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No pork at ASEAN gala dinner
Even as pork is one of the staple food items of the Philippines, the pig meat will not be served to the international guests and world leaders those will be here for the gala dinner to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Manila
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will host the dinner at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City in honor of the leaders and their spouses attending the 31st Asean Summit and related Summits.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be here to attend the important meets including ASEAN-India Summit.
He will come later in the day, while some leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar have already arrived.
According to media reports here,the menu has been kept top secret, while chief chef Jessie Â
Sincioco said there will be no pork in any item on the gala menu.
"These are Asian countries [participating] and many are observing Halal. So, to be safe I did not put pork in the menu", she has been quoted as saying in local media.
"These are world leaders and they cannot afford to get sick because they are the busiest people in the world, so everything counts," the chef noted.
Sincioco, a renowned chef and patissier, owns three restaurants in Metro Manila including Chef Jessie Rockwell Club Makati ,Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie in Makati and Chef Jessie Grill at The Grove in Pasig.
Reports further said Sincioco also prepared the meals of Pope Francis during the pontiff's visit to the country in 2015.
Around 1300 guests are expected in the gala dinner.
As part of gala event, an orchestra, a marching band, a rock band and soloists will perform the iconic song "Manila" for delegates.
Five different dance forms, still signifying the golden anniversary of Asean will take to the stage, namely ballet, folk, ballroom, tap and contemporary.
The attire for the gala dinner is Filipiniana and will therefore see guests in bespoke Barong Tagalog and the traditional terno or saya made by award-winning Filipino designers, said a report in 'The Manila Times'.
Albert Andrada, noted local designer is involved in the exercise.
Done in different designs, the barong pieces will either be a half- or full- button down.
The Filipiniana attire of the Asean leaders's spouses and dialogue have been designed by Rajo Laurel, Randy Ortiz and Andrada as well.
The US First Lady Melania Trump is expected at the event.
Five giant lanterns, representing 50 years of Asean will ring in a fiesta atmosphere.
The Philippines President will make welcome address and the guests will be treated to a four-course Filipino-Asian dinner.
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