Chicken adobo, lechon might be on menu for Pope Francis when he visits PHL

Chicken adobo and lechon might be among the dishes served to Pope Francis in Manila when he visits the country in January, the possible caterer for his visit revealed on Wednesday.

Tamayo's Catering president and CEO Steve Tamayo said that he has been informed that his company may be chosen as the caterer for the Pope's visit.

"Actually, we are in the planning stage but I was advised about it. I am the usual caterer of big events sponsored by the Church. I can't give you details yet but we already have plans," he said.

"We don't know yet the number of guests. Honestly, we have no details on the catering yet, but I was told to prepare since organizers are also busy preparing and doing other things in connection with the papal visit," he added.

If Tamayo's Catering is indeed chosen as the pontiff's caterer, Tamayo said, he would let Pope Francis taste authentic Filipino food. "We would serve him and the guests some famous Filipino dishes [like] chicken adobo...and lechon, which is always present in most celebrations in the country," he said.

However, the organizers of the papal visit will have the last say regarding the menu, Tamayo added.

Tamayo's Catering, which has a restaurant behind Manila Catheral, is not new when it comes to preparing food for popes.

The company first catered for a pope's visit in 1995 for World Youth Day, which was led by Pope St. John Paul II. Tamayo's Catering has also provided food for other big Church events, such as the World Meeting of Families in Manila in 2003, during which it fed around 28,000 attendees. — Trisha Macas/BM, GMA News