You haven’t experienced Filipino Culture until you have been invited and have eaten a Filipino Feast with a Filipino Family at home.
Dedet, known as the Lechon Diva, shows us how to throw a Filipino Feast with style and deliciousness in your own home.
Here’s a photo essay of our Filipino Fiesta experience catered by Pepita’s Kitchen:
A long communal family table serves as the center of the celebrations with a Filipino table setting.
Create a conversation centerpiece of Filipino Culture knick knacks and Pinoy chi cha like chicharon and chocnut.
Start with unique appetizers something small but tasty, and light enough to spice up your appetite.
Southsea Pearls Seafood
It’s like a savory sago appetizer with seafood in a seashell container.
Bulalo and Oxtail Marmalade
Take it easy on this Bone Marrow and Oxtail marmalade crostini toppings so as not to ruin your appetite.
Lechon Scone by Mr. Thomas
You don’t need a Mang Tomas sauce to enjoy Pepita’s Lechon. So for people who are asking for the sauce, Dedet created a scone with lechon and Mang Tomas flavor.
Make your Own Palabok
I like my palabok with little noodles and overflowing sauce and unlimited toppings.
Make your Own Lumpia
Most people would eat this lumpia hubad (naked) without rolling it in the lumpia wrapper to save on the effort and the carbs.
Mixed Seafoods with Labuyo Sauce
Mixed seafood platter with Labuyo sauce, shrimp, crab, corn and Spanish chorizo to balance off the meat-heavy feast.
Crab Gulong – Gulong
Crab served himay na with aligue and secret sauce. It’s so good mapapagulong ka sa sarap!
Kare Kare
The kare kare sauce with oxtail paired with bagoong with vegetables on the sides.
A Filipino Feast is not complete without a Lechon!
Cebuana Lechon
A feminine less salty version of the Cebu Lechon stuffed with sili (chili), bawang (garlic), tanglad (lemon grass) and a secret ingredient.
Serve the lechon by cutting a doorway in its belly to showcase the stuffing and the aroma.
The secret ingredient is chicken wings!
I would get the ribs and belly part, a good chunk of the stuffing, and a big slice of the thin crispy skin.
Tagalog Lechon
The 2nd lechon has a Tagalog stuffing made of marbled potatoes, garlic bulb, siling sigang, and kalamansi.
Make sure to get your camera ready to capture the best ringtone or the most exciting part of slicing the lechon.
The best way to eat this is to mash the potato and the garlic bulb to eat with the lechon meat.
We would usually ask for the Lechon head, take it home and enjoy it as Lechon Paksiw.
We never miss a chance to eat at Pepita’s Kitchen or to an event catered by the Lechon Diva.
Chicken with Portobello Mushroom & Rice
Pepita’s now serves Chicken stuffed with portobello mushroom, pine-nuts, and rice.
Chicken with Bread Stuffing and Foie Gras
The chicken is baked, deboned and stuffed with the bread drenched in butter with foie gras.
Seafood Arrozcaldo
The Arroz Caldo was a bit too heavy already but it’s perfect to take home and eat for merienda.
Ginger and Avocado Ice Candy
This will bring you back to your childhood days, and the ginger is best to clean the palate and the creamy avocado for a sweet ending.
As they say, a good meal creates a lasting impression and good bonding memories with new and long time friends.
Guinataang Monggo
A Filipino Feast usually ends in a heavy Filipino dessert.
Bread Pudding with Macapuno
Reminds you of the leftover pandesal your mom turned into a pudding that your mom used to make at home.
You can now have a Filipino Feast in your own home catered by Pepita’s Kitchen!
The Lechon Diva now provides full or semi-catering for lunch/merienda/dinner/lamay services for a minimum of 15 people at your own home with 1-2 weeks lead time. She has a wide array of menu and can work within your specified budget.
For more info, please email pepitaskitchen@gmail.com to organize your own Filipino Feast.
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Dedet. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Make sure to plan for a take home pasalubong like this Lechon Diva Divalicious Labuyo Sauce!
