The Philippine Pavilion at World Expo 2025 Osaka adds new flavors to its cultural showcase with a special collaboration between Hain by Via Mare, the Pavilion’s official concessionaire, and Filipino chef and food writer Angelo Comsti.
Comsti has crafted a menu highlighting classics like pancit molo and binignit, flavors that bring comfort to the palate and carry with them stories of home and heritage.
“Pancit Molo is more than just a dumpling soup,” Comsti recalls. “Years ago, I visited a friend in Iloilo, and we went down a rocky alley that led to a small compound. At the end of it, I saw women folding dumplings by hand, hundreds of them. When we finally ordered a “kaldero”-ful of pancit, it came steaming, fragrant with spring onions, and brimming with comfort. That memory stayed with me, and I wanted Expo visitors to experience it too.”
His second dish, binignit, is a sweet stew of tubers, fruits, and glutinous rice simmered in coconut milk. “No two versions are exactly the same,” he explains. “Some families add tapioca, others drop in bilo-bilo–chewy rice balls like mochi. It’s a dish shaped by availability, preference, and tradition. For me, that adaptability mirrors the Filipino spirit: resourceful, communal, and always generous.”
By featuring these dishes, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines continues its mission to showcase the country’s gastronomic diversity as part of the Pavilion’s theme, “Nature, Culture, Community: Woven Together for a Better Future.”
“Food allows us to tell our story in the most relatable way,” said Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles, TPB Chief Operating Officer and Secretary General of the Philippine Organizing Committee for Expo 2025. “Through collaborations like this, we bring not only flavors but also the traditions and human connections behind them. It’s a taste of the Philippines that lingers far beyond the table.”
The collaboration strengthens the role of Hain by Via Mare as a culinary window into the Philippines, offering visitors a taste of dishes rooted in regional memory and identity. It also underscores TPB’s commitment to advancing gastronomy tourism as a pillar of the country’s cultural brand. By partnering with chefs, local enterprises, and cultural advocates, TPB brings to light the Philippines’ regional diversity and culinary creativity, ensuring the nation is remembered not only for its landscapes and leisure but also for its rich gastronomic experiences that bring people together.