What to buy at Himbon: The 39th Negros Trade Fair, according to chefs Cara Davis and Luis Locsin

Born and raised in Canada, chef Cara Davis’s resume is studded with stints at some of the world’s best restaurants, spanning Eleven Madison Park in New York, Restaurant Story in London, Arzak in San Sebastián and Alinea in Chicago. Eventually, she found herself in Tulum, Mexico, where she spent seven years refining her craft before moving to the Philippines to open Hálong. Opened in 2024, the Legazpi Village haunt marries Mexican influences with her Asian heritage.

“I have strong family ties to Negros Occidental, with my mother’s side of the family hailing from La Castellana,” explains Davis. “As a chef, I love bringing Negros-made ingredients into my home cooking,” she adds. “Each product carries so much character that it becomes the heart of a dish rather than just a supporting flavour.”

See chef Cara Davis’s picks from Himbon: the 29th Negros Trade Fair below.

Kusina Jamora: crab fat/aligue paste with crab meat

“This aligue paste is one of my go-to pantry staples for seafood dishes. I often swap it in for butter or olive oil to deepen the flavour. My favourite use is in my crab tinga tostadas—I fry the crab with the aligue to get a crispy, savoury bite, then layer it over a corn tostada with crab fat, chipotle-honey mayo and escabeche carrots.”

Kusina Jamora: smoked bangus flakes in olive oil

“I love the versatility of smoked bangus. At home, I often make it into a sandwich—almost like a tuna melt‚ with mayo and cheese. It also adds amazing depth when stirred into a puttanesca sauce.”

Ereneta Manaloto: chorizo recado

“Chorizo for me is comfort food. At home, my favourite way to enjoy it is simply for breakfast with red rice and a splash of vinegar. When I’m craving something bolder, I use it for Mexican-style tacos with a bright pineapple-habanero salsa to balance the richness.”

See also: These are the most iconic Filipino dishes from Negros, Ilocos, Pampanga and more

Shiena’s Homemade: peanut butter

“This peanut butter is smooth, rich and makes such a difference in savoury cooking. I like to whisk it into a Thai-style curry to add body and creaminess without overpowering the spices.”

Ading’s: guinamos Bisaya (salted baby shrimps with garlic bits)

“Guinamos gives dishes that deep, umami punch. I often use it in my pad Thai, where it rounds out the sweet, sour and spicy elements with its salty richness.”

Over the past couple of years, chef Luis Locsin has slowly but surely made a name for himself through private dining events, F&B consultancies, pop-ups and collaborations. Today, he excitedly shares that he is ready to forge an exciting new path of his own. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Locsin sharpened his culinary know-how in renowned kitchens such as Jean Georges Restaurant Group in New York and Locavore in Bali, as well as local favourites Antonio’s and Metiz.

“My entire paternal family is from all over Negros, mostly from Silay, Bago and Bacolod,” Locsin says. “My grandfather, National Artist for Architecture, Leandro Valencia Locsin, was from Silay, while my Lola, Cecilia Araneta Yulo Locsin, came from a large sugar family with land around Bagroy,” he adds. “Always the greatest host, she taught me so much about hospitality, and so much about good food. But it is her love for the ‘unashamedly indulgent’—that is so prevalent in the Negrense food culture—that really stuck with me...Her hospitality, discernible palate and attitude towards food will always be close to my heart, and I consider her my greatest inspiration as someone in this industry.”

See chef Luis Locsin’s picks from Himbon: the 29th Negros Trade Fair below.

Red Kitchen: anchovies

“I adore preserved, canned and tinned things. Red Kitchen has a beautiful line of preserved seafood, but my favourite is their anchovies! Local anchovies cured in olive oil with a nice bite and saltiness, I just serve them on toasted, crusty bread with an aggressive amount of the best butter I can find.”

Casa del Formaggio: Negros Blu

“Who would have thought that we would have a local cheesemaker up to world standards? The Negros Blu from Casa del Formaggio has just enough funk to let you know that it’s still blue cheese, without being super overwhelming for the Filipino palate. Great for a cheeseboard, and makes a great blue cheese dip for buffalo chicken wings!”

Fresh Start Organic: tul tul salt

“Tul tul salt is made in a very similar way to Bohol’s asin tibuok, sea water boiled and filtered through burnt coconut shells. I like to grate it onto raw fish for carpaccios and crudo, but I also like to grate it on top of desserts! It’s very good with dense chocolate desserts, and adds a nice alkaline saltiness to anything.”

See also: Metiz 2.0: a deliberate hand with local ingredients and Filipino eating habits

Sir and Ma’am: morcon

“Basically a special kind of embudito, Sir and Ma’am restaurant in Silay has been making this dish for generations, and probably makes the best one on the island, in my opinion. Best served fresh out of the oven with garlic rice and the cooking juices.”

Casa Carmela: “Crazy Rich Crabs” crab meat with taba ng talangka

“I’m a sucker for crab fat. One of my tita Gaita’s favourite gifts to give to visiting chefs, I’ve always liked to eat it straight out of the jar, poured onto some very hot, very fresh rice with a crispy fried egg. My favourite way to eat might be to mix it with Lucky Me’s Chilimansi pancit canton.”

HIMBON: The 39th Negros Trade Fair takes place this September 23 to 28, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura. For more information, follow the Negros Trade Fair on Instagram at @thenegrostradefair.

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