Experiencing culinary lows and highs with the Ford Territory

There’s nothing like the good old food trip. You hop into a car with a few of your buddies/family, drive to a restaurant somewhere far off, indulge in a hearty meal, and then drive back home with a belly full of food, and a lot of memories of the place you just ate at.

But in this case, Ford Philippines decided to pull off something a little different with its Territory nameplate.

Normally, we embark on media drives to put out the latest models through almost real-world-like conditions, but Ford wanted to show how well the Territory has aged in this ever-changing landscape of crossovers, alongside a little culinary delight and showdown at the ultra-modern and hyped Asador Alfonso restaurant in Cavite.

The variant I was assigned to was the entry-level Titanium in Ruby Red. Despite the others getting the higher Titanium X and Sport variants, it feels anything but bare.

For some housekeeping, the Territory still packs a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-banger gasoline engine with 160 horsepower and 248 Nm of torque mated to a seven-speed wet-type dual-clutch transmission.

While not the most powerful engine out there, it still proved to be capable enough to have enough punch while ascending the roads leading up to the destination in Cavite, and the DCT, when driven correctly, offers a smooth driving experience without the rubberband-like feel of a CVT.

As a driver, the smaller seven-inch digital driver’s display didn’t bother me as it provided all the information I needed. The 12-inch infotainment connected just fine to both my Android and iOS devices (both wirelessly, mind you!) and the advanced driver assistance system aids such as a 360-degree camera and blind-spot monitoring were more than enough to help navigate the chaotic and tight roads of Cavite.

One aspect of the Territory that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did was its spacious, cozy interior. Compared to the other two variants, this features a darker cabin with a blue-and-black motif and woodgrain accents throughout.

While the color scheme may prove to be a bit left-field for some, I found it played well to the Territory’s advantage as it made the interior look smaller than it actually is, because, the three tall adults didn’t expect the crossover to be so damn roomy.

Despite having moved the passenger’s seat into a lounge-like position, the passenger behind told me he still had more than enough space. True enough, when I found myself at the back, there was an amazing amount of legroom and headroom for me. Plus, the smaller 18-inch wheels contributed to a cushier, more comfortable ride that also happens to be very, very quiet on the highway.

So after the two-hour (ish) journey down south, we were greeted by the stunning architecture of Asador Alfonso, which is an incredibly aesthetically pleasing project of Architect Carlo Calma and Chef Chele Gonzales.

Asador Alfonso is a Spanish restaurant located in a 9.4-hectare lot, with a dedicated vegetable garden and space for livestock such as goats, meaning that this is as fresh as it gets.

For other ingredients that can’t be grown in the restaurant’s backyard, they’re flown in directly from Spain. One of the main features (apart from the architecture) of the restaurant is the traditional brick oven (hence, asador means “roasting house”) that is used to cook dishes such as cochinillo and various paellas.

But before we gorged on the delicious lunch that was set aside for us, there was a challenge. A culinary challenge, to be precise. We had 45 minutes set aside to produce the best-tasting take on a cold dish known as ceviche, with ingredients such as fresh tuna, grouper, various spices, and juices on hand.

One of the judges was Chef Rodrigo Osorio, and I witnessed his sense of humor and passion for cooking firsthand as I committed a culinary atrocity by pouring an entire cup of soy sauce onto the fish I had chosen for the dish.

Like everyone else, I enjoy eating more than others, but that does not necessarily mean I am the best chef. Thanks to the help of my teammates Towpy Tejano and Justin Young, we were able to salvage a dish that my ruined tastebuds considered delicious into something actually palatable.

Well, I did end up giving myself and a teammate some stomach problems, but they only manifested a day after, giving me enough time to enjoy the incredible 12-course meal that had the likes of slow-roasted beef, mushroom rice stew, melt-in-your-mouth grilled grouper, and a vanilla flan that was actually a family recipe.

And the best part? The Ford Territory proved to be the perfect ride to and from Asador Alfonso, showing the reason why Filipinos love the crossover, and why it proves to be one of Ford Philippines’ best-selling nameplates even today.

Photos from Ford Philippines and Sam Surla