PH Embassy Participates in the Village International De La Gastronomie in Paris
Philippine Ambassador Junever M. Mahilum-West (sixth form left), Chef Gabby Prats (third from left), Chef Andrea Amado (left of the Ambassador) and Ms. Rosemarie Chazelas of Espace Philippin (fourth from left) pose in front of the Philippine stall with Consul General Noemi Diaz (third from right) and her family and Deputy Chief of Mission Eric Gerardo Tamayo (right of CG Diaz) and his spouse Ms. Mary Joyce Tamayo and Mr. John West (right of the Ambassador. In the photo are Theresa Agu of The Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts (TEACA) and her spouse Vic (Photo by Patricia Alexandra Gawaran)
PARIS 20 September 2023 — The Philippine Embassy in Paris, in partnership with Isla Pilipinas and Espace Philippin, joined over 50 countries at the Village International de la Gastronomie (International Gastronomy Village) on 07 to 10 September 2023 at Quai Jacque Chirac - Pont Iena.
The event is the largest in the world dedicated to showcasing popular cuisine from around the globe. It is held annually and is under the patronage of President Emmanuel Macron. It also counts Chef Guy Savoy, Chef of the best restaurant in the world, as its patron.
The food fest brings together embassies, representatives of foreign communities in Paris, chefs, artists, food writers and thousands of visitors from all over the world.
The Embassy partnered with Ms. Jen Sunga of Isla Pilipinas and owner of J Paluto, a veteran participant of the event and Ms. Rosemarie Chazelas, founder of Espace Philippin, and part of the Agora Expo/Village International de la Gastronomie organizing team.
In promoting the event, Ambassador Junever M. Mahilum-West narrated that Philippine cuisine is a “fusion of East and West and is a reflection, not only of the Philippine history and culture, but also its archipelagic nature.”
Cooking Demonstrations from Philippine Chef
Among the activities of the event are cooking demonstrations from chefs from around the world. These demos are organized in cooperation with the L'Ordre International des Disciples d'Auguste Escoffier (DEI), a prestigious gastronomic society present in over 30 countries spread over 5 continents. The cooking demos at the event aim to showcase different cooking techniques and traditions from invited chefs from different countries.
This year, Chef Jose Gabriel “Gabby” E. Prats represented the Philippines. Chef Gabby is a career Spanish-Filipino chef who hails from a family of chefs and food service professionals. He is currently the President of the Philippine Delegation (Chapter) of DEI and The Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts (TEACA). Chef Gabby presented Bellychon (Lechon Belly) at the DEI booth.
Chef Gabby also held a cooking demo at the Philippine stall, where he prepared chicken BBQ with java rice, peanut sauce and atchara. This dish was made famous by a restaurant in the Philippines listed in the 150 Most Legendary Restaurants in the World & Their Iconic Dishes in 2023 by Taste Atlas. In both demos, Chef Gabby was assisted by Chef Andrea Amado.
The audience was treated to a generous sampling of the dish.
Cultural Performances
In addition to the food stalls and cooking demos, the Village International de la Gastronomie also featured performers from different countries.
The Philippines was represented by the Sandigan kids, Intensified, Ifugao France Association, the AcapElles and Pinoy Jam Paris. END
The Philippines’ food stall at the Village International de la Gastronomie
President of the Philippine Delegation of DEI and The Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts (TEACA) Chef Jose Gabriel “Gabby” E. Prats, assisted by Chef Andrea Amado, preparing “bellychon”. (Photo by Patricia Alexandra Gawaran)
Ambassador Mahilum-West with the Ifugao Association in France as they prepare for their performance. (Photo by Patricia Alexandra Gawaran)
Ambassador Mahilum-West (left) with Secretary of Information and Communications Technology Ivan John E. Uy (center) and daughter Nicole, in front of the Philippine stall. (Photo by Ambassador Mahilum-West)
For more information, visit https://www.parispe.dfa.gov.ph, http://www.facebook.com/PHinFrance, https://twitter.com/PHinFrance or https://www.instagram.com/phinfrance/.