By Florenda Corpuz
TOKYO – Filipino chef Jordy Navarra brought a taste of home to Imperial Hotel, presenting five dishes and two drinks that highlight both the flavors and the culture of Filipino food.
Navarra, chef-owner of one-Michelin-starred Toyo Eatery in Manila, presented tuna kilaw, pork sisig, adobo silog, kamote cue and kabayan, along with lambanana cue and mango mustard, as featured offerings at The Imperial Viking Sal during the hotel’s Philippine Fair.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano said the fair brings together Filipino and Japanese food traditions as part of the yearlong celebration of the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“In the Philippines, sharing a meal is one of the most heartfelt expressions of friendship, hospitality and community, while in Japan, it is a form of art and cultural expression,” Garcia-Albano said in her welcome remarks.
The visionary chef said the presentation was an opportunity to show Japanese diners how food is closely tied to gathering and shared experiences in Filipino culture.
“One of the strengths of Filipino food culture is how we gather around food and how food becomes related to the moments that you have eating,” he told the Filipino-Japanese Journal in an interview after the opening of the fair on Sept. 1.
Sisig, in particular, evokes memories of celebration for Navarra.
He associates the dish with festive occasions, whether after a hard day’s work, going out with friends or celebrating something.
“Sisig is a happy food for me,” he said.
The menu also featured asin tibuok, a traditional artisanal sea salt from Bohol. Navarra used the salt in two desserts, saying its flavor helps bring out the sweetness while adding complexity.
He said the ingredient can also give diners a reason to look beyond taste and learn about Filipino food and its origins.
“Sometimes it’s a good question to ask: Where did it come from? How was it made? And what is its character?” Navarra said.
The collaboration with the Philippine Embassy in Japan was Navarra’s first with a Philippine embassy. He said the opportunity represents how Filipino chefs are increasingly taking their cuisine outside the Philippines and introducing it to audiences abroad.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano delivers welcome remarks during the Philippine Fair media launch at Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on Sept. 1, 2026.
“There’s an opportunity for us to travel and share our culture,” he said.
Navarra believes Filipino food does not need to lose its identity as it gains a wider international audience.
Instead, he said Filipino chefs should build on the foundations of the cuisine, share what the food means to them and allow Filipino creativity to come through.
“Let’s be ourselves, and let the quality of what we do stand out,” he said.
The Philippine Fair runs through Sept. 30.
(Article cover photo: Filipino chef Jordy Navarra (right) of Toyo Eatery poses with Imperial Hotel Executive Chef Yu Sugimoto during the Philippine Fair media launch in Tokyo on Sept. 1, 2026.)
