June is probably the time when Filipinos feel a little patriotic because it’s the celebration month for our Independence Day. In my grade school years, June is the month for history stories and the opportunity to boast the Filipino flag. We also get to wear the traditional costumes that we take out of our cabinets and storage. Finally, this is also the month to enjoy more Filipino food.
Nowadays, we get to revisit history more often, wear our traditional outfits on normal days, and enjoy Filipino comfort food anytime we want. Presently, there is a greater emphasis on local flavors and folk recipes that are now widely used in fine dining recipes and day-to-day cooking.
June of course reminds us to be closer to our Filipino roots. Luckily, my passion to write about food has brought me to an event that made me savor local flavors suited for every-Juan. Did that make sense? Don’t worry, it will if you continue to read below.
Celebrating Independence Day with Food
A small coffee shop within Poblacion Davao, Plan B, recently offered a special five-course dinner to celebrate our Independence Day. This themed event will be one of their series of events to highlight different flavors and celebrations.
Plan B tagged the two-day event ‘The One with Juan’. The menu had an appetizer, soup, salad, two choices for the main course, and dessert. The goal of the event is to incorporate some of the local flavors and elevate them through events like this. Below is the menu:
Abri gana (appetizer): Longganisa, quail eggs, cerveza-pinakurat, crispy guso
Sabaw (soup): Ube, coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, sampalok
Ensalada (salad): Pakwan, pako, kasubha poached shrimps, honeymansi citronette
Hapunan (main course for dinner): MORCON (cabbage, forcemeat, sarsa, bro-cauli sinangag) or MANDARAGAT (blackened tuna brined in sea salt and pandan muscovado-dayap glaze, odong pokpoknesca
Tamis (dessert): Pacencia drop cookies, goat cheese, Bangkerohan blend espresso, cacao nibs, single shot of warm tablea dumang
Pantawid uhaw (beverage): Pandan-tanglad samalamig
Favorite Dish from the Set
My friends know I don’t have a sweet tooth but my favorite for this set would be the dessert! The tiramisu-inspired dish was one of the best versions using local flavors that I have so far. Conservatively speaking, many of our local flavors are really borrowed versions of dishes from other countries. It should come not as a surprise that we can create something similar to a known Italian dessert using our own ingredients.
Can I say that I almost forgot that there is spicy chocolate? The shot of tablea dumang was a winner to really end the meal. The warm temperature and the spicy flavor of the chili (dumang) were a surprising treat for me. Not to mention, it complemented well the Malagos goat cheese (yes, Davao’s very own), local coffee, and the pacencia cookies. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to this Tiramisu–Plan B version!
Some highlight worth mentioning:
- The soup was a creative take on how to use ube not just for dessert but also for soup! Sampalok (tamarind) is also a good way to add tanginess to a dish. This is a favorite ingredient to the Filipino’s sinigang.
- Pako (fern) is also a local favorite item for a salad that we often time forget because we usually run to lettuces and other salad greens. Kasubha is also the sister of saffron but is almost like saffron. It’s also called ‘safflower’ which gives color to a dish (the shrimp in the salad).
- Dayap is also a great way to remove the smell of fish without removing the tuna flavor. In fact, it enhances flavors even better. It is the local counterpart of lime. The main dish for this set has this subtle flavor.
- Odong is a Bisaya noodle that is often mixed with sardines or fish dishes. Plan B has used this noodle as part of the pasta which was a good combination with the tuna.
Plan B will surely be offering more themed events to excite the palate of Davaoenos. It is something to look forward to so make sure to follow their page and social media accounts for updates.
Plan B Contact Details:
Door 5A, Mabini Commercial Complex, Mabini Street, Brgy 9A Poblacion Davao City
Facebook: fb.com/planbdavao
Instagram: instagram.com/plan.b_dvo