10 December 2020, Canberra – More than 80 people attended the Filipino Christmas Dinner at Pialligo Estate on 09 December 2020 which featured a four-course menu that reimagines the traditional Noche Buena, a traditional banquet feast in the Philippines.

The menu was designed by Chefs Kim Cudia and Jay Prieto, owners of a well-loved Filipino eatery in Australia’s capital city Lolo and Lola, to showcase the unique fusion flavors of Filipino cuisine. Kim and Jay strive hard to offer and continuously introduce Philippine cuisine to the world by providing the best Filipino dining experience.

In her opening remarks, H.E. Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega said, “In tonight’s dinner, we hope to present some of the key ingredients that are distinctly Filipino and which you will find in some specialty stores around the country. It is our hope that the wider Australian community will be made aware of our culture and culinary heritage, and we will be able to serve the market with some of our finest ethnic and premium products grown in the Philippines.”

Throughout the night, guests were also introduced to the background of Filipino cuisine and key Filipino ingredients calamansi and cacao through audio visual presentations from Lolo and Lola and The Entrée Pinays.

The event was a collaborative endeavor of the Philippine Embassy in Canberra, the Department of Tourism of the Philippines and Pialligo Estate. END