AWARDS can make a dish sound better than it tastes.
That is why the more interesting test for Hilton Manila’s winning creations was not the plaque, the competition they came from or the chefs behind them, but what happened when the dishes were finally placed in front of a diner.
At Hilton Manila Newport World Resorts, four winning dishes from the hotel’s local and Western selections were served as part of a special lunch featuring chefs Gianpaulo Climaco, Eljon Panahon, AJ Chua and Marjorie Dionisio.
The menu, available from September 15 to November 15, 2026, brings together Sinurol na Molong Manok and Humba Pata from the local selection, and Hamachi Kama Farce and Braised Beef Intercostal from the Western selection, followed by the Summer Sonata dessert.
Familiar comfort with a twist
THE strongest impression came from the Sinurol na Molong Manok, which was immediately aromatic, with coconut milk providing the first noticeable scent.
The ‘molong’ refers to the chicken dumpling, which sits in a broth that borrows the familiar comfort of tinola while adding the richness of coconut milk.
The combination worked. The ginger-forward broth had the savory, warming character of tinola, while the coconut milk brought a restrained sweetness and a faint spicy note. It was comforting without becoming overly rich.
The weak point was the dumpling wrapper. Some pieces had a noticeably thick, slightly tough exterior that interrupted the otherwise smooth experience of eating the dumpling with the soup.
A thinner, softer wrapper would have made more sense here, allowing the dumpling to disappear into the broth rather than making it feel like a separate component.
Sweet, unapologetically fatty
HUMBA Pata went in more predictably but executed the basics well.
It smelled distinctly sweet, and the sauce carried enough garlic to keep the sweetness from becoming one-dimensional. The pork itself was very soft, as pata should be, although the cut leaned heavily toward fat.
It is the kind of dish that does not necessarily surprise you, but understands what people expect from humba-and delivers it.
Sauce does the heavy lifting
PERSONALLY, the Hamachi Kama Farce was the least convincing to this palate.
Visually, it was perhaps one of the more polished dishes, but its flavor was comparatively restrained. The fish had a slightly sour profile and, on its own, came across as somewhat bland.
That may be intentional-the dish relies on its accompanying olive-oil-based sauce to give the fish more character-but diners who prefer bolder seasoning may find themselves reaching for salt and pepper.
It is, however, not a bad dish. It is simply one where the sauce becomes necessary rather than optional.
The beef that needs no intro
THE Braised Beef Intercostal was more layered.
The sauce was the first thing that stood out aromatically, while the red wine component worked particularly well with the pumpkin puree. The beef itself was properly seasoned and tender, requiring little effort to cut or eat.
The truffle risotto was another good supporting element. Its truffle character was noticeable without becoming overpowering, which matters because too much truffle can quickly turn a dish from elegant to exhausting.
Here, the components made sense together: soft beef, smooth puree and creamy risotto, with enough seasoning to keep the plate from tasting flat.
Dessert understood the assignment
THE Summer Sonata was arguably the easiest crowd-pleaser of the meal.
It looked the part: mango-forward, colorful and neatly assembled, with the kind of presentation that makes you want to take a photo before disturbing it. More importantly, the flavor had enough contrast to keep it from becoming merely decorative.
The tartness of the mango cut through the sweetness of the custard-like filling, while mango puree and caramel tucked inside the sponge added another layer of sweetness.
Further, the almond crumble was particularly useful because most of the dessert was soft. Its crunch provided the textural break the dish needed, while adding a little more sweetness and nuttiness.
Now, repeat orders
FOR diners approaching the menu without the benefit of a chef explaining what went into each plate, the Sinurol na Molong Manok and Braised Beef Intercostal stand out as the more memorable choices.
The Sinurol succeeds because its flavors are familiar but not entirely predictable. It takes the comforting profile of tinola and adds another dimension with coconut milk and the chicken dumpling.
The Braised Beef, meanwhile, is the more substantial plate, pairing tender meat with a flavorful red wine sauce, pumpkin puree, and a risotto where the truffle remains noticeable without taking over.
On the other hand, the Humba Pata suits diners who already enjoy sweet, garlicky, fatty pork, while the Hamachi Kama Farce may appeal more to those who prefer lighter, more restrained seasoning.
But still, even if a competition can identify what deserves recognition, the plate still has to convince the person actually eating it. With reports from and photos by Julian Michael Gulles