Savor Filipino in Oakland to be a rooftop dining experience

OAKLAND, California – A San Francisco Bay Area based non-profit is hosting its second celebration of Filipino cuisine, Savor Filipino, a culinary expo, to celebrate Filipino American History Month. www.savorfilipino.com

The Filipino Food Movement announced that (www.filipinofoodmovement.org) Savor Filipino this year will be “an immersive rooftop dining experience”on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 12 to 5 p.m. at The Overlook Lounge and Rooftop Terrace in Oakland.

Presented by TFC’s Lifestyle Network, this year’s Savor Filipino theme is “Buksan,” meaning open or unlock.” Savor Filipino is working with talented chefs from around the US to unlock the potential of Filipino cuisine.

Chefs will present their own distinctive way of expanding the artistic and tasteful art form of Filipino food and its history to the community as a whole. Using local ingredients, the chefs at Savor Filipino will demonstrate the inventive, diverse and culinary inspirations Filipino cuisine has to offer in the Bay Area and beyond.

“I’m so excited to work with all of these amazing chefs and see their own take on Filipino cuisine. When it comes to Filipino Food, there are so many different variations on any particular dish, and it’s nearly impossible to match that nostalgic feeling you get from home cooking. To see how everyone is reinterpreting it for a new audience is truly exciting,” says Chef Miguel Trinidad, one of the many talented chefs offering creative expertise to the event.

Featured Savor Filipino Chefs Chefs

• Ellie & RJ Tiglao | Kulinarya, Boston, MA
• Russell Lozano | Curbside Kitchen, San Pablo, CA
• Chel Gilla | Tselogs, , Daly City, CA
• JP Reyes & Kristen Brillantes | The Sarap Shop
• Charleen Caabay | Kainbigan, Oakland
• Charles Andres | Ocean Pacific Grill, San Diego, CA
• Garrett Doherty | Kraken Congee, Seattle, WA
• Francis Ang | Pinoy Heritage, San Francisco, CA
• Preligen Manaois | Imagine Culinary Group, San Francisco, CA
• Jerrick Ngo | Oakland, CA

Featured Dinner Chefs

• Yana Gilbuena | The Salo Project
• Brian Hardesty | Guerilla Street Food, St. Louis, MO
• Janice Dulce | FOB Kitchen, San Francisco, CA
• Miguel Trinidad | Maharlika & Jeepney, New York, NY
• Clarisse Dames  | Weebly, San Francisco CA

Menu items for the day event include a Braised Pork Belly Adobo Congee by Chef Garrett Doherty of Seattle’s Kraken Kongee; Pancit Lomi by Chef Charleen Caabay of Kainbigan; and a Dueling Fish Relleno presented by the brother-sister team from Boston, Chefs Ellie and RJ Tiglao of Kulinarya.

These examples are just a selection from the broad spectrum of Filipino cuisine that guests will see at Savor Filipino. The sold-out Buksan Dinner will feature five chefs and five courses, each chef bringing a singular vision to the table, woven together into an evening that represents the history of Filipino cuisine. The full menu is available online.

As well as offering a platform for chefs from around the country to showcase their unique culinary creations and demonstrate the full spectrum of Filipino cuisine, Savor Filipino is supporting West Bay Center (www.westbaycenter.org) a local non-profit dedicated to providing quality youth and senior services to underserved populations in the South of Market District in SF.

“West Bay Pilipino is very honored to be the beneficiary of Savor Filipino. We are happy to promote Filipino food and culinary talent, and also help Filipino immigrant youth get to college, which is the centerpiece of West Bay Pilipino’s programming,” syas Vivian Zalvidea Araullo, executive director. (Donate to West Bay Center)

As part of Filipino American Heritage Month, the Filipino Food Movement will be making a presentation to the youth at West Bay Center. The focus of the talk will be on how our food is linked to Filipino history, future and identity as Filipinos, Americans and as individuals.

“With Savor Filipino, we aim to demonstrate what is possible with Filipino cuisine by removing as many barriers as possible in order to enable them to create their food in the way that only they can, without the pressure of conforming to anyone else’s standards,” says. The Philippines has over 7,000 islands that lend tremendous food diversity, and the cuisine’s evolution is still ongoing,” says Filipino Food Movement Chairman PJ Quesada.

“Our event is also to give attention and praise to these culinary artists, and to continue the Filipino Food Movement’s mission of creating a new market dynamic around Filipino cuisine. We support the next generation of Filipino chefs and artists, since it is through their work that we will expand the horizons of how we view Filipino cuisine,” Quesada adds.

“The chefs we work with bring their story and experience to the tradition, and through creative expression, we see innovation. There is a growing community of culinary professionals showing interest in Filipino cuisine, and we are thrilled to support their vision,” he explains further.

Event Details

• Saturday Oct. 15, 2016
• Main Event: 12 – 5 p.m.
• Buksan Dinner: 7 -10 p.m. (ticketed separately)
• Family Friendly Event
• Kids Tickets & Value Packs available
• The Overlook Lounge, 344 20th St, Oakland, California
• Taking place during National Filipino American History Month (October)
• Menu

Tickets are $30-90 with a limited time discount at www.SavorFilipino.com

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/savor-filipino-tickets-26508415384?aff=PR

Menu, Chef List, and Event Info at: https://www.savorfilipino.com/