Belmont Hotel Manila marks its 11th anniversary with a special food event. The hotel recently hosted “Pamana: Taal, Reimagined.” The event highlighted the rich flavors of Filipino cuisine. It featured creative dishes by guest chefs from Lipa, Batangas.
Mayann Malapote is the hotel manager of Belmont Hotel Manila. She spoke to the guests at the end of the dinner.
“Good evening, everyone. As we come to the close of tonight’s dinner, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of you for being part of Pamana: Taal, Reimagined,” Malapote said.
She shared the goals of the culinary initiative. The hotel wants to connect guests with local food traditions.
“This initiative reflects our desire to bring the richness of Filipino cuisine closer to our guests by sharing the work of our chefs and the stories behind the dishes they create. We hope experiences like this encourage more people to appreciate the many flavors and culinary traditions found across our country,” Malapote added.
She also thanked the kitchen staff and the organizers. The event required teamwork from many hotel departments.
“To Chef Grant and Chef Aaron, thank you for sharing your creativity with us. To Chef Rey and our culinary team, thank you for bringing the evening’s menu together; to our F&B service, headed by Ms. Jackie, and everyone who worked behind the scenes, thank you for making this gathering possible,” Malapote stated.
Guest chefs Grant Zuniga and Aaron Valeroso prepared the main courses. Both chefs run Prism Restaurant Cafe in Lipa, Batangas. They introduced themselves to the crowd during the dinner.
“I am Chef Grant Zuniga, and this is Chef Aaron,” Zuniga said. “And we’re the chefs of Prism Restaurant Cafe. Our restaurant is a small restaurant located in Lipa, Batangas, and both of us came from, we both graduated from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde and are furthering our professions in the United States, me personally and then Chef Aaron in France.”
The chefs opened their restaurant during the pandemic. The health crisis forced them to change their plans.
“So, after which, the pandemic happened, and then we wanted to open a restaurant. But since it’s the pandemic, it was very hard for us to open, kaya nag-divert ‘yong opening namin in Lipa, Batangas. And then that was the start of something that we didn’t expect to happen for the last five years,” Zuniga explained.
The chefs explored local ingredients in Batangas. They wanted to reinvent classic regional recipes.
“So, we have discovered ingredients. You know, we are all familiar with the Southern Tagalog dishes, right? Like adobo and all that. But you know how everybody is saying that my Lola’s cooking is better than your Lola’s cooking, right? But this is different. This is a reinterpretation, a reimagination of some of those dishes that can be found in Southern Tagalog, specifically in Lipa,” Zuniga noted.
The special menu will be available at Prism Restaurant Cafe. The cafe updates its menu every six months.
“So, the two dishes that we’ve chosen to feature, which will also be featured in our upcoming menu this November (Prism Restaurant Café), are because we change our restaurant menu every six months, depending on the seasonality of the produce available in Lipa, Batangas. So, the two dishes that we’ve featured are the Sinigang Risotto with Grilled Maliputo, and then Adobo sa Dilaw with Chicken Confit,” Zuniga said.
Both chefs used their international training for the recipes. Their experiences abroad shaped their cooking styles.
“So, both of these dishes are a representation of both of us. Since I have experience working in Italy, I developed my craft in Italy. That’s why I wanted to create the Sinigang Risotto dishes. And then Aaron, furthering his profession in France, did the Adobo sa Dilaw in confit style,” Zuniga shared.
The multi-course dinner began with a starter. Diners ate Malasugue Ceviche with pomelo, coconut sampaguita emulsion, and quail egg. The second course was Seafood Linarang Soup. It came with a sweet potato crisp and pandesal melba toast.
The main courses highlighted the guest chefs’ work. Adobo sa Dilaw Chicken Confit offered a modern take on a local favorite. It featured tender chicken with earthy dilaw notes. The Sinigang Risotto with Grilled Maliputo paired a tangy rice dish with savory fish.
Café Belmont will offer both main dishes à la carte. They cost P1,200 each. The items will be available from October 21 to December 31, 2026.
A sweet dessert ended the meal. The kitchen served Sampaguita Cheesecake. It included pandan and coconut ganache for a floral finish.