Filipino food is loved the world over, and has been steadily gaining global recognition amongst leading gastronomes. To promote the appreciation and preservation of Filipino culinary heritage, the country has celebrated Filipino Food Month every April since 2018 — with this year’s theme being Iba’t Ibang Luto, Pinoy ang Puso (Different Dishes, Pinoy at Heart).
Fun and varied, Filipino cuisine includes a wide plethora of cooking styles, flavors and ingredients across different provinces and regions. That’s why Airbnb Online Experience Hosts Ai and Michelle and Sébastien decided to open their kitchens to the world virtually — to share their culinary passion and skills with a unique twist on Pinoy cooking. Whether you are an avid foodie or chef wannabe, based in the Philippines or overseas, you can now join in the fun with Airbnb Online Cooking Experiences from the comfort of your very own kitchen.
Growing up in a household where cooking Lumpiang Shanghai and Adobong Manok was child’s play inspired Ai Magno to seek a career in the kitchen. Now a 30-year-old home cook and Airbnb Host, Ai shares her passion for Filipino food with guests around the world through her interactive Philippines, Food, Drinks, History Online Experience.
Ai specializes in Filipino feast staples such as kare-kare, sisig and sinigang, as well as traditional sweet treats of halo-halo and leche flan. After a guest makes an Experience booking, she shares a list of ingredients to prepare and tips on where they can procure them. During the Experience, she supplements her guests’ appreciation of the different Filipino dishes they prepare by sharing the history and cultural roots of each dish.
Michelle Africa, a Filipina sous chef, lawyer and educator, and Sébastien Chamaret, a seasoned chef who worked in top French restaurants in Paris and New York for more than 20 years, found their home and settled down in Puerto Galera. Their one-of-a-kind Filipino Cooking with a French Flair Online Cooking Experience brings guests on a cultural journey unlike any other – combining traditional Pinoy recipes of adobo, lumpia and pancit with delightful Filipino hospitality and a unique French twist.
Airbnb Online Experiences connect the global community to handcrafted activities in cities around the world, providing a new way for people to connect, travel virtually and earn income during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Airbnb Online Experiences is for everyone who wants to share their passion and interact with people from all over the world, allowing them to build meaningful connections, pursue similar interests, and travel virtually from the comfort and safety of home,” shares Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
