The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, together with the Embassies/High Commission of the three other ASEAN member states with Missions in Nairobi namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, organized the ASEAN Food Festival on 26 November 2023 at the Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi. 

The ASEAN Food Festival put a spotlight on the rich culinary traditions and authentic flavors of Southeast Asia, while also showcasing the collaborative efforts of ASEAN embassies, Southeast Asian companies, and the ASEAN diaspora in promoting people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and Kenya.

In her remarks, Philippine Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang, current Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Nairobi (ACN), emphasized the unifying aspects of food within the diverse cultures of Southeast Asia. She noted that food plays a vital role in celebrations, ceremonies, and the social fabric of Southeast Asians.

The Philippine booths offered an array of Filipino cuisine and delicacies prepared by the Filipino community in Kenya. The booths featured popular dishes such as chicken adobo, pancit, and lumpia, along with traditional all-day breakfasts tapsilog (tapa, sinangag at itlog) and longsilog (longganisa, sinangag at itlog). Visitors also enjoyed ginataang mais and a variety of street food favorites including kwek kwek (deep fried, orange-battered eggs), fish balls, and squid balls, complemented by the refreshing sago’t gulaman. An assortment of Filipino desserts like leche flan, puto, sapin-sapin, and biko was also available.

Meanwhile, other ASEAN embassies also showcased their traditional dishes, including bakso and nasi goreng from Indonesia, nasi lemak and roti canai from Malaysia, and green curry chicken and mango sticky rice from Thailand.

The ASEAN Food Festival served as a vibrant platform for cultural exchange and increased public awareness of ASEAN's rich culinary heritage in Kenya. It also highlighted some shared culinary traditions and influences between ASEAN and Kenya. 

To emphasize the importance of people-to-people exchanges, Qatar Airways raffled off a roundtrip ticket to any destination in Southeast Asia. The ACN will also donate a portion of the proceeds from the Festival to a partner charity organization in Kenya.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.