Featured Events

Cooking Demos from Bay Area Chefs

In support of this year's Pistahan theme—Viva Visayas!—local Bay Area chefs have been invited to do 45-minute cooking demos on a dish from the Visayas, influenced by the Visayas, or highlighting a specific ingredient from the Visayas. Lucky audience members get to try out some of these delicious dishes. Free admission.

Chef Bayani Inclano, Jr.

Saturday, August 9 at 2pm

Chef Bayani Inclano, Jr. was born and raised in Guam. He moved to California right after high school in 2000. He started his culinary career in 2006 at Blackhawke Grille. Since then he has worked at Ozumo, Saison SF, and Rich Table. He has also opened his own popup called 13 North, a modern take on Filipino cuisine. He is currently the sous chef at Outerlands SF.

“I will be doing Pintus. Since corn is in season right now, it would be nice to express its seasonality. I love desserts. I am not a pastry chef, but I love my sweets. I will be making it traditionally, but with a nice pandan/coconut sauce to go with it.” —Chef Bayani Inclano, Jr.

Chef Aileen Suzara

Sunday, August 10 at 3pm

Aileen Suzara is an educator, eco-activist and natural chef. Her passion for food is inspired by the flavors of home: from her family's roots in spicy Bicol and salty Pangasinan, to a childhood growing up on the lush north coast of Hawaíi's Big Island. Knowing that "sustainability" is not a new concept but is an ancestral way of life, she prepares fresh and simple dishes that  bring together delicious produce with Filipino-inspired flavors. She writes at www.kitchenkwento.com.

Pistahan 10th Annual Adobo Cook-off

Saturday, August 9, 2014 at 4 pm 

What is the best adobo recipe you have ever tasted? If you are a good Filipino, you will, of course, say “my Mom’s!” And like all good Filipinos, we recreate our mom’s adobo recipe at home. But, just where did mom get her adobo recipe? And will that recipe win our Adobo Cookoff? Sign up to participate.

Adobo Cookoff Guidelines:

1. Sign up to participate and specify if you are competing as Traditional or Fusion.
2. Only pre-cooked, finished adobo dishes will be accepted—no onsite cooking available on premises.
3. Adobo must be presented in a standard disposable aluminum 13.5” pan or equivalent, enough for at least 20 small samplings.
4. Please check-in directly to the Culinary Pavilion no later than 3pm on the day of the event. The Culinary Pavilion is located on the 2nd Floor Terrace (above the waterfalls) at Yerba Buena Gardens. Food warmers will be provided for you to store your dish before the event, if needed.
5. Please be prepared to speak about your dish and recipe.
6. One winner each will be chosen for the Traditional and Fusion categories.

Kulinarya

Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 11am

Kulinarya, which means “culinary” or “cuisine” in the Filipino language, has grown into a competitive cooking competition that continues to help elevate the appreciation of Philippine cuisine by pushing the boundaries of taste, presentation, and nutrition of Filipino dishes.

Come watch this year’s exciting competition as both professional and amateur Filipino chefs go head to head in showcasing their own rendition of Filipino cuisine in both its traditional and popularly-growing modern forms to claim their spot in the final Championship Round in November. It’s like Top Chef, but Filipino-style!

There will only be one winner in each division of Professional and Amateur as they will represent San Francisco against the winners from their respective qualifying rounds from Los Angeles, Honolulu, New York and Washington, D.C. For more information or if you would like to compete in this event, please go to http://www.kulinaryashowdown.com/. Sponsored by the Philippine Department of Tourism.

10:00 am – Judges call time, orientation & Contestant call time

10:30 am – Contestant prep time

11:00 am – Welcome, intro of judges

12:00 pm – Judging: Amateur Division

01:00 pm – Judging: Professional Division

01:30 pm – Awards Ceremony

Balut-Eating Contest

Sunday, August 10, 2014 at 4pm

It’s been eaten by contestants on Fear Factor and Survivor. It’s been eaten by Anthony Bourdain on No Reservations. It’s been eaten by Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods. It’s even been eaten by Zac Efron on his first trip to the Philippines. Yes, you guessed correctly, it’s the famously infamous Balut! 

3:00 pm – Contestant call time, orientation

4:00 pm – Welcome, contestant introductions

4:03 pm – Segment 1: One Balut Timed Challenge

4:08 pm – Segment 2: Five Balut Challenge

4:13 on – Awards Ceremony

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