Philippine Ambassador Joins Opening of Philippine Buffet at ANA International Tokyo
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (center) with ANA InterContinental Tokyo General Manager Clive Murray (2nd from right), Executive Chef Jaume Esperalba (rightmost), Chef Jane Magat Kemmochi (2nd from left) and Chef Mareve Inomata (leftmost) at the opening of the Philippine Celebration Buffet at the hotel’s Cascade Cafe.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano joined the opening of the Philippine Celebration Buffet at Cascade Cafe of ANA InterContinental Tokyo on 15 June 2026, as part of the commemorative activities marking the 70th Anniversary of the Normalization of Philippines-Japan Diplomatic Relations this year.
With the support of the Philippine Embassy in Japan, the limited-time buffet showcases the diversity and richness of Filipino cuisine among Japanese and international palettes, and the ingenuity of Filipino chefs based in Japan.
Kilwain ceviche.
During the buffet’s opening, Ambassador Garcia-Albano was welcomed by ANA InterContinental Tokyo’s General Manager, Mr. Clive Murray, and Executive Chef Jaume Esperalba. She was also greeted by Japan-based Filipino chefs Jane Magat Kemmochi and Mareve Inomata, who led the curation of the buffet menu and the preparation of the featured dishes.
The buffet features signature and modernized Filipino dishes that evoke the festive and warm ambiance of Filipino gatherings, including pork adobo, sinigang na hipon, ensaladang talong, kinilaw ceviche, Bicol express, chicken inasal, kare-kare, lechong manok, pancit sotanghon, and lengua estofada, among many others.
Chicken inasal.
One of the highlights of the buffet is its halo-halo station, where diners can create the iconic Filipino shaved ice dessert by selecting from a variety of colorful toppings and sampling the world-famous ube (purple yam) ice cream. The halo-halo rose into prominence as a symbol of the deepening Philippines-Japan friendship, when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. presented Emperor Naruhito with a halo-halo tall glass and spoon set, together with a Japanese translation of the recipe, during his State Visit to Japan from 26 to 29 May 2026.
The Philippine Celebration Buffet is available for lunch and dinner, and will run until 30 June 2026. Reservations for the buffet may be made through ANA InterContinental Tokyo’s webpage.
The buffet’s halo-halo station.
