MANILA -- A former luxury hotelier has put up a food business with his fellow travel-loving friends, with the aim of fueling people's wanderlust as the pandemic continues.

During the lockdown, Don Romulo Gregorio "RG" Orense began selling Filipino gourmet breads infused with global flavors under the brand Don Bakes Manila.

He went on to expand his offerings with Don Feasts Manila, which specializes in Asian rice trays.

"This global pandemic really made us miss traveling. Little did I know that this feeling of missing the food from abroad, missing the moments when you immerse in another culture, and missing the different sceneries would end up tickling my untapped desire to share global flavors to the Philippine culinary scene. One day, I pitched this idea to my travel companions who are equally passionate about food and travel," Orense said in an online interview with ABS-CBN News.

"Travel and food will always be a part of my lifestyle," added the food entrepreneur, who has lived in five global hubs and visited more than 100 cities around the world.

Don Bakes Manila offers fun twists on the Filipino pan de sal with items such as Pan de Aji, which has Japanese matcha and white chocolate.

There is also the Pan de Buono with Pizza Margherita ingredients such as basil, sundried tomato, and cheese; and Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread, which is their response to the K-drama craze.

This Christmas, Don Bakes Manila is reinventing the classic French eclair, using Filipino ingredients and different liquors for a festive touch.

Some of the eclair flavors include Turon, Brazo de Mercedes, Double Cheese Ensaymada, Irish Baileys, Italian Aperol Spritz, and Cuban Mojito.

"As travel is still on a halt, France, a gastronomic epicenter, remains to be on top of our list of places to revisit after this pandemic. While we wait for that... Don Bakes Manila reinvents an 1860 French classic," Orense said.

"Reminiscing our walks across the streets of Paris inspired us to do a 'flip' and craft a fusion of flavors, this time using the pastry from our favorite country and infusing it with the most trendy, unique, and endearing requests," he added.

Don Feasts Manila, meanwhile, aims to bring Asian cities to homes in the Philippines through dishes such as Hong Kong Braised Chicken, Mushroom, and Chinese Sausage rice, which has traditional Cantonese flavors.

A crowd favorite is the Thai Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice, which is inspired by the founders' frequent visits to Bangkok. The Taiwan Braised Beef Rice, on the other hand, has 24-hour tenderized beef and cooked with "secret spices."

Orense said he is thankful that their products have been warmly welcomed by customers, saying that they have been repeat orders despite the pandemic situation.

"One story goes: A lovely lola from Antipolo, though stuck at home during this pandemic, orders our Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread to bring joy to her grandchildren for 12 consecutive weekends. Yes, no miss! Our clients have also been very active to suggest flavors that they miss from their international travels, too," he said.

When asked to give advice to those who are thinking of starting a food venture amid this challenging time, Orense replied: "Find new market segments and product categories that are not saturated. There are so many micro homepreneurs because of this pandemic, so it is vital to find a segment where competition is not fiercely dropping prices."

"The barriers to entry in food industry is not high so it is very important to also develop a good brand," he ended.

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