A Special Wednesday: Oh Crop! Adlai Rice dominating Manila’s restaurants

OhCrop! Brand adlai hosted its first “OhCropWednesday” event at Marvin Agustin’s Cochi Bistro at the Bonifacio Global City last Mar. 8, 2023.

The intimate event feted influencers, celebrity chefs and close friends alike with a custom menu featuring the Philippines’ healthy, indigenous grain.

Adlai’s taste-full potential was unleashed in several courses.

Amongst these were Fat Seed’s Chef Bryant Dee’s creamy Saffron Seafood Risotto – a paella-style dish with clams, shrimp and squid, steeped in rich saffron and other spices.

Another crowd-favorite was Burrow and Lula Cafe’s Chef Dani’s Salmon Truffle Adlai – a light main featuring the flavors of fresh basil, cherry tomatoes in balsamic vinegar, and truffle essence.

Chef Marvin Agustin’s signature hearty Cochinillo was the supper’s mainstay.

It was accompanied by his Korean Uni Adlai (a Korean-inspired, pilaf-textured fried adlai rice sautéed to perfection with Kimchi, topped with sriracha-mayo, sprinkled with Nori flakes and fresh Uni), and Shiitake Mushroom Adlai (fried in garlic, onion leeks, Shiitake and oyster mushrooms flambeed with Shao Xing wine seasoned with special spices, drizzled with sesame oil, and garnished with chopped leeks).

The ever-endearing Chef Wado of Wadoughs Cake Studio ended the events with nostalgia.

His Adlai Champorado upgrades a Filipino staple into a refined classic, fusing melted coconut and evaporated milk with 100% Davao tablea, before being dusted with muscovado sugar and topped with crunchy cacao nibs.

Between dishes, diners were also regaled with OhCrop! adlai cooking experiences by the chosen chefs, personal anecdotes by mother/influencer Kit Bernardino-Robles (@HappyHome.Mom), and the sustainable and ethical sourcing of OhCrop! Adlai by its CFO, Magellan Fetalino.

Slated as a monthly event meant to increase awareness for adlai as a healthy, local, and tasteful alternative to similar grains like quinoa, amaranth, and basmati, “OhCrop! Wednesday” is shaping up to be a fun gathering of like-minded fine-diners who don’t always have to take themselves too seriously – much like the OhCrop! brand.