The World Street Food Congress returns to the country to gather world’s best chefs for a five-day convergence about how street food culture is evolving. And you know who else came back with them?
Yep, the Anthony Bourdain.
The “Parts Unknown” host and author is back this time to declare with gusto how we essentially are the food we eat. Closing the second day of the Dialogues part of the conference, he said food reflects our histories and explained how cooking echoes a country’s painful narrative.
“I often say that wealthy cultures that have been lucky and fortunate and prosperous generally don’t cook very well, because they never had to. It’s the cultures that had to struggle and make the most of what little they have who have over time learned to make wonderful things out of, well, all the things that I love and most of my chef friends love,” he said.
Of course, he tried some local street food like everyone’s favorite isaw, Davao’s pork monggo, sisig paella, la paz batchoy, and some from other stalls in the Jamboree where attendees can try samples of various local and international street food and mingle with chefs during the cooking demo.
During the Dialogue, he also shared the irony in New York where he thinks “have representatives of people and culture from all over the planet,” but doesn’t have a real market “where people value a good bowl of noodles” like what Singapore, Hong Kong, or Vietnam has. This is why he plans to open a Bourdain Market there two years from now.
The event, which will run until June 4 at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds, also presents the World Street Food Awards for the industry professionals.