With Madrid Fusión Manila, PHL can retake place as Asian gastronomical destination

The upcoming Madrid Fusión Manila is an opportunity for the capital of the Philippines to retake its place as one of the gastronomical destinations in Asia. 

 

This is the statement of Department of Tourism secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. at the press conference of Madrid Fusión Manila in Fairmont Makati on Monday. 
 

"This is an effort of the Department of Tourism to make sure Manila, as it represents all Filipinos, retakes its place as one of the most important gastronomical capitals in this part of the world," he said.  

 

He also shared that back in the 1960s, Manila's golden year, the Philippines' capital was a favorite food destination among tourists from neighboring countries. In fact, one of the restaurants foreigners used to frequent in Manila during this era was called "Madrid," Jimenez said. 

 

"Madrid Fusión is all about the future of gastronomy, and therefore, the future of lifestyle and taste around the world. You come to Madrid Fusión to learn about the future of food. And to learn about the future of food in Asia, we hope for people to come to Manila. Manila has to take its place," he added. 

 

But more than just a food, culture, and tourism hub, Jimenez also envisioned Manila to be a center of Filipino talents in terms of gastronomy. 

 

"This will help us catapult Philippine cuisine to the international arena," Chef Claude Tayag of Bale Dutung added. 

 

What to expect

 

Madrid Fusión Manila will have three main events: the International Gastronomy Congress, the Trade Exhibition, and the Flavors of the Philippines Festival. 

 

The International Gastronomy Congress is Madrid Fusión Manila's learning forum, where invited award-winning chefs from Spain and Philippines share their knowledge of culinary techniques and trends. 

 

They will also be joined by Chef Alvin Leung of Hong Kong's Bo Innovation and Chef André Chiang of Singapore's Restaurant André. 

 

For the three-day International Gastronomy Congress on April 24 to 26 at the SMX Convention Center, the organizers of the event revealed that the ticket prices will range from P11,000 to P20,000. 

 

Jimenez did not deny that the congress may be too expensive for some people's budgets. But he clarified that the Congress is not meant to be a "box-office success"; rather, it is targeted toward "highly-interested" participants.

Plus, attending Madrid Fusión to Manila is relatively cheaper than flying to Spain. 

 

He even estimated that half of the 1,400 expected attendees of the event are chefs or industry practitioners from Southeast Asia alone. 

 

"Madrid Fusión is a highly-specialized conference of highly-interested people who are into gastronomy. It is not held in a venue that people who would fill up the Araneta Colisuem [would go to]. Hindi po ganoon ang Madrid Fusión," Jimenez explained. 
 

For those who cannot attend the International Gastronomy Congress, Madrid Fusión Manila will also feature a Trade Exhibition of ingredients, food and beverage products, equipment, and more. It will also feature Spanish wines, cheeses, and other items as well as Philippine liqueurs, rice, cacao, and other local products. 

 

There will also be a food tasting and wine pairing in the exhibition. 

 

The third component of Madrid Fusión Manila is the Flavors of the Philippines Festival, which is described as a "month-long cultural and gastronomic feast" hoping to prove that the Philippines is the center of culinary excellence in Southeast Asia. 

 

True to its name, the festival will be held in different restaurants, hotels, bars, malls, weekend markets, and other venues all over the Philippines such as Albay, Iloilo, and Davao. — VC, GMA News

 

 

Visit madridfusionmanila.com for more information on how to participate in Madrid Fusión Manila.