Madrid Fusion has always been one of the biggest culinary events in the world. Held yearly in the Spanish capital, it’s part conference and part trade show, where some of the world’s top chefs showcase new, cutting edge and avant-garde techniques, ingredients and recipes to create a different experience in food and dining. It has been described as “where chefs go to see the future.”
Madrid Fusion has always been a venue for the most influential chefs to share their techniques,... [+]
Now on its 13th year, for the first time, it will be coming to Asia, in the Philippine capital of Manila from April 24 to 26, 2015. Why the Philippines? The event seeks to be a commemoration of the 370 years of common history between Spain and the Philippines—“a long period of cohabitation that has left its mark in Philippine cuisine and other diverse cultural manifestations of the country."
Madrid Fusión–Manila, organized by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) and Spain’s Foro de Debate, S.L. and Arum Estrategias Internacionalización (Arum), will take place at the SMX Convention Center. It will have two major components. The Gastronomy Congress will include cooking demonstrations and food tasting, while the Trade Exhibition will feature table accessories and culinary equipment. There will also be a Festival of the Philippines, where for an entire month participating restaurants and hotels will be hosting celebrity chefs and mounting cultural events, food tours, tastings, roving food trucks, bar crawls for the entire month of April.
Eight Spanish chefs will be flying into the country for this occasion: Andoni Aduriz (Mugaritz), Elena Arzak (Arzak), Quique Dacosta (Alicante), Ramón Freixa (Ramón Freixa Madrid), Francis Paniego (Echaurren, El Portal de Echaurren), Paco Roncero (La Terraza del Casino), Mario Sandoval (Coque), Paco Torreblanca (Torreblanca Bombonerias y Pastelerias).
Andoni Aduriz, Elena Arzak, Quique Dacosta, Ramon Freixa (Photos courtesy of Madrid Fusion Manila)
Francis Paniego, Paco Roncero, Mario Sandoval, Paco Torreblanca (Photos courtesy of Madrid Fusion... [+]
Taiwanese chef Andre Chiang (Restaurant Andre and Burnt Ends in Singapore; Raw in Taiwan and Porte 12 in France) has also just confirmed his participation. "Demon Chef" Alvin Leung (Bo Innovation in Hong Kong) will also be in attendance.
From the Philippines, 10 chefs will be presenting Filipino cuisine on a global stage. They will be educating participants—fellow chefs, media and other food lovers—about the country’s food, culture and history. They are: Fernando Aracama (Aracama), Margarita Forés (Cibo, Grace Park, Lusso), J Gamboa (Milky Way, Azuthai, Cirkulo and Tsukiji), Jose Luis Gonzalez (Vask, Gallery Vask, Arrozeria), Pepe Lopez (Rambla), Rob Pengson (The Goose Station), Bruce Ricketts (Mecha Uma), Myrna Segismundo (Restaurant 9501), Claude Tayag (Bale Dutung) and Juan Carlos de Terry (Terry’s).
Fern Aracama, Margarita Fores, J Gamboa, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Pepe Lopez (Photo courtesy of Madrid... [+]
Rob Pengson, Bruce Ricketts, Myrna Segismundo, Claude Tayag, JC de Terry (Photo courtesy of Madrid... [+]
One of the topics that guests can expect at Madrid Fusion-Manila is the binulo—or cooking with bamboos culms—a traditional process of cooking food used by the Aetas. This will be conducted by Gallery Vask’s Jose Luis Gonzalez who spent some time with the indigenous group in northern Luzon. “They taught me how to cook kalibangbang leaves in bamboo, which is what they use to add the sour taste in Filipino dishes like the sinigang,” he explains. “It’s a beautiful story to tell where we can really showcase the purity of the Philippines.”
Guests at Madrid Fusion-Manila 2015 can expect to learn more about the binulo technique-- or cooking... [+]
“Madrid Fusion is one of the world’s most important culinary events because it brings together the brightest minds in the culinary world and provides a platform to showcase the latest trends and techniques for top chefs,” shares Singapore-based Evelyn Chen, Regional Academy Chair for South East Asia at The World's 50 Best and Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, “Now, it is coming to Asia, specifically Manila, for the first time. It’s an exciting time for Asia and even more thrilling for Manila which looks set to draw more foodie tourists. The move underscores the importance of Asia in the culinary world and indicates that more and more great chefs are looking to Asia as a source of inspiration and exchange.”
The chefs in the Philippines are likewise very excited. “It’s not just about new techniques anymore,” says Gonzalez. “It’s about sourcing ingredients that speak about the purity and natural abundance of the Philippines. For example, I think the [local lime] calamansi—which has an aroma and complexity in between a mandarin and a lime—can be used in kitchens around the world in two to three years.” Adds Forés, “The most remarkable thing is for Madrid to do it in Manila. It says a lot about where our cuisine is going, and where our country is going worldwide.”
SCHEDULE OF MADRID FUSION MANILA 2015 EVENTS:
Madrid Fusion Manila • April 24-26 • SMX CONVENTION CENTER
FRIDAY, APRIL 24
10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.— Welcome remarks by Tourism Secretary Ramon J. Jimenez Jr.
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.— Spain: Center and Origin of Modern Occidental Cuisine by Juan Carlos de Terry (Terry´s Bistro-Philippines)
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — A Thousand Faces of Rice by Quique Dacosta (Quique Dacosta –Spain)
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Base Ingredient: Sour Fruits by Fernando Aracama (Aracama - Philippines)
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Lunch
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Creativity, a cuisine open to the world by Elena Arzak (Arzak-Spain)
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. — Coconut, The Tree of Life by Myrna Segismundo (9501-Philippines)
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. — Textures of Olive Oil, Traditional and Avant-Garde by Paco Roncero (La Terraza del Casino-Spain)
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. — Tapas made in Spain: Cuisine in Miniature by Ramón Freixa (Ramón Freixa –Spain)
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. — Philippine Adobos by Claude Tayag (Bale Dutung-Philippines)
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Spanish Marinades and Offal of the 21st century by Francis Paniego – (Echaurren - Spain)
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Local Seasonal Ingredients by Bruce Ricketts (Mecha Uma-Philippines)
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Lunch
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — What Gives Life by Margarita Forés – (Grace Park-Philippines)
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. — Open Creativity by Andoni Luis Aduriz - (Mugaritz-Spain)
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. — Mom, I want to be a “Churrero” when I Grow Up by Pepe López (Rambla-Philippines)
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. — Juices, Creativity and Fermentation by André Chiang (André -Singapore)
SUNDAY, APRIL 26
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. — The New Filipiniana Cuisine by Rob Pengson (The Goose Station-Philippines)
11:30 a. m. – 12:30 p.m. — The Science of Roasts, Modern Culinary Rituals by Mario Sandoval (Coque -Spain)
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Rediscovery and Reverence by José Luis Gonzalez (Gallery Vask-Philippines)
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Lunch
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — It’s Fun to Cook “Xtreme Filipino” by Alvin Leung Jr. (Bo Innovation-Hong Kong)
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. — Sweet World, Happy Ending by Paco Torreblanca (Bombonerías Torreblanca - Spain)
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. — Nose-To-Tail Eating in the Filipino-Spanish Menu by J. Gamboa (Milky Way-Philippines)
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. — Closing Ceremonies
For more information, visit the Madrid Fusion Manila website.
