Proceeds from the upcoming four-hands dinner and silent auction will benefit deaf organization Hand and Heart’s learning center.
Filipino deaf community support organization Hand and Heart brings together two of the country’s most exciting chefs for a dinner and silent auction titled, “Artful Hands, Open Hearts” on April 7, 2025 at Discovery Primea, Makati. Net proceeds will benefit the opening of Hand and Heart Learning Center for Deaf Children.
The evening promises a delicious and art-filled affair for a worthwhile cause, with a multi-coursed four-hands dinner prepared by Discovery Primea’s executive chef Luis Chikiamco and guest chef Sharwin Tee.
“This activity with Hand and Heart will be our second art endeavor for the year, and we hope to build up momentum. The chance to work again with Chef Sharwin Tee was one that we could not pass up,” Discovery Primea general manager David Pardo de Ayala enthused.
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For over a decade, chef Luis has helmed Discovery Primea’s culinary offerings. He is best known for his exquisite Eurasian plates and well-loved Mediterranean flavors, after having been trained at the L’Institut Paul Bocuse and apprenticing at Lyon’s three-star Michelin restaurant Auberge et Clos de Cimes. Over the years, chef Luis has crafted dinners with both local and visiting foreign chefs, making the hotel’s Flame restaurant (and our hosts for the preview) an exciting platform for flavorful events and borderless curiosity.
Starting the Hand and Heart Learning Center for Deaf Children is very important for founder and deaf community leader Genevie Diokno, a proud product of specialized education. Recognizing the immense challenges faced by hard-of-hearing individuals, she eventually organized Hand and Heart over eight years ago with hearing co-founders Elyse Go and Dave Mariano.
“The learning center aims to bridge the gap that exists so that good employment opportunities are more accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing in the future” said Diokno.
The social enterprise is dedicated to supporting deaf community members in finding gainful employment through diversity, equality, and inclusion training. Since its inception, the organization has matched over 400 deaf individuals with different companies— from accounting, business processing to hospitality and service. The future learning center is then envisioned to be the next step, an institution that offers a customized technology-enabled curriculum.
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Chefs Luis and Sharwin presented a sneak peek of the menu for the upcoming fundraiser, which marks the latter’s second collaboration with Discovery Primea, this time for a good cause. “Events such as this bring a wonderful level of excitement and anticipation to the entire culinary team,” Pardo de Ayala quipped.
With the Makati skyline awash in sunset colors as backdrop, the evening started off with Financier, an amuse bouche which is a packed savory number of prosciutto, grape jam, and manchego mousse accompanied by a sparkling fruity tipple.
What came next was a taste of recognizable flavors in different expressions. There was the Hot and Sour Soup “Gelee,” a chilled and gelatinous version of the cozy Chinese staple, jazzed up with shrimp, wood ear mushroom, tofu, and chili.
Individual techniques and intentions from the chefs come together for the Crispy Black Bass, a meticulously prepared affair of crispy garlic, potato foam and Asian gremolata.
Chef Luis noted that after many years of practice and execution, Discovery Primea’s very own Roast Duck is one that shouldn’t be missed. For the event, it’s further elevated with a filling of Kiampong— sticky rice, mushrooms, leeks, and Chinese sausage—which is loosely based on chef Sharwin’s family recipe.
Capping off the sumptuous feast is an indulgent Chocolate Velvet, consisting of a five-spice chocolate core, berry compote, and vanilla ice cream.
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“Learning about Hand and Heart, and the work they do for our deaf community, I just felt incumbent to help in any way we can, both for this dinner and for the future as well,” chef Sharwin remarked, adding that it’s a way of paying it forward, one plate at a time.
The four-hands dinner will be accompanied by a silent auction for the benefit of the learning center. The auction lots include covetable pieces from Philippine masters like Arturo Luz, Romulo Olazo, Ramon Orlina, and Fernando B. Sena, contemporary names like Jesse Esplana and Michael Sagaran, and PWD artists. Personal items from supporters like Department of Justice Undersecretary Em Aglipay-Villar and celebrity Heart Evangelista round up the roster.
“Artful Hands, Open Hearts” is organized by Hand and Heart in partnership with Discovery Primea, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and Canada Hardware. Seats are limited with a donation of P18,000/per person excluding taxes. For reservations, table sponsorships and more information, contact Hand and Heart’s Aimee Buzeta, 0962-5042737 aimeebuzeta@handandheartph.com or visit https://handandheartph.com/ to know more.
