PROUDLY PINOY: DIAMOND HOTEL'S FEASTS OF THE FILIPINO KITCHEN

         A couple of years ago, the legend of Pepita's Kitchen was perhaps the foodie world's best kept secret. People heard whispers of this place that serves delectable Roasted pigs stuffed with different variants that would blow your mind, yet no one seemed to know where it could be found, since the dishes came from Private Dinners held in Makati, not an actual restaurant.

     In the food blogging world, an invitation to the famed Pepita's Kitchen Degustation Private Dinner is considered one of the "Golden Tickets" you can receive in your website's career. Only a select few have gotten an invitation to this epic dinner, and the fortunate ones will swear that it is among the best meals they've ever had in their entire life. 

     After rocking the Purple Yam at New York last July and causing long lines in Singapore just this March, the incredible lechons of Dedet Dela Fuente and Pepita's Kitchen are a secret no more, and is very well on it's way to becoming a legitimate global sensation. 

     The Lechon Diva, as she is belovedly called by her friends and fans, takes the stage at Diamond Hotel and works her magic with their renowned in-house chef, Marko Rankel to come up with The Feasts from the Filipino Kitchen Buffet for the first half of June!   

HAYOP NA DEGUSTACION AT PEPITA'S KITCHEN!

Serious na si Food Reviews Manila and Chef Sharwin Tee

               Though my blog is already on it's third year, It wasn't until my second year of blogging that I decided to begin accepting invitations from establishments to sample what their dining experience had to offer. Since then, Rina and I have been fortunate enough to have taken part in many amazing dinners. There are a select few that stood out more than the others, and one of those dinners was my 14 Course Lechon Degustation by Pepita's Kitchen. 

          Did you ever watch the movie "Seven" by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gweneyth Paltrow? The scene where the obese man was being force fed with food as a punishment for his alleged, "Gluttony"? If you take away the psychopath pointing the gun to the man's head, that was sort of how I describe that evening. 

         No one was forcing anyone to eat, but all these mouthwatering dishes kept flying out of the kitchen, it would have been a crime in itself to NOT eat them.. Stomach lining be damned. 

         Even though I only actually knew a handful of people there, Rina and I had such a wonderful time. So, when given the opportunity to go back, how on Earth do you say no to that? 

         Easy. You don't. 

         This is our HAYOP NA DEGUSTATION EXPERIENCE at Pepita's Kitchen. 

14 COURSES.. LECHON DEGUSTATION AT PEPITA'S KITCHEN!!

        One of my new years resolutions as a blogger, was to make sure I attend more blogger events that I'm invited to. I was very hesitant to go last year, mainly because I was a bit shy (I really didn't know anyone from the blogging world yet), but Rina convinced me that if I had any intention of taking my blog to the next level, I was going to need to break out of my shell (I'm being serious by the way). Perhaps one of the events that I had been dying to go to, was the Lechon Degustation hosted by Pepita's Kitchen. When I had heard about that magic night of Lechon concoctions, I had told myself that if ever I get invited to that event, I'm dropping anything and everything I'm doing to make sure I'm there.   

    I bumped into Dedet De La Fuente, owner of Pepita's Kitchen, during Yummy Eats, where she thanked me for the video I made about her two daughters, Lileya, the 12 year old that made a version of Butter Beer here in the country, and Liyora, the young girl that created "Chocolate Happiness". She was proud to note that Liyora's efforts to sell her chocolate treats was able to help buy three wheelchairs for children in need.. Quite an achievement for a nine year old girl!

    Since Dedet was manning a booth at Yummy Eats that featured her trademark lechon, our conversation was cut rather short, but as we said our goodbyes and went our own ways, she turned around and called out to me.. (Well.. she actually yelled out, "Pickiest Eater!") and said, "Please come to my next Lechon Degustation this June!". 

   I think I may have actually shouted out "Yes!" even before she finished her sentence.