Alright, so you’re planning a 1st birthday party, and if you’re in the Philippines, you know it’s a pretty big deal. I remember when my little one was turning one, the pressure for the food was something else! It’s not just for the kids, you know? It’s for the whole family, the ninongs, ninangs, all the friends. So, I thought I’d share what I ended up doing, the whole process from head-scratching to a food-coma-happy crowd.
Figuring Out the Food Vibe
First thing I did was just sit down and think. What do people actually want to eat at a kid’s party here? What are the staples? I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. I wanted familiar, comforting, and delicious. No point getting all fancy if no one touches it, right?
My Menu Breakdown – Tried and Tested!
So, after a bit of scribbling and some not-so-subtle polling of family members, here’s what made the cut:
- Filipino Style Spaghetti: You just can’t skip this. That sweet, meaty sauce with hotdogs sliced in? Kids devour it. Adults pretend they’re too cool for it, but I saw them going back for seconds. I made a massive pot of this. Key was browning the ground meat really well and not skimping on the banana ketchup.
- Fried Chicken: Another no-brainer. I didn’t do anything super special, just a good crispy coating. I focused on making a lot of it – drumsticks and wings mostly, easy for little hands and big appetites. They disappeared fast, let me tell you.
- Pancit Bihon/Sotanghon Mix: For long life! And honestly, it’s just expected. I went with a mix because some like bihon, some like sotanghon. Loaded it with veggies, some chicken bits, and a bit of sliced kikiam and squid balls. A real crowd-pleaser.
- Pork BBQ Skewers: These were more for the adults, but some older kids grabbed them too. I marinated them overnight in that classic soy sauce, calamansi, garlic, and brown sugar mix. Grilled them up on the day. The smell alone was a winner.
- Hotdogs on a Stick (with Marshmallows!): The ultimate kiddy party food. Super simple. Red hotdogs, impaled on a stick, with a colorful marshmallow on top. Easy to make, easy for kids to eat.
- Lumpiang Shanghai: Had to have these. I made a big batch ahead of time and just fried them fresh on the day of the party. Crispy, meaty, gone in minutes. Always a hit.
- Rice: Obviously. A giant rice cooker full of fluffy white rice. This is the Philippines, after all.
Sweet Endings and Drinks
For the sweet stuff, aside from the main birthday cake which I ordered, I put together a couple of things:
- Fruit Salad: The Filipino kind, of course. Canned fruit cocktail, nata de coco, kaong, condensed milk, and all-purpose cream. Chilled it really well. Perfect for cooling down.
- Buko Pandan: Another chilled dessert that everyone loves. That creamy, pandan-jelly goodness. So refreshing.
For drinks, I kept it simple: big dispensers of iced tea, pineapple juice, and lots of bottled water. Had some soda for the adults who wanted it too.
The Actual Prep Work – My Kitchen Battlefield
Okay, so making all this wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. I did as much prep as I could the day before – chopping veggies for the pancit, marinating the pork BBQ, mixing the sauce for the spaghetti. On the party day itself, my kitchen looked like a storm had hit it. I had a couple of relatives helping out, which was a lifesaver, especially with the frying. There was a moment I thought I’d run out of cooking gas, talk about a mini panic attack! But we managed.
We set up a buffet style table. I wasn’t aiming for anything super Instagrammable, just neat, clean, and accessible. The focus was on the food, not fancy decorations on the buffet itself, though the party venue was decorated, of course.
How It All Went Down
Honestly? It was great. The food was a hit. The spaghetti and fried chicken were the champions, especially with the younger crowd. The BBQ skewers and lumpia were demolished by the adults. Seeing everyone with full plates and happy faces was the best part. There wasn’t a ton of leftovers, which I always take as a good sign.
My biggest learning from all this? Stick to what people know and love. A first birthday is hectic enough without trying to introduce complicated or unfamiliar dishes. Simple, well-executed, and plentiful – that was my mantra. And it worked out pretty well for us!