June 4, 2013
12:33 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

I Ate Deadly Stonefish!

Deadly Stonefish turned into delicious Okoze Sashimi

Deadly Stonefish turned into delicious Okoze Sashimi

I ADMIT it. I did it. I put my life on the line and let the tiny adventurous streak in me get the better of me. I ate stonefish, which is one of the most deadly fishes in the world, but I have to say I did it in style. I ate Okoze Sashimi (*translation: Stonefish Sashimi) at Traders Hotel Manila’s Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar, and it was prepared by Kitsho’s executive Japanese chef Masahiro Mizumoto, the only licensed Japanese executive chef in the Philippines to prepare and serve Fugu, commonly known as Puffer Fish or Butete in the vernacular language and the second most toxic fish in the world. I wouldn’t have eaten the stonefish if it weren’t Chef Masahiro who prepared it.

My encounter with the Okoze Sashimi actually took place back in February this year, when my husband Raff and I went to Kitsho to feature the restaurant’s then King Crab food promotion and do a shoot on King Crab dishes. Since Traders Hotel was quite a distance to travel from our place in Cainta, I requested Traders Hotel’s media consultant Lourdes Arrieta to ask Chef Masahiro to prepare other Japanese dishes as well for another feature, specifying seafood and desserts, and Chef Masahiro said yes. So, off we went to Traders that Monday. Kitsho was closed on that day, Monday being Chef Masahiro’s and the restaurant’s rest day. We were in the company of Traders Hotel’s communications manager Princes Anderle and media consultant Lourdes Arrieta, and Chef Masahiro serenely went to work on his dishes – the King Crab dishes first, and then the seafood and desserts next.

Executive Japanese Chef Masahiro Mizumoto of Traders Hotel Manila's Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar

Executive Japanese Chef Masahiro Mizumoto of Traders Hotel Manila’s Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar

Chef Masahiro surprised us with a sushi boat which he filled with Okoze Sashimi, its meat thinly sliced and carefully laid out on a mat of twigs over ice in the sushi boat. He said it was Stonefish, and he said Stonefish was the most venomous fish in the world, with its dorsal area lined with 13 poison-equipped spines, each of which had two venom sacs. When not properly prepared, Stonefish, when eaten, can be fatal to humans, but it’s one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine and people pay a high price just for a taste of it. He smiled serenely as he sliced the white, dense meat of the Stonefish, removing its poisonous fins and its skin and cleaning it thoroughly.

The moment of truth came when Raff finished shooting the Stonefish Sashimi. Chef Masahiro had the entire sushi boat laid out on the table right in front of us, and enjoined us to partake of it. Raff, never adventurous with his food, politely said no. I looked at Chef Masahiro, whose serene face seemed to be telling me that it was safe to eat, and he smiled again. Then he, understandingly, took a pair of chopsticks, picked up a piece or two of the Okoze Sashimi, and put them in his mouth and enjoyed it like regular sashimi. With a lot of things going on in my mind, struggles between ‘yes-I-should-try-it-at-least-once-in-my-life’ and ‘no-I-shouldn’t-take-such-a-risk-lest-I-pay-for-it-with-dear-life,’ I decided to trust him. I picked up my own pair of chopsticks, put a piece of Okoze Sashimi in my mouth, pretending that it was my favorite Salmon Sashimi, uttered a prayer and, well, – what d’you know? – actually enjoyed it. It had a sweet, light and fresh taste that was not fishy at all. I waited for my body to react. Chef Masahiro himself was still standing, talking sensibly and thinking properly. I waited a little bit more. And a little bit longer. Still no reaction. I was okay! I ate deadly Stonefish, and I was okay! I conquered the Stonefish – or, shall I say, my fear of eating the Stonefish? – on that day.

