo code: CHICMIXKLOOK
Savoy Hotel Manila
101 Andrews Ave, Pasay, 1300 Metro Manila Philippines
Room Inquiry:+63(02)53172869
General Email: stay@savoymanila.com
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