On the grill w US Potatoes
IT IS amazing how the US frozen potatoes can deliciously be a key ingredient of the creations, from appetizers, soups, entrees to desserts, prepared by four participating Cebu-based chefs for an extraordinary three-day journey of taste.
Feasting on the versatility of potatoes left a select Manila and Cebu writers with delightful satisfaction. And these potato-licious Asian and European dishes are currently available in
Ice Cream (Kamias, Kasuy, Kalamansi-Mangga)
Laguna Garden Café, Café Marco at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, the Cove at Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Anzani New Mediterranean Restaurant until May 1014.
To add zing to the potato journey, two US Potato Board (USPB) consultants, Filipino Celebrity Chef Sau del Rosario and British Chef Hylton Le Roux, kept the lunches and dinners animated with their expertise and sense of humor. The USPB ladies came well equipped with very useful information about the US Frozen Potatoes, especially about the its versatility in the different cuisines.
Starters w US Potatoes
On the second day of the US Potato Safari, we were transported to Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, a seven-hectare beach resort established in 1989 in Mactan Island. Lunch was at the Cove Live Seafood Restaurant where its famous blue water is guaranteed to relax guests and diners. Here, Executive Sous Chef Dennis Uy and his team displayed their potato-bilities using US Frozen Potatoes.
Only in his late 30s, homegrown Cebuano Chef Dennis related how his love for cooking as a boy will bring him close to his dream of being a fine chef one day. His first job as an accountant at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa opened the door to the kitchen and pursued cooking with an inquisitive mind and a passion for cooking.
Just like any aspiring chef, he moved around gaining knowledge and skills thru experiences with the Abaca Group of Companies, Royal Caribbean Cruises before joining Maribago Blue water in 2008.
The fresh seafood catch were prominently displayed in huge aquariums at the Cove where guests can have their pick for cooking. The bounty of the sea prepared for us were already
prominently laid out on a bed of ice with two grillers ready to sizzle the succulent pugapo fillet, prawns, shellfish, baby squid, crabs, lobster, miso-mirin marinated chicken, sukiyaki beef and rolled US Crinkle Cut potatoes.
Crunchy US Hash Brown Kimchi
For starters, we had Japanese-inspired US Potato and Crab Chawanmushi or egg custard dish in a meal, US Mashed Potato Scallion Pancakes with Chicken Adobo and Japanese Cucumber filling, Homemade Smoked Tanguigue and US Hash Brown Potato stuffed with Beef.
We relished each creation while the aroma of the seafood being grilled wafted, tempting our excited taste buds. The side dishes were just as interesting: US
Mashed Potato prepared the Korean way or Guguma, Crunchy US Hash Brown Potato Kimchi and a colorful Potato Sushi that complemented the grilled seafoods and meats.
The desserts were beautifully presented: 3K Ice Cream (kamias, kasuy, kalamansi-mango) with each flavor in sugar cones on a specially made tray; Fried Chocolate-dipped US Potato Chips and US Potato Cheesecake drizzled with coffee-infused maple syrup.