The deadly Stonefish lives in coral reefs in the shallow waters of the Pacific region and can camouflage itself as a rock

The deadly Stonefish lives in coral reefs in the shallow waters of the Pacific region and can camouflage itself as a rock

Well, you, too can take your own palate on a little adventure and dare to try the most deadly fish in the world, the Stonefish, at Traders Hotel Manila’s Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar, where it will be available until September 30, 2013. The Stonefish, and the Fugu, two of the most celebrated dishes in Japanese cuisine, are available at Kitsho, but reservations must be made several days in advance to give the restaurant ample time to source and bring in the exquisite Okoze (and Fugu) fresh and ready to be transformed into a Japanese gourmet sashimi. The exquisite taste of the Stonefish will definitely satisfy your taste for adventure and excitement.

This foodie delight starts at Php1,800++, although the price will vary depending on the size an weight of the fish.

So, I ask, are you ready for the Stonefish?

 

(Traders Hotel Manila is located at 3001 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. For inquiries or reservations, call 708-4888.)

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June 2, 2013
3:59 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Diamond Hotel: My Weekend Getaway

Warm and cozy room at Diamond Hotel Philippines

Warm and cozy room at Diamond Hotel Philippines

I THINK staycations are a great way for us urban folks to enjoy a quick and easy vacation within the city. They allow you to still be within reach while they at the same time put you in a totally different environment that gives you a fresh perspective for the duration of your stay. So you are able to relax and shoo your stresses away.

I always look forward to a staycation with my husband Raff every now and then, and we made it more often recently because this summer season was exceptionally hot and the scorching summer heat is lasting way too long. Our latest staycation or weekend getaway was at Diamond Hotel Philippines, a lovely hotel along Roxas Blvd. Cor. Dr. J. Quintos St. in the City of Manila. It overlooks the Manila Bay, so if you’re lucky and you happen to be in your room at sunset, you’d get a beautiful view of Manila’s famous golden sunset. Well, our room wasn’t exactly fronting picturesque Manila Bay. It looked out to the formidable Ramon Magsaysay Center building that stands right next to the hotel, but the window of the room had a slant that gave us a little view of Roxas Blvd. and Manila Bay beyond it. There was no foreground for a photograph, though, so I dropped the idea of taking pictures.

I liked the room a lot, though, because it had just the right touch of color and prints against neutral white and earth tones to give it vibrancy and a ‘happy’ feel. The colors and ‘happy glow’ of the glass-framed floral paintings on the wall complemented the colors and patterns on the bed runner, the throwpillows on the couch and on the bed, and the drape curtains.

One other thing that I really liked about the room was that the hotel didn’t scrimp on the pillows. There were four full-sized pillows and three throwpillows on our kind-sized bed, and there were extra throwpillows on the couch. The work area was also cozy and conducive to work. I sank right onto the chair and worked on some articles on my laptop, and it felt as if it had been my work table for ages!

Take note, too, that while most hotels usually just provide two complimentary bottles of water to guests per room, Daimond Hotel provides two bottles of water plus two bottles of local iced tea and a three-piece pack of Oreo Cookies – free of charge. Quite generous. There was also an apple and an orange on the glass table by the couch.

After staying in the room for most of the afternoon, me working on some articles and Raff watching TV, we went out for a walk and got to Robinsons Place Manila, which was within easy walking distance – except that we took a wrong turn going there, so the route became longer, but going back to the hotel afterwards was a cinch.

Part of the dining area of Corniche

Part of the dining area of Corniche

Cold Soba Soup and Hot Miso Soup

Cold Soba Soup and Hot Miso Soup

The interactive Noodle Soup Station

The interactive Noodle Soup Station

Raff's Garden Fresh Salad with Guava Vinaigrette

Raff’s Garden Fresh Salad with Guava Vinaigrette

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the things that my husband Raff and I really look forward to when we’re on a staycation is the buffet breakfast that comes the morning after. At Diamond Hotel, buffet breakfast is at the Corniche on the ground floor. Raff and I went down for breakfast at around 8:30 a.m. and were surprised to see the restaurant packed. There was a line by the entrance, so we queued up, but it didn’t take the receptionists long to find us a table for two. The line didn’t let up even when we were already eating, so I could imagine how high the hotel’s occupancy was that weekend.

