Attend This: Budgie’s Filipino Summer Fiesta at The Pilgrm HotelBy Iona Goulder
Filipino chef Ferdinand “Budgie” Montoya, the talent behind Apoy BBQ and formerly Sarap, is cooking up something special this summer. He’s hosting a laid-back “Jolli-Budge” fiesta at Paddington hotel, The Pilgrm. Partnering with Don Papa, the single-island Filipino rum, Budgie will be serving up a playful menu of reimagined Jollibee classics and delicious rum-spiked cocktails.
For one night only at The Pilgrm (15th August), Budgie will be going back to his roots, cooking up a retro menu of
dishes from fond childhood memories. Inspired by the ultimate Filipino fast-food creators, Jollibee, Budgie will be serving up his take on “ChickenJoy” fried chicken, his mum’s smokey and sweet Filipino spaghetti, and a boozy mango peach pie. Ooo-er.
Now let’s not forget about the poultry, people. Perfectly juicy, crispy on the outside and coated in a spiced crumb, the chicken will be offered both regular and spicy, and served with a side of thick chicken gravy and jasmine rice. Budgie’s favourite dish growing up (as is true for many Filipino kids) was his mum’s spaghetti, which is doused in a distinctly sweet banana ketchup sauce with onion, garlic and sliced hot dogs. Completing the trip down memory lane, dessert will be a mango peach pie-infused
with Don Papa’s oak-aged rum, deep-fried until golden and crispy, served warm and covered in cinnamon sugar.
