07 November 2014 – The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong, led by Consul General Bernardita L. Catalla, hosted the Asian Group Dinner on October 24. To promote Filipino cuisine, the Consulate General timed its hosting with the Philippine Food Festival which also opened at The Market of Hotel ICON on October 24 and ended on November 02.
Around 30 members of the Asian Group and their spouses had a taste of choice classic Filipino food prepared by celebrity chefs Rolando “Chef Lau” and Jacqueline “Chef Jac” Laudico.
The Asian Group is composed of Hong Kong-based consuls general and hosting of the Asian Group Dinner is rotated among its members. The Philippines last hosted the dinner four years ago.
The event also served as a networking opportunity for the consuls general with Chinese and Hong Kong government officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations. The dinner was attended by Mr. Li Yiping, Director General for Consular of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong SAR; Mr. Kenneth Mak, Director General of the Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department; Labor Commissioner Donald Tong; Deputy Director for Protocol Amy Li; Mr. Stephen Yau, Chief Executive of the International Social Service; Monsignor Ante Josic, Head of the Holy See Study Mission in Hong Kong SAR; Mr. Simon Galpin, Director General of Invest HK; Mr. David Leung, Department of Tourism Marketing Representative for Hong Kong and Macau SAR; and Vice Consul Ira Micheline Valdez from the Philippine Consulate General in Macau SAR.
Chef Lau and Chef Jac introduced the dishes served during the dinner which included prawn miso sinigang soup, mango salad in bagoong (shrimp paste) vinaigrette, pan-fried lapu-lapu fillet in tabang talangka (crab roe) sauce, grilled Angus rib-eye bistek Tagalog, suman (sticky rice cake) panna cotta, tsokolate oh (chocolate mousse) and halo-halo. Drinks included mango ginger mojito and Amadeo espresso especially mixed by Philippine liquor company, Destileria Limtuaco.
Filipino artists Agnes and Dennis Quilicot, and Cristopher Villones Flauta provided the entertainment during the night.
The Philippine Food Festival was supported by Philippine Airlines and Destileria Limtuaco. END
