For the culinary-challenged, a primary concern is how to feed a whole household with a table full of menu items that everyone will enjoy.
It’s a good thing that caterers abound in time for Christmas and New Year festivities.
These holiday heroes, such as premier catering service Juan Carlo, are ready to serve bellyfulls of premium Filipino and international fare directly to one’s dining table.
Aside from hot servings, the leading caterer is also generous with its insights, sharing what’s hot in Manila catering trends for 2025 celebrations.
“Manila’s 2025 catering scene fuses tradition with innovation, featuring sustainable menus, interactive dining, and artistic presentations. Trends like mocktail bars, monochromatic meals, and vegan options enhance inclusivity and cultural pride,” Juan Carlo posted on its website.
Catering this year is big on interactivity as guests can participate in live-cooking stations, DIY food bars, and chef-led presentations.
Customize anything from how you like your tacos to your pastries at entrée and dessert stations alike, which adds both a social dimension and entertainment factor to one’s dining experience.
Mocktail bars also typically have interactive stations where guests are free to personalize their alcohol-free drinks with a range of garnishes, mix-ins like fruits, herbs, and artisanal syrups.
Similarly, grazing tables curate an assortment of premium cheeses, cured meats, fruits, nuts, dips, and artisanal bread to mix and match at one’s behest.
Inclusivity is now also a must, with complete vegan menus offering plant-based dining for guests with specific dietary requirements and preferences, or those who simply choose a more sustainable lifestyle.
Beyond the usual dairy-free cheeses, meat substitutes, and nutrient-rich superfoods, Manila takes it further with the likes of jackfruit barbecue and mushroom sisig.
Finally, there are monochromatic meals for the visually conscious. This aesthetic culinary trend features dishes within a single-color palette.
A green spread can incorporate ingredients such as pesto, matcha, and avocado, while a white party would have risotto, cauliflower, and coconut, among others.
