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Margarita Fores teams up with HK's Vicky Cheng in rare four hands dinner

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Karen Flores

ABS-CBN News

The stars were in alignment last August 7 at Penthouse No. 66 of Grand Hyatt Manila as two world-renowned chefs teamed up for a rare culinary showcase. Asia&#x27;s Best Female Chef 2016 Margarita Fores of the Philippines and Vicky Cheng of Hong Kong&#x27;s Michelin-starred VEA reunited in the kitchen after seven years for this one night, invitation-only affair, presenting us guests with both a mix of cultures and their friendship on plates.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172370368109820240815 chef.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Chef Vicky Cheng of Hong Kong (left) and Chef Margarita Fores of the Philippines. Handout "/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Chef Vicky Cheng of Hong Kong (left) and Chef Margarita Fores of the Philippines. Handout </div>The four hands dinner, aptly titled &quot;When Stars Align,&quot; celebrates the close relationship between the Philippines and Hong Kong. It also serves as a prelude to the Hong Kong Tourism Board&#x27;s (HKTB) Wine and Dine Festival, which takes place every October.Clearly, the Philippines is one of Hong Kong&#x27;s most important tourism markets. Liew Chian Jia, HKTB&#x27;s regional director for Southeast Asia, noted that more than half a million Filipinos visited Hong Kong in the first half of 2024 alone. &quot;So that&#x27;s really happy news for us,&quot; she told us.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/03/14/23/10-restaurants-cafes-to-try-in-hong-kong-in-2023">10 restaurants, cafes to try in Hong Kong</a><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/02/28/23/art-lover-check-out-these-new-spots-in-hong-kong"></a> <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/02/28/23/art-lover-check-out-these-new-spots-in-hong-kong">Art lover? Check out these new spots in Hong Kong</a><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/03/16/23/where-to-find-calm-in-bustling-hong-kong"></a> <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/03/16/23/where-to-find-calm-in-bustling-hong-kong">Where to find calm in bustling Hong Kong</a></div>That aside, I feel that it&#x27;s only natural for HKTB to hold an event like this, with Hong Kong playing a crucial role in both of Fores&#x27; and Cheng&#x27;s journeys as chefs, as if by fate. Cheng, raised in Canada and trained in French cuisine, found himself back in his birthplace 14 years ago as he rediscovered his roots, which eventually led to the opening of VEA and another multi-awarded concept, Wing. Fores, who now runs a restaurant empire in the country, had her first kitchen experience in Hong Kong, where she worked for two years in the early &#x27;80s.&quot;Tonight&#x27;s menu is about Hong Kong and the Philippines, but more importantly, it&#x27;s about our friendship between me and Chef Margarita,&quot; Cheng declared. &quot;I hope that you would taste that in the collaboration dishes that we do -- it&#x27;s not just about one chef and another.&quot;&quot;Hong Kong is the best place to visit for me to learn and bond with my peers,&quot; added Fores. &quot;For our dishes, Chef Vicky and I put our heads and palates together to combine the best ingredients of Hong Kong and find some connection also with what we do in the Philippines.&quot; <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1723703557060Chefs at work.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">The two star chefs at work. Handout </div>Our meal kicked off with what the two chefs called a &quot;show of snacks&quot; which consisted of four items, each served in a small bowl. Cheng showed mastery in simplicity with a clear golden century egg with runny yolk (as opposed to its usual dark color), which is placed on top of hand-pulled noodles with mala chili sauce; and slices of smoked eggplant that have been braided together, as inspired by the Hong Kong star chef&#x27;s bonding moment with his daughter.Fores, on the other hand, tapped into her Negrense roots for her two appetizers -- a mini okoy (a fritter made of shrimp batter and rice flour) and a banana heart salad with first-pressed coconut milk which doubles as a palate cleanser. For an added depth of flavor, she topped the okoy with Hong Kong shrimp roe and kinilaw (also dubbed Filipino ceviche), using malasugui (blue marlin) cured with biasong lime and tuba vinegar. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172370348873920240807_185114.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">(Clockwise from top left) Banana Heart Salad, Golden Crystal Egg, Smoked Eggplant, Ukoy &quot;Malasugui&quot; Kinilaw. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </div>It was already a strong start, but things just kept getting better as the evening progressed. Cheng was naturally in charge of the soup course, given that it&#x27;s an important part of Chinese cuisine -- the thick yet delicate soup he prepared beautifully captured the essence of local virgin mud crabs (&quot;bakla&quot; or gay crabs, as the two chefs fondly called them) and tonkin jasmine. