The Philippine Embassy in Hanoi, in partnership with Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, officially opened its Filipino Food Festival at the Oven D’Or Restaurant.
Sheraton Hanoi flew in Chef Geramarie Dianzon of Sheraton Manila Bay to personally prepare and supervise the preparation of well-loved Filipino dishes such as chicken adobo, pork sisig, kinilaw, pok humba, lechon belly, halo halo, turon and many more. Meanwhile, a Vietnamese chef from Sheraton Hanoi will also visit Sheraton Manila Bay to showcase Vietnamese cuisine to Filipino clients.
This event is part of the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi’s cultural diplomacy initiative to celebrate the 127th anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence and coincides with the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Philippines-Vietnam Strategic Partnership.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam H.E. Meynardo LB. Montealegre explained that the 5-day event aims to strengthen the mutual understanding and people-to-people ties between the Philippines and Vietnam. He also shared the distinct characteristics of Filipino cuisine known for a mixture of different flavors from indigenous ingredients. “Its sour notes are from our use of coconut vinegar or cane vinegar and other souring agents available in the Philippines to preserve the food longer in the country’s warm climate. We also take pride with our sweet desserts as sugar cane is one of the country’s top agricultural exports.”
Ambassador Montealegre emphasized the concept of sharing a meal in Filipino culture. He explained that Filipinos often use the phrase “kain tayo”, which means let us eat in English. “For Filipinos, sharing a meal together is more than just a daily routine, it is a fundamental aspect of our culture. More than just nourishing our bodies with our rich and diverse cuisine, eating together nourishes our relationships, strengthens bonds and is our way of sharing with you all our Filipino traditions and cultural heritage.”
The opening ceremony was attended by Ambassadors and charge d’affaires of ASEAN Missions based in Hanoi as well as the UN Country Representative for Vietnam Ms. Pauline Tamesis. Sheraton Hanoi Hotel General Manager Tiffany Hwang and Head Chef Nguyen Chung as well as officials from the Vietnam-Philippines Friendship Association attended the important occasion.
The festival will run until 12 June 2025 with the Filipino community enjoying a 30% discount from the festival. Sheraton Hanoi shared with the Embassy that the promotions for the festival garnered much attention from the community, with table bookings reaching maximum capacity on certain days, including the opening lunch. END
Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Meynardo LB. Montealegre, delivers remarks at the opening ceremony of the Philippine Food Festival in Hanoi
Celebratory toast at the opening of the Philippine Food Festival
H.E. Mr. Meynardo LB. Montealegre, Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam (center), leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Philippine Food Festival at the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel on June 8, 2025. The event celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Philippines-Vietnam Strategic Partnership and National Heritage Month (May).
The Philippine Food Festival welcomed members of the diplomatic corps and the Filipino community, who enjoyed a variety of traditional Filipino dishes
Filipino Chef Ms. Geramarie Dianzon of Sheraton Manila Bay gives a live cooking demonstration of the iconic dish sisig at the Philippine Food Festival in Hanoi
