MANDALUYONG CITY – Five-star meals are a reality at Philippine 7-Eleven stores. The Wall Street Journal reports  that Philippine Seven Corporation, which holds franchise rights for 7-Eleven stores in the country, partnered with renowned Chef Claude Tayag “in the hope of tapping new demand from an expanding middle class.”

In May, Chef Claude helped launch three packaged Filipino comfort dishes through the country’s 7-Eleven franchise “that aim to be healthier and better tasting than typical ready-to-eat meals,” writes the newspaper, noting that his creations include pulled pork with adobo marinade and sautéed pork and vegetables.

“I chose to tie-up with 7-Eleven because they were willing to work with my philosophy of cooking nutritious meals without sacrificing tastes,” said Chef Claude in an interview at Downtown 1956 Café, a restaurant in Angeles City that offers traditional Filipino fare.

Emmanuel Lee Esguerra, marketing communications manager of Philippine Seven Corporation, told the newspaper: “Although Chef Creations is more expensive than our usual meals, it is market dictated.” He added that it took almost a year to finalize the three meals because Chef Claude wanted to guarantee tasty meals without compromising on ingredients. “Everything was made from scratch; no instant powder was used,” he said.

So far the best seller is the pork sinigang sa kamias, a traditional slow-cooked broth that uses leaner cuts of pork and hearty portions of bilimbi fruit, taro, water spinach and green chili.

The pakbet with bagnet, a popular vegetable and meat dish sautéed with shrimp paste, is the most expensive and the most complicated to make “because it involves a three-step process: marinating the pork overnight; simmering it for hours until tender; and then putting the meat back in the sauce for aging,” write the newspaper.

Esguerra said that the 7-Eleven commissary prepares the meals and delivers them daily to around 900 stores on the main island of Luzon. Sales for the meals has been strong, particularly in the target market of Manila’s central business district.

“What we are seeing is that Chef Creations are increasing, growing in contribution to our overall meals,” added Esguerra.