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| Adobo Movement |
Who doesn't love
adobo? Filipinos, and foreigners who have visited our country, would instantly answer "
adobo!" when asked about their favorite Filipino dish. Different regions in our country have their own versions of adobo. Even in our home, our mom or dad, lolo or lola, has their own flavor and twist to add that personal touch in their signature adobo. Adobo is so flexible and can be personalized by just using at least two of its three main ingredients:
vinegar,
soy sauce, and f
ish sauce (patis).
Did you know that a bill (House Bill 3926 by Bohol First District Representative Rene Relampagos) has been filed in 2014 to declare adobo as the national dish? In line with this was the
Datu Puti Adobo Movement launched in 2015 to seek support for the bill through online petition. So if you believe that adobo is our "
pambansang ulam", sign the petition now at:
www.adobomovement.com
To raise more awareness and involvement in the advocacy,
Mercato Centrale and
Our Awesome Planet held the
Datu Puti Adobo Challenge last June 11, 2016 at Mercato Centrale food market in Bonifacio Global City. Hosted by
Tonipet Gaba, the event was filled with foodies and usual Mercato Centrale-goers making their votes count on the best adobo dish.
Up Dharma Down and
Ebe Dencel added more Filipino flavor to this festive occasion through their OPM performances.
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| Up Dharma Down | Ebe Dancel |
Top 14 entries from participating Mercato Centrale food vendors were selected based on:
- Creativity of concept : originality, story behind the dish, branding, and cooking technique
- Innovation: use of unique special ingredients and Datu Puti products
- Philippine culinary heritage: adoption and representation of regional cooking styles
Here are the
TOP 14 entries and the hailed winners:
Chef Bab's Sisig: Beef Adobo ala Cabiao
Chef Francis "Bab" Basa's sisig-style beef adobo meticulously wrapped in an omelette, a food preparation traditionally done in Nueva Ecija
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| Chef Bab's Sisig | Beef Adobo ala Cabia |
Cuisiners: Crispy Beef Adobo
Chefs Raymond Fabre and Rapheray Co's Makinabang-style beef adobo deep-fried to crispy perfection from Central Luzon
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| Cuisiners | Crispy Beef Adobo |
Dadding's Kitchenette: Adobong Ensalada
Dadding's mix of adobo flakes topped with salted eggs and mangoes wrapped in banana leaves
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| Dadding's Kitchenette | Adobong Ensalada |
Fat Ninja Gyoza: Clear Fat Ninja Adobo Gyoza
Stephen Tan and Vincent Rocha made use of shredded leftover pork adobo shredded and stuffed in gyoza wrappers, pan-fried until crispy underneath and chewy on top
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| Fat Ninja Gyoza | Clear Fat Ninja Adobo Gyoza |
Good Meal Hunting Halal: Classic Chicken Adobo
Blended flavors of chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onion, and seasoning, all prepared and cooked the traditional way and “halal”
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| Good Meal Hunting Halal | Classic Chicken Adobo |
Good Meal Hunting: Fried Chicken Adobo on Fire
Korean husband and Filipina wife tandem reinvented adobo through chicken thigh fillets deep-fried Korean-style, glazed with adobo sauce fused with Korean chili paste
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| Good Meal Hunting | Fried Chicken Adobo on Fire |
House of Crispy: Adobo sa Puti
A well-known Visayan twist to the classic adobo: pork cuts cooked in garlic, vinegar and fish sauce
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| House of Crispy | Adobo sa Puti |
Hunger Buster: Adoburger
100% pure beef adobo patty burger, with kiwi and a special sauce
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| Hunger Buster | Adoburger |
The Hairstylist's Menu: Four-way Cooked Chicken Adobo in a Pouch
Leo Pascual's shredded chicken boiled in coconut milk and cooked adobo style - wrapped in lumpia wrapper and deep fried
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| The Hairstylist's Menu | Four-way Cooked Chicken Adobo in a Pouch |
Timplador Lechon House: Pork Humba
Celestino Malalo-oy's classic adobo cooked in pineapple juice and with pineapple tidbits
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| Timplador Lechon House | Pork Humba |
Lariza's: Seafood Adobo --
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
A mix of crab, shrimp and mussels cooked adobo style and topped with cheese
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| Lariza's | Seafood Adobo |
Lariza’s, another well-known food vendor in Mercato Centrale shares their expertise in creating a unique dish for the Adobo Challenge 2016. Their very own “Seafood Adobo” is a mixture of mussels, prawns and crabs stirred in a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce, garlic, onion, pepper and finished off with cheese on top to add a creamy, tangy taste. Tess Gonzales, the proud owner of Lariza’s knew that her opponents would stick to the usual pork or chicken adobo, so she decided to come up with something edgy. With her “Seafood Adobo”, she hopes to motivate Filipinos to be more daring and “adobofy” fresh catch from the sea as an alternative to the usual adobo recipes.
