MANILA, Philippines – The warm welcome of the first day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the Philippines ended with a trademark of Filipino hospitality – a sumptuous dinner.

For the Chinese leader’s visit, a 4-course meal was prepared for the state banquet on Tuesday, November 20. President Rodrigo Duterte, Xi, along with high-ranking government officials and guests from Manila and Beijing were served a blend of Filipino and Chinese cuisine.

According to Malacañang organizers of the state banquet, the meal was catered by the Shangri-La Hotel. Here’s what was on the menu:

Symphony of Appetizers
Crunchy suckling pig with pancake and hoisin sauce, deep-fried prawn with special dressing served with Guimaras mangoes and pineapple, duck salakot with plum sauce and century egg slices

Abalone Soup with Malunggay
8 head abalone, chicken and pork nuggets and wolfberry seeds boiled in superior stock for 24 hours and topped with moringa leaves

Black Cod with Chinese Sauce and Beef Tenderloin, Taro Gnocchi, Broccoli and Kalabasa Puree
Duo of deep-fried cod-fillet with a dash of barbecue sauce, tenderloin of beef with peppercorn sauce, taro gnocchi and pumpkin puree garnished with broccoli florets

Taho Ice Cream with Tapioca Pearls, Bukayo and Barquillos
Soy ice cream glazed with coconut syrup and sago, garnished with caramelized macapuno and rolled biscuits

The meals featured well-known Filipino fare such as mangoes from Guimaras and taho turned into ice cream. Other Filipino produce were also incorporated into Chinese dishes like abalone soup.

Guests topped their meals with a choice of Filipino coffee Kapeng Barako or Chinese Chrysanthemum tea along with some pastillas.

The state dinner is the last item on the agenda of Xi’s first day of his historic state visit. – Rappler.com