As we’ve gotten used to doing at home, Raff and I went for fresh fruits first. Then he had salad. Since I wasn’t in the mood for salad that morning, I went and made myself two small bowls of soups – one was a Cold Soba Soup, whose noodles were already placed in small bowls and all you had to do was ladle the cold soup into it; and the other one was Hot Miso Soup, which, again, already had its toppings in the bowl which was great for a full ladle of hot miso soup. I had wanted to have a noodle soup assembled for me at the Noodle Soup area of the Asian Station, but what was available that morning was Beef Noodle Soup and I’m not exactly crazy about beef.

Sushi

Sushi

Mini bibingka

Mini bibingka

Next, we went for hot dishes. I got garlic rice, scrambled eggs, fried danggit, a few pieces of sushi from the Japanese corner and vegetable dumplings from the dimsum station, where there was also pork siomai and siopao available. I was craving for daing na bangus and salmon sashimi that morning, but, well, maybe next time. As for Raff, he had Spanish sardines with his rice, plus a few pieces of sushi and spicy tofu from the Japanese corner. He also got a mini bibingka (rice cake).

There were also a lot of other hot dish selections, including breakfast staples like bacon and longganisa, and Corniche had a section for non-meat choices as well.

Multigrain Bread

Multigrain Bread

Pumpkin Rolls

Pumpkin Rolls

Parfait

Granola

Four Seasons Juice and Orange Juice in carafes on ice

Four Seasons Juice and Orange Juice in carafes on ice

Carrot Juice

Carrot Juice

Plain Yogurt

Plain Yogurt

Breads were a-plenty, and so were pastries. Healthy breakfast selections, such as plain yogurt and flavored yogurt (orange yogurt and strawberry yogurt were available), muesli, parfait, cereals and milk, were available. There was also Orange Juice and Four Seasons Juice in carafes on ice, and what amazed me was that Corniche also offered vegetable juices – Carrot Juice, Tomato Juice and Celery Juice – something not usually offered in the breakfast beverage spreads of other hotels. Of course I went for Carrot Juice, which is my favorite.

And, oh, there’s strong WiFi in public places around the hotel, such as Corniche and the lobby, and it’s free. In the room, though, you’d have to budget for Internet connection if you don’t have a Pocket WiFi, WiFi Stick or Broadband Modem of your own. But you can always go down to the lobby to get connected.

 

(Diamond Hotel Philippines is located at Roxas Blvd. cor. Dr. J. Quintos St., Manila. For inquiries or reservations, call 528-3000 or 305-3000.)

 

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May 30, 2013
1:10 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Chef Sau del Rosario
Introduces Luzviminda at F1 Hotel

Durian Panna Cotta

Durian Panna Cotta

YES, celebrity chef Sau del Rosario, now the executive chef of F1 Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, introduced his baby, Luzviminda, over lunch at the hotel’s F Restaurant today (May 30, 2013). No, Luzviminda is not a girl nor a pet, but it might as well be because it’s Chef Sau’s pet project, something that he feels so passionate about. Chef Sau’s Luzviminda is a major food promotion aimed at highlighting exceptional Filipino cuisine from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao which he and the F&B team of F1 Hotel put together in time for the Philippine Independence Day celebration on June 12.

Celebrity chef Sau del Rosario is now the executive chef of F1 Hotel in Bonifacio Global City

Celebrity chef Sau del Rosario is now the executive chef of F1 Hotel in Bonifacio Global City

While other hotels may be focusing on certain regional cuisines of the Philippines for the month of June, Chef Sau hauls it all in at F1 Hotel with Luzviminda: Filipino Festival of Flavors from June 1 to 30, 2013. Northern cuisine (from Luzon) that varies from simple dishes made with vegetables or Oriental ingredients to heavy meals off the grill… Central cuisine (from the Visayas) that boasts of seafood recipes and the popular Chicken Inasal… Southern cuisine (from Mindanao) that consists of dishes cooked with strong spices… All these come together in a huge buffet of Filipino favorites for the entire duration of the food festival – from appetizers and salads to hot dishes, carvings and desserts. Diners will surely have a difficult time deciding which dishes to partake of because everything looks so good.

