Everybody loves good food. And now, more than ever, good food is all over the metro and has become more affordable than it used to be. Thanks to the kitchen masters, the chefs, who has become a part of the regular dining scene in the country. There was a time when I only see them on fine dining restaurants, the pages of the magazines or on television. That’s no longer the case and I had the chance to meet some of them. Recently, I was at Cyma Restaurant Shangrila where I met Chef Robby Goco who is set to take on the Food Truck Challenge with his Italian Porchetta at the Manila Food and Wine Festival 2013 on February 22nd.

Chef Robby will present his take on Porchetta, usually referred to as the “Italian roast pork lechon” – made of savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition, spiced with garlic, rosemary, fennel and other herbs. Since this is a food truck challenge, Chef Robby made this porchetta applicable into street food turning it into a sandwich served with caramelized onion marmalade, wild arugula, and roasted sea salt potatoes.

I had the chance to try it out. But before that, Chef Robby demoed how it’s made. Just a look at the towering sandwich filling made me hungry. While at the kitchen counter, he had us eat the lechon meat and instantly fell in love with it. It’s flavorful and literally melts in my mouth, I wanted to have them all.

I only had half of the sandwich because the entire thing is really huge. It really filled me up; I wonder how full I would have been if I had eaten the entire sandwich. I love how the home made bread is on the hard side because it literally holds the entire sandwich together. Eating is quite a challenge because I had to really open my mouth big and squeeze the sandwich a bit. I love how the different flavors – sweet, salty, savory – came together on each bite. We were served different sauces: Aioli (Garlic Mayonnaise), Salsa Verde (Herb Sauce), Ajvar (East Mediterranean Eggplant and Pimiento sauce), and Liver sauce. But after trying them out, I opted to just eat the sandwich without it.

Then things became truly indulging when Chef Robby suggested that I put a sunny-side up egg on top of the Porchetta. It became a breakfast and a yummy one because the rich flavor of the egg yolk enveloped everything. I love it!

The Porchetta will be Chef Robby’s offering at his Orange Truck at the Food Truck Challenge, the kick-off event of The Manila Food and Wine Festival 2013. The Food Truck Challenge will pit some of the best Filipino chefs to test their culinary prowess, skill and food creation in a fun yet fierce battle for culinary honor. Battle ground is at the SM Mall of Asia complex, Block 12.

The Manila Food and Wine Festival 2013 carry the theme Cooking Revolution 2013 and is geared towards positioning Filipinos as Global Culinary Revolutionists. It is only in the Philippines where every other person you meet either cooks great food, peddles fantastic dishes, or loves terrific treats with or without occasions to speak of.  The Manila Food and Wine Festival 2013 also aims to celebrate Filipino chefs, Filipino cuisine, and the hospitality that we are have always been known for.  Ultimately, the event will establish the Philippines on the map of culinary excellence.

The Manila Food and Wine Festival 2013 is spearheaded by the Culinary Education Foundation founded by Annie Pascual-Guerrero and in partnership with the Department of Tourism. Tickets for Chef Robby’s Porchetta can be purchased at http://www.ticketsource.biz/public/mfwfbooking.aspx#. Online ticket is at P250, on-site ticket is at P350.