The classic halo-halo takes the spotlight in the international culinary scene as it was recently featured in the global digital cookbook produced by Japanese luxury carmaker Lexus.
“The traditional halo-halo normally contains seven or eight components including crushed ice, beans, jellies, nuts, puffed rice, and much more,” said Top Chef Canada finalist Chef Mark Singson.
“For this version, I’ve simplified the components to four and looked to my home of Vancouver for inspiration. This recipe uses the beautiful local stone fruit of British Columbia as a garnish but during the fall months, I might use pumpkin or whatever else inspires me from the area. If you’re in a rush, this is a perfect dessert since all ingredients can be made ahead of time.”
Singson joins an exclusive list of world-renowned chefs, who are also culinary partners of Lexus, featured in the second volume of the digital cookbook Culinary Perspectives.
Drawing from his lively heritage and childhood years in Manila, Singson utilizes skill refined in esteemed kitchens to honor Filipino cuisine.
His time on Top Chef Canada in 2018 challenged his experience built from cooking in restaurants such as Boneta and AnnaLena in Vancouver and Vue de monde and Saint Crispin in Melbourne.
Other recipes in the Culinary Perspectives cookbook include tuna tartare by Chef Ricardo Sanz of “Kabuki” in Madrid; heirloom tomato salad by Chef Nick Martinez of Intersect by Lexus New York; warm lobster taco with yellow salsa by Chef Dean Fearing at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas; cured squid with chicken and caviar by Chef Sergio & Javier Torres of “Cocina Hermano Torres” in Barcelona; chawanmushi with truffle oil by Chef Leonardo Jun Sakamoto of “Sakamoto” in Sao Paolo; spicy Miso salmon with broccoli rice by Chef Reuben Riffel of “Reuben’s” in Johannesburg, and chocolate tart by Chef Emily Roux of “Caractere” in Notting Hill, among others.
First introduced in July 2020, Culinary Perspectives is part of the social media-driven program called Lexus Creates which aims to both inform and delight with topics related to the Lexus brand hallmarks of design and craftsmanship.
“Culinary Perspectives enables Lexus to connect with our audience on a topic of deep personal interest to them. We hope our audience will embrace this opportunity to explore their own epicurean artisanship.” said Brian Bolain, General Manager of Lexus International.
The ten recipes in the collection provide a menu for a multi-course meal across a range of difficulty levels that can be mastered by novice chefs or expert culinary architects in the comfort of their homes.
Lexus Creates: Culinary Perspectives Volume 2 was written by Joshua David Stein, a James Beard Award-nominated author whose work has appeared in the Best American Food Writing, and a former restaurant critic for the Village Voice and New York Observer. He has been the editor-in-chief of Blackbook magazine and a senior editor at Departures, Eater and Black Ink magazines.
Lexus Creates: Culinary Perspectives Volume 2 is available for free download on Lexus.com.ph under the Discover Lexus tab.