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172370337169720240807_192504.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">White Pepper Virgin Mud Crab Thick Soup. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </div>Fores took her turn in the next course, delivering a flavor bomb with her combo of Bulacan river prawn topped with crab fat on one side, and Hong Kong noodles cooked pancit canton-style on the other. The latter is served with an XO sauce that uses etag (or cured pork from northern Philippines, similar to guanciale), with a sliver of it served as garnish to give it its own chance to shine. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172370330051520240807_194950.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Bulacan River Prawn, Etag XO. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </div>Cheng uses texture to make a statement in the next dish -- a crispy spring roll filled with rehydrated dried sea cucumber, its taste and gelatinous mouthfeel reminiscent of pork belly fat. It rests on a bed of scallion sauce and served with thinly sliced hearts of palm for a Filipino twist, an ode to the lumpiang ubod.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172370324145520240807_201149.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Sea Cucumber Spring Roll. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </div>Of course, the meal would not be complete without rice, a staple in both Hong Kong and Filipino cuisines. Fores made a hearty pares (Filipino- and Chinese-style braised beef) using wild pampano (pomfret) and jackfruit, combining it with Cheng&#x27;s abalone sauce rice. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1723703179515VideoCapture_20240815-130207.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Pomfret Fish Pares, Abalone Sauce Rice. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </div>Three lovely desserts capped off our meal -- a bowl of snow gum made from osmanthus flowers and flavored with ube gelato, with its texture and mild sweetness similar to a champorado or rice porridge; a pili puff pastry filled with a mousse of smoked kesong puti (a Filipino soft cheese) for a sweet and savory treat; and soft and chewy mochi stuffed with Cebu mangoes. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172370310849720240807_212005.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Snow Gum, Ube Gelato. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172370304625420240807_212935.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Pili Nut Hojaldres, Cebu Mango Mochi. Karen Flores Layno, ABS-CBN News </div>&quot;We bought about 100 mangoes... and we opened about 80 of them just to choose the best ones,&quot; Cheng said, recalling their efforts to make sure they only use the best ingredients during the four-hands dinner. &quot;Every single piece, I had to eat by myself and choose by myself, so I&#x27;m full of mangoes [at this point],&quot; he added, drawing laughter from all of us guests. In between bites, we got to enjoy three Hong Kong-themed cocktails by Grand Hyatt Manila. There&#x27;s Avenue of Stars, inspired by the views of Victoria Harbour, with its refreshing flavors of jasmine and lemon; Yum Cha, which has notes of chai and cognac as it reimagines Hong Kong&#x27;s tea culture; and Hong Kong Blossom, which reflects the bustling city with its playful combination of midori, chamomile, and lemon-lime soda. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1723702957633Hong Kong inspired cocktails.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">(Left to right) Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong Blossom, Yum Cha. Handout </div><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">It&#x27;s been three hours since the appetizers were served, and Fores and Cheng showed no signs of slowing down, their faces filled with smiles and gratitude after preparing a meal that is definitely one for the books. </div><div><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">But truth be told, we, the guests, had more reasons to be thankful -- everything fell into place that night, and we were lucky to have witnessed such a celestial event. </div>

Asia's Best Female Chef 2016 Margarita Fores of the Philippines and Vicky Cheng of Hong Kong's Michelin-starred VEA reunited in the kitchen after seven years for this one night, invitation-only affair, presenting us guests with both a mix of cultures and their friendship on plates.

Asia's Best Female Chef 2016 Margarita Fores of the Philippines and Vicky Cheng of Hong Kong's Michelin-starred VEA reunited in the kitchen after seven years for this one night, invitation-only affair, presenting us guests with both a mix of cultures and their friendship on plates.

When stars align: PH's Margarita Fores teams up with HK's Vicky Cheng in rare four hands dinner

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When stars align: PH's Margarita Fores teams up with HK's Vicky Cheng in rare four hands dinner

Karen Flores,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 15, 2024 02:36 PM PHT

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