What if a food trip could take visitors from Europe to East Asia, all before dessert?
That was the idea behind The Great Clara Olé Food Trip, which brought a world of flavors to Quezon City through a weekend of food, discovery, and culinary adventure. Featuring chef-crafted dishes and destination-inspired bites, the public food experience demonstrated how familiar ingredients and flavors can be transformed into dishes inspired by culinary traditions from around the world.
The journey began at Brutal by Wadoughs, where guests of The Great Clara Olé Food Trip enjoyed a four-course tasting menu created by Chef Wado Siman, a Filipino chef and entrepreneur known for his playful approach to familiar flavors. Instead of simply showcasing the new Clara Olé Multipurpose Sauces, the menu incorporated them into dishes inspired by different food cultures, highlighting their versatility in a variety of culinary preparations.
The first course, Paella Pani Puri, brought together two distinct food favorites. Paella traces its roots to Valencia, Spain, where the rice dish became a defining part of the region’s cuisine. Pani puri, meanwhile, is a popular Indian street snack made with crisp, hollow puris filled with flavorful ingredients and spiced water.
By combining these two dishes, the course paired the familiar character of paella with the bite-sized format of pani puri. Clara Olé Paella Blend brought the flavors together, creating a dish that drew inspiration from both Spanish and Indian cuisine.
The second course, Crab Chawanmushi, took inspiration from Japan’s delicate steamed egg custard. Traditionally served in a small cup, chawanmushi is a savory egg dish that can include ingredients such as seafood, chicken, mushrooms, and dashi.
For this interpretation, the silky custard was paired with crab and Clara Olé’s Aligue Flavored Blend. The combination added a richer, more indulgent character to a dish known for its delicate texture, showing how a familiar Japanese preparation could take on a different flavor profile.
The menu then traveled to Italy with Beef Tortellini en Brodo. Tortellini is a stuffed pasta associated with Italian cuisine, while in brodo refers to the tradition of serving pasta in broth. Clara Olé’s Tomato Guisado Blend served as the foundation for the dish’s deeper, savory flavor, bringing another international culinary influence to the tasting menu.
The final course, Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger & Garlic, drew inspiration from Asian flavors. The delicate fish was paired with Clara Olé’s Ginger & Garlic Blend, demonstrating how a familiar pantry combination could work just as naturally in a refined seafood preparation.
Four dishes, four different culinary influences, and one idea connected them all. Good food can bring together flavors from different places, offering new ways to experience familiar ingredients.
The Great Clara Olé Food Trip
Beyond the chef-curated tasting menu, The Great Clara Olé Food Trip opened a wider culinary experience to the public at TriNoma Activity Center. The event featured eight stops inspired by different parts of the world, taking visitors on a food journey that stretched from East Asia to the Mediterranean.
Each station offered a different bite, allowing visitors to explore a variety of flavors and food inspirations in one location. Featured selections included Ginger & Garlic Dumplings, Aligue Rice Cups, Tomato Guisado Mini Tacos, and Paella. The food trip also featured sweet treats, including Cinnamon Cream Cheese Waffles, Black Forest cream puffs, strawberries and cream scones, and the familiar Peach Mango Suman.
The selection of dishes highlighted the range of food experiences visitors could discover throughout the event. From savory snacks and rice-based creations to pastries and Filipino-inspired treats, each stop offered another opportunity to explore different flavors.
The event also featured additional surprises from partners The Travel Club and Res Toe Run, both under the Primer Group of Companies. The partners provided luggage for the event’s photo wall, along with discount vouchers for visitors.
More than a chance to sample dishes inspired by different destinations, The Great Clara Olé Food Trip invited visitors to discover the stories, flavors, activities, and atmosphere behind each station. The experience brought together food and exploration, allowing guests to enjoy a variety of culinary influences without leaving Quezon City.
The concept also highlighted how food can encourage curiosity about different cuisines. Each dish offered a different interpretation of familiar ingredients, showing how flavors associated with one culinary tradition could inspire creations influenced by another.
For visitors, the experience offered a way to discover new combinations, revisit familiar favorites, and explore different food inspirations in one place.
Bringing the Food Trip Home with Clara Olé
The Great Clara Olé Food Trip also encouraged Filipinos to bring that spirit of culinary discovery into their own kitchens. Clara Olé invites home cooks to explore new flavor combinations with its new Multipurpose Sauces and Cake Spreads, offering ways to create dishes and treats beyond the usual everyday meal.
The event may have ended, but the culinary inspiration can continue at home. The new Clara Olé products are available through participating supermarkets and online platforms, giving home cooks the opportunity to draw inspiration from the food trip and create their own culinary adventures.
Whether experimenting with savory dishes or preparing sweet treats, the products offer another way to explore different flavors through everyday cooking. The idea reflects the experience at The Great Clara Olé Food Trip, where familiar ingredients became part of dishes inspired by different food traditions.
Sometimes, discovering something new begins with trying a different combination of flavors. The Great Clara Olé Food Trip brought that idea to life in Quezon City, showing how food can connect different culinary influences through a shared experience.
For more sarap-filled inspiration, visit claraole.com or follow Clara Olé on Facebook and Instagram.
