By Nouel Omamalin

It came as a big surprise to me seeing so many Asians walking along the streets wherever I go in New Zealand. It is like the East has invaded the West. And they aren’t mostly tourists. They are either students or residents.

As I explored the Kiwi cities for some interesting gastronomic escapades, I end up in an Asian restaurant. What I realized is that Asian food is so distinct that it provides a unique sensation compared to Western food. Fish and chips, burgers, steaks, and the like– anyone can whip them up. They are pretty much straightforward that even a ten-year-old can make burger patties.

However, Asian cuisine is more of a novelty. Ingredients are not as readily available and not everyone knows the techniques (much more because recipes are written in languages not understood by many). There are so many different spices to choose from, methods to employ, and improvised tools to use (e.g., stone grinder for making curry paste and metal grater for grating coconut).

The biggest challenge is that the flavor components do not appeal to the majority of Westerners. It is very difficult to convince them to that they would find our dishes to their liking. Although I have known some guests who really enjoy Asian desserts (it is worthy to note that most of them have Filipino neighbors), it still takes a bit of rhetorics to make a sale.

Fully recharged and armed with a better realization, I fine-tuned our Asian-themed dinner desserts to elevate Asian food. And there is no better way to give them a twist but injecting Filipino flair.

To entice more guests, I highlighted their nutritional qualities, namely

* Gluten-free
* Eggless
* Lactose-free

Cassava-Vandra Mini Cakes. Pichi-pichi in Filipino; gluten-free, eggless, and lactose-free. For lack of pandan leaves, I used vandra leaves that Fijians use to make tobacco. It must be closely related to pandan, although the physical characteristics are far different–thick, fibrous, darker in color, and less aromatic.

Parmesan Rice Cake. Bibingkang galapong in Filipino; gluten-free, lactose-free. The use of salted egg will not entice even a hungry foreigner. It is going to be off the charts! I used parmesan cheese instead and prepare the cake like butter cake–yes, the creaming method. It results in a spongelike cake that tastes interesting enough.

Flavored Rice Terrine. Sapin-sapin in Filipino; gluten-free, eggless, lactose-free. Steamed in a terrine mold and served like terrine. Except that freshly grated coconut adorns this indigenous snack item–a personal favorite.

Uvi Cake. Ube cake in Filipino; gluten-free. The Fijians were quite surprised to learn uvi or yam can be made into a cake or ice cream. But I may not please my fellow Filipinos as it is prepared a la French! Frangipane recipe forms the base of this delicious concoction. Frangipane is a common preparation that is chiefly composed of ground almonds, butter, eggs, and sugar. It is rich and dense.

Cassava au Caramel. Cassava cake in Filipino; gluten-free, lactose-free. I can’t help noting this down again in this article. I received many requests for its recipe. Simply put, it is your normal cassava cake but with the pan lined with caramelized sugar. Imagine leche flan, only the cassava cake turned upside down.

I feel quite accomplished because the results are far better than I expected. They all look more appealing to Westerners without losing the indigenous qualities. Anyone has ideas to share? I would be glad to hear them.