Looking Back, and Looking Forward: A Post Holiday Celebration at F1 Hotel Manila

Since I started my food blog some years back, I've met some amazing people who shared the same passion for good food, known collectively and simply as the KTG, as well as some inspiring entrepreneurs and key movers in the food industry. And through the years, they've become good friends. And for one day, they all came together with their families for a post holiday celebration at F1 Hotel Manila for an opportunity to look back, and look forward to another awesome year ahead...

At the post holiday celebration, it was great to see some of the familiar dishes that made last year a memorable one. The year-end celebration included some of the past year's tasty favorites, including The Plaza Premium Baked Ham (for more on The Plaza and their line of signature dishes, see my previous post here). A family-run business by the same clan that's an institution in the local food industry, Mrs Millie A Reyes and Karla A Reyes, a mother and daughter team, manages the business and ensures you get the quality and flavors you expect from The Plaza.

This is the ham that built The Plaza's reputation as one of the metro's leading caterers for over fifty years. The Plaza's Premium Baked Ham was skilfully carved (L), stuffed in soft pan de sal, and served with a variety of sauces including Premium Glaze, Gutsy Garlic, Sweet Mustard, and Wasabi Mayo (R). 

It was also good to see another favorite from last year at the post holiday celebration, Leonardo's Lechon, with their signature charcoal roasted whole native pigs. It's a family tradition that goes as far back as 1947, and it's comforting to know that time-tested methods remain the same. Just take a bite of the lechon, and you'll be glad good things don't change.

The family's third generation now manages and runs the business, with good friend Leonard Aquino at the helm (for more on Leonardo's Lechon, see my previous posts on the family-run business here and a unique behind-the-scenes look at a usual day preparing the holiday orders here). In addition to the traditional native lechon, Leonard infuses a modern innovative touch with his Carnivore Lechon, a whole roasted native pig stuffed with sausages, bacon slabs, herbs, and potatoes (more on the Carnivore Lechon on my previous post Round 2 with the Carnivore Lechon).

One of the metro's best hams and lechons, but there's more. F1 Hotel Manila's Head Chef, Decker Gokioco, shared his Spicy Lechon Duck, just one of his many signature dishes from the hotel's F All-Day Dining Restaurant (for more on Head Chef Decker Gokioco and F1 Hotel Manila's F All Day Dining, see my previous post here). Coming back to F1 Hotel Manila was also special for me, I had my first ever hotel staycation featured on my blog for F1 Hotel Manila back in 2013 (see my first post on F1 Hotel Manila here), and every year since then, I've been fortunate to be invited back (more posts on previous staycations at F1 Hotel Manila here and here, and memorable culinary experiences on local cuisine with the first LuzViMinda Festival, followed by LuzViMinda 2, and LuzViMinda 3 Pistang Pinoy, a closer look at local regional cuisine with Mindanao's Lotlotan style of cooking using bamboo tubes, and classic All-American flavors with the United Taste of America Buffet and All-American Dinner Buffet).

For the kids, F1 Hotel Manila's Head Chef Decker Gokioco made sure they had some good eats too, like the Pinoy Spaghetti (L) and Cocktail Hotdog Skewers (R) served with bottomless iced tea...

 ...and some Crispy Fried Chicken (L) and Pork Barbecue Skewers (R) to round out the post holiday feast. As an added treat, F1 Hotel Manila even screened an animated movie for the kids. It's little touches like this made the post holiday celebration even more special.  

And it's time to eat. I start with F1 Hotel Manila's Pancit Molo, a hearty soup with soft pork dumplings...

...followed by Head Chef Decker Gokioco's Spicy Lechon Duck. Tender and juicy with a crisp layer of skin, the rich flavors of the duck are punctuated by the sweet sauce for balanced flavors.

Next, a soft pan de sal stuffed with slices of The Plaza Baked Premium Ham draped in Sweet Mustard sauce, along with more slices of Baked Premium Ham covered in Gutsy Garlic. Seconds? Absolutely.

A bowl of pork blood stew, the local Dinuguan from Leonardo's Lechon, is served next. At Leonardo's Lechon, nothing is wasted, with every part of the pig, including offals and blood, used. Great as is, even better with steamed white rice.

A few slices of Leonardo's signature lechon, with its tender and juicy meat and crisp crackling, with a side of homemade liver sauce, completes my post holiday feast at F1 Hotel Manila. This, and a glass of Don Papa Rum...perfect. It's a great way to cap a year, and my personal journey with my blog continues with even more to come in the new year. Thanks to industry friends, and many of you readers who joined me for the ride. Hold on to your seats, and prepare for another wild and flavorful ride...