A Mother’s Day Gift: Celebrities, Fashion and Food at Spiral Buffet, Sofitel Manila

Chefs paid homage to moms at Spiral Buffet by cooking their very own mother’s specialties.  It was an honor to have tasted the most treasured dishes of chefs with trained and distinguished palate.  Then I thought to myself, if I were to cook one dish of my mom what would it be?  Without a second thought, it would be her fried pork chop!  

For appetizer, I got myself a plateful of cheese from Spiral Buffet’s cheese room.   

As I looked around Spiral Buffet, I spotted the fantastic dishes prepared personally by the Chefs.  What’s even more interesting is that each dish has a story attached to it.  The first one I got to try (and had a second round) was Chef Anne Cecile Degenne’s Paella.  A spoonful of Paella brings Chef Anne back to the summer holidays when she would go to Spain with her family.  In one of those trips, her mom taught her how to cook the authentic Paella at their outdoor kitchen in Spain.  Really cool story, huh?  The next dish I tried was Chef Halim Ali Khan’s Egg Biryani.  It’s a typical rice from India according to this Indian chef, and it was usually cooked by his mother on special occasions.  Although a bit spicy, this dish brings back sweet memories of family gatherings and celebrations. 

For those with a more adventurous palate, you should try the Executive Chef Eric Costille’s Rabbit Cocotte and Filipino chef Jojo Babierra’s Goat Caldereta. The Rabbit Cocotte resembled the color and texture of chicken and it was garnished with rosemary and olives.  Chef Eric says his mom serves rabbit cocotte with polenta during their family reunion on Sundays.  Rabbit is almost as popular as chicken in Italy and France where he grew up.  Chef Jojo on the other hand grew up in Lucban, a place that serves authentic Filipino dishes.  According to him, the Goat Caldereta reflects his mother’s dedication in cooking. 

Executive Chinese Chef Mok Chee Wah prepared a bowl of his mother’s Herbal Chicken in Lotus Leaf. The lotus has a nutty, crunchy texture with a bittersweet aftertaste.  Chef Mok says, his mom would cook this dish every time he was sad.  Now, he prepares the same signature dish for his children. 

One of my favorite dishes at Spiral Buffet’s Mother’s Day Special was Chef Hiroaki Yamaguchi’s Nikujaga.  Nikujaka is a sweet Japanese beef stew that tastes better the longer it’s cooked.  The dish was made of potatoes, thinly beef slices, onions, ginger and a whole lot of Chef Hiroaki’s good memories back home.  If possible, I would eat a bowl of this comfort food everyday.