Was I a fool to line up for food at the World Street Food Congress?

After about 40 minutes of waiting in line, the lady behind the counter handed me my bowl of Churros Locos. When I asked her what she thought of the event, “We’re from Mexico and we feel so at home here. Everyone’s so welcoming,” she said.

The lady I talked to was the beautiful Isabel Sanchez-Huerta, from whose food stall emerged this churros sundae, easily one of the most shared images on Intagram during last week’s World Street Food Jamboree. She tirelessly served and smiled in spite of the heat. I only got to chat with her because the whipped cream spray got wonky when it was my turn to claim my order. 

“We’ve got a dream team here. We’re bam, bam, bam,” she said, referring to her staff who will probably see churro sundaes even in their sleep. “We need to work fast because the heat will melt the ice cream, you know.”

An area in Bonifacio Global City, a business district in the country’s capital, was transformed into a food hub for a few days as culinary enthusiasts tried flavors from around the world, mostly Asia.

On the first day of the World Street Food Jamboree, more than 12,000 people showed up. People waited. People endured the scorching Manila heat. Eventually, they had to close early because some of the items were sold out. In spite of this, enthusiastic customers still flocked to the event on the second day. And they continued to do so on until the last day.

When a stall offers only one item on the menu, you know you’re in the right place. With about 20 stalls, the gathering offered a good variety. I couldn’t even pronounce some of the food names. From sweet to savoury, or from salty to spicy, there was something that suited everyone’s palate. 

There was mouthwatering chow. Judging by the lines, some stalls were more popular than others, but every item was at least an object of curiosity. 

During my 40 minute wait at the churros locos stall, my husband was able to get food from three other stalls. He’d run back to me and we ate in line. That was our strategy. When going to events like this, a strategy must always be in place.

We got to try the assam laksa from stall #7, the har cheong kai from stall #16, and the vegetarian bao from stall #22. Neither of us has tried the dishes from their actual countries of origin. 

Assam laksa (PHP250) is from Malysia. It’s rice noodles in a broth of flavors and spices, soured with tamarind. I think I saw a slice of green mango in my bowl. The humid temperature did not stop us from devouring the laksa. It was very much worth it. 

The har cheong kai is, simply put, Hongkong’s bagoong chicken (PHP250). The one we ate had a thin and crisp prawn paste batter bursting with flavor and goodness. It was perfect with a nice bottle of beer!

The smoked chili grilled tofu bao with kimchi, pickled basil, and sambal klerk cream (PHP200) was the creation of The Cinnamon Snail. The bao had a pillowy soft bun and the filling was an interesting mix of textures and flavors.  It was very spicy. Interestingly enough, though the flavors seemed very Asian, the stall was actually from a food truck in US. 

The churro sundae (PHP200) deserved the hype it got from social media. I know that churros are the trend in Manila nowadays, and they are easily available elsewhere. But for PHP200, these were a great deal for those looking for saccharine delights. The slightly melted vanilla ice cream actually made it even taste better. The churro was crunchy with just the right amount of sweetness. It was the perfect ending to our food trip. 

Looking back, I should’ve have tried more dishes. The martabak manis from Indonesia looked amazing, and so did the padang satay from Singapore and the mee siam from Malaysia. But we had a limited energy for lining up. 

We didn’t want to give the night an early ending. So we stayed and tried to look for a way to entertain ourselves without having to line up. Fortunately for us, Harvey Ang and Chef Nick from The Lion Group were due to gave a demo on Singaporean chili crabs. 

A good crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed as the teppanyaki chef showcased his skills. He rewarded his audience with a nice plate of chili crab and squid, for free. This made up for all the time and energy we spent in lines!

So did we enjoy the event? Very much. In spite of the long lines. In spite of what others said was a “poor venue choice”. In spite of the relatively pricey food. 

We’re hoping to see it again next year. In a bigger venue, with more food choices from different parts of the world, and possibly at friendlier price points.

This year’s event was never actually like eating in the streets of Khao San or some pho stall under a tree in Hanoi. I don’t think it was meant to duplicate those experiences anyway. 

For those who have never been to the streets of Penang, the laksa was a teaser. For those who have already eatena at a hawker center in Singapore, the padang satay was a reminder. 

For those who want to travel, the congress was a temporary fix for the wanderlust. 

People celebrated food and culture for five days, it’s a big jump for a country perpetually on the edge of putting our cuisine on the food map. Events like this help foster a culinary friendship between food people. We’re very lucky to have hosted something that is both culturally and gastronomically enriching.

I felt like a fool for not going with a bigger group that could’ve helped us divide and conquer the crowd. I felt like a fool for not planning in advance which stalls to visit. But definitely, the World Street Food Jamboree was worth the visit.

Pepita’s Kitchen with the festive lechon truffle, was at stall number 10, the first one we saw upon entering the congress. It was nice to see the Lechon Diva herself, Dedet dela Fuente, welcoming guests to the event with a big smile. Her stall had one of the longest lines. It says something about where we are now. When it comes to food, Filipinos are both interested and interesting. 

Here’s to hoping that the country will again host the event next year!


 



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