A full sensory experience welcomed guests at Salcedo Auctions last Saturday, June 24. In a delectable fusion of art and flavor, the premier auction house through its gallery arm , Salcedo Private View, hosted Les Plats Somptueux 3: A Tea Pairing Dégustation & Ceramic Art Exhibit by Chef Aleth Ocampo and Tea Sommelier Sheryl Ebon-Martinez.
Three fully booked seatings displayed Chef Aleth’s culinary artistry in Filipino-Japanese fusion cuisine—one of the highlights being her temarizushi, a ball-shaped sushi embroidered with taba ng talangka, crisp garlic tuyo, and green mangoes. Tea Master Sheryl then complemented it with the refreshing notes of a high-grade oolong tea. For more than an hour, guests were guided through a meticulously planned sequence of tea and food pairings. Sip by sip and bite by bite, they savored the interplay of taste profiles, discovering subtle nuances and delightful symphonies of flavors. Attendees immersed themselves in a world where the enjoyment of tea was elevated to an art form.
This extraordinary gathering was also an homage to artistry, as the Salcedo Auctions main gallery is currently displaying contemporary artist Ferdie Montemayor’s solo exhibition titled Play. His blue and white works on paper and canvas complement the oriental ambiance of the event as well as the ceramic art exhibit staged in a dedicated space within the gallery.
Eight renowned and up-and-coming ceramic artists, including Ocampo and Ebon-Martinez, showed their works for the Les Plats Somptueux ceramic art exhibition.
At the end of every meal, guests received a ceramic token (from a collaborative series by Ocampo and Ebon-Martinez) and got first choice in purchasing the rest of the pieces displayed from the collection. These included works by Jon Pettyjohn, considered the Father of Contemporary Philippine Ceramics, Joey de Castro, Pablo Capati III, Ella Mendoza, Marco Rosario, and Jezzel Wee. The exhibit runs until July 5.
This highly successful affair marks the start of Salcedo’s venture into immersive, authentic experiences, opening up its expansive gallery to future collaborations that feed the senses, so art lovers, collectors and connoisseurs can enjoy art to the fullest.