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| Lariza’s Seafood Adobo, Winner of the People Choice Award in Datu Puti Adobo Challenge with Gretchen King, Datu Puti Sr. Brand Manager |
Bakmi Nyonya: Babi Kekap Adobo Nyonya --
THIRD PLACE
Classic Filipino adobo infused with Indonesian spices served with Sambal
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| Bakmi Nyonya | Babi Kekap Adobo Nyonya |
Lucy of Bakmi Nyonya, one of the well-known food vendors in Mercato Centrale, reinvents the Pinoy classic adobo and incorporates her Indonesian-style of cooking to come up with a unique entry to the Adobo Challenge 2016. This delicate pork adobo treat is mixed with secret Indonesian spices, cooked in soy sauce and vinegar and served with the classic sambal.
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| Datu Puti Adobo Challenge 3rd placer, Lucy of Bakmi Nyonya with Gretchen King, Datu Puti Sr. Brand Manager |
Dayrit's: Pork Adobong Laing Pinangat --
SECOND PLACE
Two Filipino favorites, Adobo and Laing, in one unique and flavorful dish
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| Dayrit's | Pork Adobong Laing Pinangat |
Pork Adobong Laing Pinangat – that’s two of the famous Filipino favorites, adobo and laing, combined in one extraordinary dish. Dayrit’s 40 years of experience in creating sumptuous heritage home-cooked meals is very evident with their entry for The Adobo Challenge 2016. According to Chef Miguel Dayrit, their version of the classic adobo recipe is different from the rest because it combines the strong flavors of two Pinoy viands to create an outstanding dish. This Bicolandia inspired concoction is a fusion of the creamy, hot and spicy and the sour and salty trademarks of laing and adobo respectively.
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| Adobo Challenge 2nd placer, Miguel Dayrit Octaviano of Dayrit’s with Gretchen King, Datu Puti Sr. Brand Manager |
The Oinkery: Pugon-smoked Pork Adobo --
FIRST PLACE
Pork shoulder pugon-smoked for 8 hours, glazed with a rich Cebu-style adobo sauce and garnished with fresh manggang hilaw
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| The Oinkery | Pugon-smoked Pork Adobo |
Inspired by Cebu’s method of cooking lechon, The Oinkery roasts their pork meat inside a traditional pugon giving it that distinct smoky taste. Matthew combines the finished product with his sister’s Cebu-style adobo sauce and garnishes it with fresh green mangoes on the side. Having been slow-cooked for a total of eight hours, the meat is guaranteed to be soft and juicy with every bite.
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| The Oinkery’s representative receives the Datu Puti Adobo Challenge grand prize from Gretchen King, Datu Puti Sr. Brand Manager |
Congratulations to
The Oinkery,
Dayrit's,
Bakmi Nyonya, and
Lariza's! Your creativity and ingenuity leveled up the bar in adobo creations. I am privileged to take part in this
Adobo Movement advocacy and
Adobo Challenge event. Show your love for adobo by signing up the petition at
www.adobomovement.com.
Disclaimer: I was invited as a blogger to feature this event. I did not pay anything. Pictures with my watermark are mine.
