The invitation came as a surprise to me, especially since the event was barely 3 weeks away. The Cultural Diplomacy Office of the DFA, which i have been working with, and the Embassy of the Philippines to the Russian Federation, asked me to cook Filipino food in Moscow. The aim was to not only showcase our cuisine but also help facilitate Russian wholesaler’s interest in importing our foods. What self-respecting chef says no to that?

First was a 9 hour flight to Dubai and a 4 hour layover. I had been to Dubai a year earlier, but I never got to go around the airport. This time, I had 4 hours and I was determined to go around after a quick visit to my next boarding gate. Right in front of my boarding gate? Shake Shack. (Cue heavenly music) Lo and behold, one of the few remaining American franchises I haven’t eaten at was in front of my eyes! It was my density…er…destiny to taste. With two Filipinas working the counter, it was quite easy to surmise the burger was much better than the hotdog, which was my original choice. Upon their suggestion, I tried the single burger.

It was awesome. Burger patty was made from fresh, non-frozen beef and it wasn’t overseasoned. Tomatoes and lettuce were fresh and brioche-like bun was deliciously buttery. My short description would be a more upscale In and Out burger but i think it’s inaccurate. This may actually be better. (Don’t hate me. Please?)

Off to Moscow for me and I arrived near midnight. The following day, I was off to prep for our Filipino buffet for 50, including the diplomatic community there. Laurent, the hotel’s F & B guy, assured me i could eat at the hotel free, but i wanted to try things outside for dinner. Little did I know that was tougher than I thought. If you read my Japan adventures about struggling with English, it was way worse here. Very few people spoke English and Russian was nowhere close to any of the languages I could speak. It took me all of 15 minutes to buy a tube of toothpaste from the drug store! Near the store, though, i could smell some awesomeness.

Turns out, the Metro station was near and I found several shops selling food and drink. Relentless pointing and money showing got me a pretty good haul; an interesing drink, a shawarma and fried bread. The drink was pretty good. It was a lemon-lime soda, almost like Mountain Dew but with mint! It was less sweet too and that combination was welcome on a surprisingly hot day in Moscow. Seeing the shawarma stand, I knew i could get away with pointing and saying, “Shawarma! One!” I did. The shawarma guy, insisting I was from the Maldives, filled up a large but thin pita with chicken, cabbage, onions and tomatoes, and then drizzled a green colored garlic sauce plus a red sauce that was nowhere near hot. The shawarma was darn good! Well seasoned and meaty. It just lacked spice for me. My other purchase, still unidentified to this day, was a fried doughnut like bread with potatoes inside. A carb bomb if you ever saw one, but, you know, fried bread. Mmmm.