A fiesta in the Philippines is a colorful celebration of culture and food. There is dancing in the streets and family gathering in homes. A long table of dishes welcomes guests to the household. A series of chitchats or catching up typically follows! This is one of the unique traditions in the Philippines that Ed and I miss the most.
We don't celebrate fiestas here in Dubai, but there are restaurants that make us feel we are in one! Take for example, the new Friday Brunch concept called "Filipino Food Fiesta" in Olive Oil restaurant in Jumeira Rotana.
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Ed and I tried out the Proudly Pinoy brunch offering last month. We were welcomed by a jeepney photobooth at the main door, warm smiles from the staff, and hugs from friends we haven't seen for so long! Now, that alone is a festival to me!
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| Biyaheng Manila po tayo! |
Olive Oil is Jumeira Rotana's all day dining restaurant. It has chic and casual vibe, with well-lit dining area and neat table setting. The entrance ceiling is decked with banderitas; perfecting the restaurant's fiesta concept.
There is no street dancing and no karaoke singing, yet the heart of the festivity - an array of good ol' Filipino dishes - is very much present!
A few international touches were given; a good variety of bread, salads and Japanese rolls were offered. But the rest of the feast is authentically pang-fiesta.
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| Bread Station at Olive Oil brunch |
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| Chicken Skin! This compensates the lack of pork in the buffet. |
For starters, we had crispy chicken skin and lumpiang shanghai. Along with those, we also had longanisa (a usual Filipino breakfast dish).
The main dishes are what I adored the most! True to its concept, the Filipino Food Fiesta Brunch has rice (Pinoys can't live without rice), pancit, stuffed pusit (squid), ginataang alimango, pinakbet, fried chicken and nilagang ox tail.
As you can see, the buffet is well-varied and thoroughly organized. I didn't get to eat everything in the spread, but all the Filipino dishes I tasted were delectable and authentic. I love seafood; hence, the stuffed squid and ginataang alimango are the ones that stole my attention.
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| Filipino starters and main dishes |
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| Ginataang alimango - crab in coconut milk |
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| Longanisa - local sausage often served for breakfast |
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| Stuffed squid - This one is really delish! |
I wasn't really keen on having non-Filipino food during our brunch, but when I saw how nicely presented the Japanese rolls are, I was tempted. And I'm happy to report that enjoyed it as well. Kudos to the Filipino Chef behind this buffet!
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| Left: desserts | Right: Salads and Japanese Rolls |
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| Look at the unique presentation! |
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| The sushi-pastry fusion looks weird, yet the flavours surprisingly blended well. |
In the dessert station, I found fruit slices, international sweets and classic Filipino panghimagas! Other than fruit salad Pinoy-version, what made me really happy during dessert time was the warm chocolate pudding! So moist and super decadent!
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| the vibrant table of Filipino and International desserts |
The Las Islas cocktail was a cherry on top of the great brunch! It is a vodka-based beverage with a refreshing blend of tropical fruits which we have back in the Philippines.
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| Las Islas! Cheers to #PinoyPride! |
Would you believe that this excellent brunch is value-priced? The array of authentic Filipino Food can be enjoyed at 69 AED per person, plus 15 AED for unlimited softdrinks. Guests can also pay 50 AED top-up for unlimited alcoholic beverages. Considering the ambiance, food quality and service, this Fiesta brunch is a such bargain!
Olive Oil Restaurant
Jumeira Rotana
Location Map:
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