Pippa's Marche Gourmand birthday fete

“Pippa’s Marché Gourmand birthday fete”

Sun.Star Davao, August 6, 2016

            It was a spectacular culinary event that whetted the guests’ appetites as Davao’s top chefs joined their whisks and spatulas to concoct Aoife Marie Barretto Uy’s Marche Gourmand birthday fete at The Marco Polo Davao.

Fondly nicknamed Pippa, Aoife (uniquely pronounced as “Ee-fa” which means “pleasant, beautiful and radiant”) is the fourth child of well-loved couple Moe and Bianca Uy. “We decided on the nickname Pippa so that we will always remember the correct pronunciation of her name”, says Bianca.

The energetic mom who serves as the assistant vice president for Kar Asia, Inc., the family-owned authorized franchise dealer of Mitsubishi in Southern Mindanao, admitted feeling a bit exasperated in choosing an appropriate party theme for their dear Pippa as every conceivable kiddie party theme has already been used.

“Luckily, it dawned on me, why not use my husband’s penchant for food as the party theme!”, enthuses Bianca. After all, aside from being the owner and building administrator of ATU Development Corp., Moe is a certified foodie and great cook, as well as the culinary genius behind Fat Monkey.

“I was inspired by Moe’s passion for cooking, his constant hunt for the finest cuisine and scrumptious food concoctions. Finally, it was decided that the party theme was the Gourmand Market/Kitchen Party”, Bianca shares.

To make this ambitious foodie soiree a reality, Davao’s premier party organizer Annie Paz-Lim and her team donned their thinking toques to whip up a grand feast fit for a gastronome’s princess!

Taking only less than a month to prepare, Moe and Bianca, together with Annie, meticulously handpicked the suppliers for Pippa’s party. They wanted to achieve an authentic Gourmand Market experience which was new and gastronomically enticing. Hence, the party featured tasty artisanal food products in different gourmet food stations.

There was delectable homemade ice cream, dessert buffet and savory treats all the way from Tagum City’s Yuyu’s Café and Dessert Shop by Chef Adi Uy; Chicken Quinoa, Kani and Avocado and Salted Egg Salad Shakers from Soul Kitchen Co.’s Mimi Vergara-Tupas; 24-hour cold brew coffee and milk shakes by Basti’s Brew’s Randall and Vanessa Ong; as well as mouthwatering kiddie sandwiches from Kutsara ni Juan’s Chef Maki Uy.

As if the food booths were not appetizing enough, The Marco Polo Davao’s executive sous chef Alex and team likewise served a lip-smacking Chinese buffet as well as fresh whole raw tuna and lechon.  

  

“The gorgeous 5-tiered cake with flowers, stripes, spoons, forks and a teddy bear on top was made by the ingenious Joel Rodriguez of Osvaldo’s.  It was the stunning piece de resistance to complete the backdrop”, smiles Bianca.

“We also had a live acoustic band that rendered cover versions of popular songs.  However, to maintain the childlike character of our party theme, we used whimsical decors and filled the place with toy bears, kitchen toys and balloons”, Bianca continues.

“Our hats off to Annie!  Her inimitable styling never fails to surprise my husband and I. She went above and beyond our expectations (as always!).  The décor was tastefully done and she really made sure our so called “favorites” were conspicuously laid out in the ballroom”, Bianca enthuses.

Kiddie guests went home with functional mini picnic bags made by Anna Ibarreta-Santos of FTU (Fabianne Trends Unlimited) packed with goodies and Fat Monkey’s pesto with pistachio nuts.

Merci beaucoup to Simply Gray Studio for Pippa’s Marche Gourmand birthday fete photos.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.