Recipes

Kamayan: The Ultimate Summer Feast

Full of Filipino flavours—sweet, salty, sour and ridiculously delicious—these buffet-style, communal feasts take grilling to a whole new level.

Jul 27, 2020
Chatelaine

To celebrate Filipino food and cooking, we created a buffet-style, mouth-watering finger food kamayan menu featuring seafood, grilled meats, vegetables and garlic rice.

What is Kamayan?

Kamayan is a communal-style buffet of delicious Filipino food: it features seafood, grilled meats, vegetables and garlic rice served on fresh (or frozen and thawed) banana leaves. In Tagalog, kamayan means “by hand” — and refers to how the meal is eaten. To get started, simply scoop up some rice, press it into your palm, add some meat and veggies, and pop it into your mouth. Note: These recipes can be easily doubled or tripled for a truly epic feast.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Grilled corn (pinoy elote)

Corn is a primary crop in the Philippines, and a huge part of meals. With only 10 minutes of prep time, this side will become a go-to part of summer dinners. Get this grilled corn recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Okra & tomato salad (ensaladang okra at kamatis)

Okra is well-used and requested all year round in the Philippines: it can be tossed in salad, stewed, or braised. Rich tomatoes and bright okra are a perfect pair for this delicious dish, plus our cooking method gets rid of the slimy texture. Get this okra & tomato salad recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Grilled chicken legs (inihaw na manok)

A classic Filipino recipe that uses lemon-lime soda, enjoy these grilled chicken legs as part of your kamayan, or just because they're delicious. Get this Filipino grilled chicken legs recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Grilled shrimp with lime (inihaw na hipon)

An accessible take on a traditional squid-based Filipino meal, these grilled shrimp will definitely become your next go-to BBQ dish. Get this grilled shrimp with lime recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Pork skewers (longganisa-style)

Inspired by a hearty and rich breakfast sausage popular in the Philippines, our pork skewers are a healthier take packed with the same great flavour. Get this pork skewers recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Grilled adobo kalbi ribs (inihaw na tadyang)

This succulent meal is inspired by braised short-ribs, but our version is made with thinly sliced pieces for a much faster grilling time. Get this grilled adobo kalbi ribs recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Garlic fried rice (sinangag)

This dish is ubiquitous! No kamayan is complete without this tasty side. Get this garlic fried rice recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Mango slaw (atsarang mangga)

In the Philippines, this dish is usually made with grated green papaya. We’ve decided to go with mango, as it is a little easier to find. Get this mango slaw recipe.

Photo, Ashley Capp. Food styling, Ashley Denton. Prop styling, Rayna Marlee Schwartz.

Leche flan

A beautiful way to finish off a delicious meal, this custard-like dessert has a hot caramel top and is made with both sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Get this leche flan recipe.