MANILA, Philippines – Food is always at the center of every special occasion, and as it should be! That’s why premium catering services are a godsend for birthdays, weddings, family milestones, and even corporate events, because what’s a celebration without memorable good grub?

With the sheer amount of catering services available nowadays, many are unfortunately either a hit-or-miss. If you’re looking for a few tried-and-tested, recommended homegrown catering brands for your next big or intimate event, here are a few options to check out, depending on your budget and motif.

K By Cunanan

If the K in the name means K-lassy, then so be it! K by Cunanan is a proudly “contemporary catering brand” that was founded in 2005, exuding femininity, sophistication, and elegance in its branding, setup, decor, and high-end catering menu that won’t disappoint.

They provide catering and decor services based on the clients’ personal vision. To the K by Cunanan team, a great event “is always a trifecta of food, experience, and service.”

The favorites I remember are the Tuyo & Orzo Salad with Cranberry, Arugula, Feta; the Sesame-Crusted Baked Salmon with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes; Slow-Cooked Angus Short Plate with Creamed Spinach; and Truffle Pasta. Each dish is hearty, delicious, freshly-cooked, and recommendable. They also offer party food trays for more intimate celebrations.

K By Cunanan is based in Green Meadows, Quezon City. You can order via website or Instagram.

The Plaza

Yes, it’s The Plaza ham you see in mall kiosks – and yes, they also provided premium catering services that’s just as delicious and made with love as the family-owned brand’s iconic log of sweet, tender pork.

The Plaza Catering serves catering and ready-to-eat meals with a menu that clients can easily curate themselves. Must-order viands include the Premium Baked Ham – soft, oven-baked, glazed, and tender, served with a savory-sweet dipping sauce that’s just as irresistible, especially with freshly-baked pandesal – and the A+ Smoked Tanguingue, served with onions, chopped boiled egg, capers, lemon, and dill mustard sauce. It’s raw, soft, delicately salted, and addictive to munch on with melba toast or on its own.

Don’t sleep on the Premium Corned Beef as well, with steamed veggies and a punchy horseradish sauce, and the New York-style Angus Pastrami. Both are great with pasta, rice, or with bread, too.

The Plaza was founded in 1965 as a multigenerational institution by Aling Asiang, the first-generation matriarch and founder of the Aristocrat Restaraunt. The family corporation is headed by Chief Operations Officer and Chef Karla Reyes, Aling Asiang’s great-granddaughter. The brand boasts four generations of restaurateurs.

The main office is based in Makati City. There’s way more to The Plaza’s menu – you can order via Instagram or website.

Bizu

With an emphasis on elegant floral arrangements, premium service, and tailored menus, the fancy patisserie and cafe can provide the same high-end quality and “flair of class” to your events with its catering setup of its signature dishes.

You can get Bizu’s award-winning slow-cooked Roast Beef for your party; Baked Salmon Rockefeller; Smoked Salmon and Black Caviar Pie; freshly-carved Prime Rib-Eye with all the toppings and sauces; Roast Herbed Porchetta; Caesar Salad; and a variety of pastas, plus more! The dessert spread is also one to order – the cafe’s best-selling macarons can be presented via a beautiful Macaron De Paris Tower.

Bizu is based in Legaspi Village, Makati City, but has five other branches around Metro Manila. You can order via website.

Via Mare

The homegrown restaurant founded in 1975 isn’t just a multi-generational Filipino dining favorite; the “fine dining seafood restaurant” (Via Mare means “way of the sea”) has evolved to provide catering services that don’t veer far away from its quality in store.

The Pancit Luglug station is a winner, as well as the Arroz Caldo, Kare-Kare, and Oysters. You can also order the Pako Salad, Almondigas Soup, Lumpiang Sariwa, and all your other Via Mare favorites on the menu. Don’t forget to get the Bibingka and Puto Bumbong Stations for your celebration, which exudes comfort, familiarity, and holiday cheer just by the smell alone.

Via Mare also offers set meals per head with Executive Set Meals ranging from P550 to P690 per head. You can check out the rest of the menu on the website.

The Moment Group

The restaurant arm behind popular names like Ooma, Manam, 8Cuts, Din Tai Fung, Shawa Mama, and more has Moment Catering, where all the bestsellers of these restos come together to “bring your intimate events and parties to life.”

You can order fun buffet spreads according to your chosen cuisine – American, Filipino, International, Japanese, or Mongolian – and add carving stations of certain meats and seafood. There are Salad Bars, Sisig Bar, Taco Bar, Maki Bar, Shawarma Bar, and even a Halo-Halo Bar; and Live Kebab, Tempura, or Teppan Cooking Stations.

They can do off-site and on-site catering, depending on the setup you want. You can check Moment Catering on its website.

M Catering

The Project 4, Quezon City-based catering service says that their “pursuit is to make sure that everything is in the right place up to the last petal.”

M Catering offers a food-to-order menu, which includes popular catering service choices like Truffle Beef Belly with Mushroom Truffle Cream; Penne Bolognese; Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter Sauce; Hickory Slow Roast Pork Belly, and Paella Española, among many other hearty comfort food options. You can order via website.

Passion Cooks

Passion Cooks can provide cocktail appetizers as part of pre-event catering services, a sit-down course menu, or a buffet spread for your celebrations. They offer set menus and individual menus based on cuisine – Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, and even Vegetarian – as well as event styling and food delivery.

Passion Cooks also has four food concepts under them: Khalifa Manila (Mediterranean), Madd Milk PH (Baked Goods), Belly Bowls (Rice Meals), and Messy Mulitas (Mexican). 

Passion Cooks’ hub is in BF Homes. You can order via website. – Rappler.com