Mangosteen Salad

Mangosteen Salad

Today’s lunch buffet had such interesting items on the salad station as Mangosteen Salad, Ensaladang Pakô, and Pomelo, Green Mango and Shrimp in Bagoong sa Gata Salad, which went very well with the Maya-Maya Mayonesa appetizer right next to the salad station. The latter was a huge maya-maya fish that had been deboned and flaked and mixed in with mayonnaise but recreated on the appetizer table to once again look like the huge fish that it was.

Over at the seafood on ice area stands a huge whole tuna fish that had been flown in from General Santos City this morning. Surrounded by lobsters, prawns, and fat and meaty mussels on half shells, the tuna fish was so fresh that it was being cut up and sliced into delicious sashimi right in front of the guests. The tuna must have weighed approximately 30 kilograms, according to my husband Raff’s rough estimate, and the ‘carving-sashimi-on-the-spot’ activity turned out to be a big hit.

Sisig Foie Gras

Sisig Foie Gras

Deep-fried Crabs with Alabar Sauce

Deep-fried Crabs with Alabar Sauce

Truffled Maya-Maya Pinangat

Truffled Maya-Maya Pinangat

The longest queue for food, however, could be found at the hot dishes area. The long line just did not seem to want to ease, and it was no wonder why. Guests were queuing up for such sumptuous dishes as Sisig Foie Gras, Habechuelas, Chicken Inasal, Truffled Maya-Maya Pinangat, Deep-fried Crabs with Alabar Sauce, Gising-Gising and Bam-I that led straight to the carvings of Bagnet from Ilocos, spicy and non-spicy Lechon from Cebu, and Baked Tahong (cheese-topped baked mussels on half shell).

Durian Cheesecake with Passionfruit Glaze

Durian Cheesecake with Passionfruit Glaze

Mangosteen Cupcakes

Mangosteen Cupcakes

Kapampangan Crepe

Kapampangan Crepe

The dessert spread featured yet another awesome selection. There was Durian Cheesecake with Passionfruit Glaze, Durian Panna Cotta, Mangosteen Cupcake, Leche Flan, Maja Blanca con Mais, Sapin-Sapin with coconut incorporated in it, Puto, Cuchinta, Palitaw, Pichi-Pichi, Guinatan and a Halo-Halo Bar. On both ends of the dessert buffet, there were interactive stations featuring native Pampangueños making Barquillos and Kapampangan Crepe with grated coconut filling and wrapped around fresh banana leaves.

Guest chefs Martin Jickain (representing Luzon), and Karl John Noel and Paul Sidney Uy (representing the Visayas)

Guest chefs Martin Jickain (representing Luzon), and Karl John Noel and Paul Sidney Uy (representing the Visayas)

Guest chef Ed Tuazon (representing Mindanao) with host chef Sau del Rosario

Guest chef Ed Tuazon (representing Mindanao) with host chef Sau del Rosario

Preparing the awesome spread for the Luzviminda launch cum lunch today and for the Luzviminda food festival for the entire month of June are F1 Hotel’s very own Chef Sau del Rosario and Chef Willie Ertez and four guest chefs representing the three major islands of the Philippines – Chef Martin Jickain for Luzon, Chef Paul Sidney Uy and Karl John Noel for the Visayas, and Chef Ed Tuazon for Mindanao.

Chef Martin Jickain, a native Manileño, is owner and chef of Station Juan Café at the White House Boracay. Chefs Paul Sidney Uy and Karl John Noel, both hailing from Cebu, own restaurants that are up and coming. Chef Ed Tuazon is the most seasoned of all the featured guest chefs, being a veteran hotelier and executive chef of Marco Polo Hotel Davao. Chef Sau chose to work with them on the Luzviminda project because he had been able to work with them in the past and he finds them to be among the most talented chefs in the land.

