The Peninsula Manila showcases the best of Australian cuisine

Right after the Chinese New Year, take part in the celebration of another country’s culture as the Australian Embassy observes its National Day on January 26 with “Celebrate Australia.”

Topping the list of festivities this year is “Tasting Australia” which will be held at The Peninsula Manila from January 27 to February 3. The festival will showcase the best of Australian food and wine and will feature the two premiere hotel chefs—The Peninsula Tokyo’s Australian-born Executive Chef Adam Mathis and Manila’s Chef Anthony Craven.

A pre-food tasting for the members of the media was held on January 12 at The Peninsula Manila’s Old Manila restaurant.

At the event, the embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Andrew Byrne said, “Australia and the Philippines has had a positive and constructive relationship and we [the Australian embassy] always look for ways to increase the understanding between the two countries.”

Tasting Australia is a result of these efforts as it will bring Australian cuisine and food products to two venues at The Peninsula Manila. Chef Mathis will prepare his Australian cuisine for Old Manila as a guest chef, while Chef Craven will cook for Escolta.

Byrne then shared “Food has improved the most in Australia and we are very proud to share our food and culture.”

Indeed, Australian cuisine is a relatively recent phenomenon. It carries a strong influence from people around the world, starting with the Europeans who migrated to Australia bringing with them the cooking styles of their homeland; migrants from North Africa and the Mediterranean brought with them their love for couscous, pickled lemons and tahini; while the rush of settlers from India, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and a myriad other nations likewise contributed their own distinct styles.

“We are proud to be a partner of ‘Celebrate Australia 2012,’” says Sonja Vodusek, The Peninsula Manila’s General Manager, herself an Australian native. “Our food festival is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the culinary experiences available in Australia.”

To let the media have a bigger picture of the diversity of Australian cuisine, Chefs Mathis and Craven prepared a three-course meal that served meat of a crocodile and a kangaroo coupled with “bush” ingredients, all native to the country’s gastronomy.

More of this can be enjoyed at “Tasting Australia in Old Manila” by Chef Mathis that will serve Crocodile Ceviche with Wild Herbs and Flowers, Pumpkin, Beets and Mango (appetizer); Wild Thyme-crusted Lamb Loin with a Cutlet and Shank Pie Parsnip Velvet, Baby Pea Pods, Macadamia and Bush Pepper Berries (main course); and White Chocolate Parfait, Lemon Tuile, Lemon Curd, Raspberries and Elderflowers, among others.

Chef Mathis will also hold an academy cooking class called “Australia On My Plate” on January 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

For “Tasting Australia in Escolta” by Chef Cavern, it features Australian favorites flavored with bush ingredients like lemon myrtle, bush tomatoes, aniseed myrtle and Davidson’s plums.

All food lovers to experience Tasting Australia will get a chance to join a raffle and win a round-trip ticket for two to Sydney onboard the new Qantas A380 aircraft.

Other festivities for Celebrate Australia 2012 are musical performances by Dewayne Everettsmith, indigenous singer and songwriter from Tasmania and a finalist at Australian Idol, and an outdoor screening of the Australian film Strictly Ballroom with Cinemanila’s Moonlight Series to be held in Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City.

For inquiries or reservations on Tasting Australia, call The Peninsula Manila at (632) 887-2888, extension 6694 (Restaurant Reservations), e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit peninsula.com.