There’s much pleasure to be had from food, from the the emotions it triggers to its ability to nourish our bodies. This Father’s Day, we add another to its roster of benefits—the capacity to make the man of the house feel very special. Allow me to recommend several ways to guarantee that.

Pot roast, ‘lengua’ and paella mixta from Azucar y Sal

This Pasig-based food brand has quite an extensive variety of delicious dishes to choose from. Among my favorites are their chicken Alexander, sirloin tapa, prawns thermidor, chicken relleno.

In time for Dad’s Day, they make choosing easier for you by offering packages that cater to groups of 3-5 and 6-8. Included in their sets are pot roast, lengua Sevillana, paella, truffle pasta, and for dessert, brownies or food for the gods. (Follow @azucarysalmnl on Instagram and Facebook.)

Sushi sets and ‘aburis’ from Taste and Tell

Available in limited orders are the two set meals from this beloved sushi brand. One is composed of mani aburi, suteki aburi, and five different kinds of sushi including the unagi fantasy roll and dragon maki. The other has eight including lanai ebiko, spicy salmon maki and tuna teriyaki nigiri, as well as wagyu sukiyaki don, their signature scallop x salmon tray, and two cans of Sola iced tea. (Follow @tasteandtellmnl on Instagram.)

Jamaican patty with hot sauce from Casa Luisa

In memory of his late father Noel, Jen Gerodias Slagle releases a naturally sweet and velvety hot sauce made of ripe mangoes, coconut vinegar and red habanero chili peppers. To go with that are two new empanadas—Pork Carnitas, pork slow-cooked in orange and aromatics then caramelized in rendered pork fat; and a Jamaican patty, Kitayama ground beef cooked in a roasted bone marrow broth and spices. (Follow @casa_luisa on Instagram.)

Wagyu steak and Kurobota ribs from Gastronomade

Lauded chef Aaron Isip crafted a line of original restaurant-quality sauces back in late 2020 and from there, ready-to-eat gourmet dishes to pair them with came next. His latest is a whole Pacific halibut that goes well with his yuzu meuniere sauce. It comes with salad nicoise a la japonaise and either roasted marble potatoes or dashi pilaf. The other is a carnivore’s dream: succulent Kurobota ribs made more decadent with his bottled sobrasada sauce and wagyu flank steak a la plancha with Chiangmai Chimichurri. (@gastronomademnl on Instagram)

Succulent Soy Braised Pork from Jen Cooks

From the home cook behind delicious fare such as the stuffed seafood eggplant, hand-pulled aromatic chicken and shrimp firecrackers comes a new dish made with tender pieces of pork with perfectly boiled egg and mushrooms. It’s like the Lu Rou Fan without the Fan, and should be eaten with rice or noodles. (@jencooksph on Instagram)

Sushi and sake from Polaris Fine Foods

From Polaris Fine Foods, a brand that carries an array of premium seafood from Japan, comes a number of special offerings. Melt-in-your-mouth bluefin tuna belly is sold at a discount for Father’s Day weekend. And then, for every order of their Sakura Bento Box, which has hamachi, ikura and uni, customers get a bottle of sake. The same goes with their nigiri maki and nigiri sashimi, both of which match perfectly with the Japanese beverage. (@polarisfinefoods on Instagram)

Flavored ‘suman’ from Budbud Gourmet Suman

Hoping to bring something they have long enjoyed in their province (Dumaguete) to Manila, Giannina Ocampo Van Hoven’s family decided to make and sell flavored suman. Unlike many others though, they decided to elevate this humble kakanin by using all-natural ingredients that are sourced directly from the farmers and nongovernmental organization communities, no preservatives, and in a wide variety of flavors including mangga, ube-langka and luya.(@gourmetbudbud on Instagram)

Boombastic Banana Cream Pie from Serendipity Gourmet

(@serendipitygourmetph)

When it comes to pie dough, Serendipity’s has one of the best in the metro. It’s flaky, holds well, and has a nice buttery bite. They also have come out with some of the most delicious flavors such as blueberry mango streusel and cherry amaretto creme legere. Their most recent release isn’t an exception as they marry the sweetness of the classic banana cream pie with dark chocolate, making for a nice balance in taste.

Sangria and Cheese Doughnuts from Poison Coffee and Doughnuts

As per classic pairings, wine goes with cheese and coffee with doughnuts. But as the flavors of Poison would prove, they’re not all about conventions. Hence, their recent lineup of fried dough smeared with cheese and to go with that, their own sparkling red and white sangria. There’s a camembert walnut, a truffle honey manchego, and a sharp cheddar chocolate, all of which are best enjoyed with their alcoholic drinks.

Dad’s favorite Mocha Chiffon Cake from Butternut Bakery

(@butternutmnl)

Whenever there’s a special occasion, Butternut Bakery is there with a new variant. This June, they released Mocha Chiffon Cake made with layers of soft mocha chiffon with creamy yema filling spiked with coffee. The cake is frosted with French buttercream icing and topped with a Father’s Day greeting. It’s definitely one delicious way to cap the annual occasion.

Follow the author at @fooddudeph on Instagram