Cutting the ceremonial ribbon were Nancy Reyes Lumen, Taguig Vice Mayor, celebrity chef Pablo 'Boy' Logro and CCA founder Susana Guerrero

Cutting the ceremonial ribbon, from left: F1 Hotel’s director of sales and marketing Cindy Brual, culinary expert Nancy Reyes Lumen, Taguig Vice Mayor-elect Ricardo Cruz Jr., F1 Hotel Manila’s GM Laurence Peña, celebrity chef Pablo ‘Boy’ Logro and CCA founder and president Susana ‘Annie’ Guerrero, and Folded & Hung president Ronald Pineda

Hosts Mikco Maiquez and Sam O

Hosts Mikco Maiquez and Sam Oh

Doing the honors of cutting the ceremonial ribbon to launch Luzviminda this afternoon were celebrity chef and TV host Chef Pablo ‘Boy’ Logro, Center for Culinary Arts Manila (CCA) founder Susana ‘Annie’ Guerrero and culinary expert Nancy Reyes-Lumen. A short program was hosted by F1 Hotel’s marketing manager Mikco Maiquez with Sam O, which also featured a fashion show highlighting the designs of four designers, namely Chito de los Santos, Jinggo Inoncillo, Ronald Arnaldo and Eric Pineda.

And, oh, Happy Living sponsored Beringer wines, so everyone had their fill of white or red wine with their sumptuous lunch courtesy of Happy Living’s Katherine Yao Santos. But, well, my favorite Beringer White Zinfandel wasn’t available. I guess I’ll have to reserve that for later.

“Luzviminda is the start of big things to come at F1 Hotel,” Chef Sau promises.

Knowing Chef Sau, he’ll surely live up to his promise.

(F1 Hotel is located along 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. For inquiries or reservations, call 928-9888 or 908-7888.)

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May 29, 2013
1:41 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Swiss Raclette or Cheese Fondue, Anyone?

Swiss Raclette

Swiss Raclette

Crowne Plaza's half-Swiss, half-Italian executive chef Angelo Faoro

Crowne Plaza’s half-Swiss, half-Italian executive chef Angelo Faoro

IF you love Swiss Raclette or Cheese Fondue, then you might want to catch the last few days of the Exquisitely Swiss food promotion that’s happening at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria’s Seven Corners until May 31, 2013. The unique month-long food promotion features these two signature dishes of Switzerland and more, as the buffet spread incorporates exquisite Swiss dishes into its appetizer, soup, salad, hot dish, grill station, carving station and dessert selections. It featured Swiss dishes prepared by Crowne Plaza’s Swiss-Italian executive chef Angelo Faoro and his kitchen team that sought to give Seven Corners diners a taste of authentic Swiss cuisine.

Famous for its cheese and chocolate, Switzerland is the home of gourmet cheeses and perhaps the best chocolate in the world, and the Exquisitely Swiss foodfest showcases exactly that. Not to be missed, of course is the Swiss Raclette, a signature Swiss dish that has a block of the semi-firm cow’s milk cheese, Raclette, heated in front of an open fire to melt the surface, and then the melted cheese is scraped onto diners’ plates and served with potatoes, pickled onion and dried meats. The Swiss Raclette at Seven Corners, which I tasted, had the cheese served with fried potato wedges, mini pickled onions and slices of pickles. As for the Cheese Fondue, well, the wait staff so graciously served the melted cheese in small bowls with toasted bread squares on long-stemmed forks and a freshly baked soft roll on the side.

My single-serving Cheese Fondue

My single-serving Cheese Fondue

Bunder Gersten Suppe (Swiss Barley Soup)

Bunder Gersten Suppe (Swiss Barley Soup)

Swiss Cheddar Potato Salad

Swiss Cheddar Potato Salad

Apple-Cheese-Coleslaw Salad

Apple-Cheese-Coleslaw Salad

I also had a delicious serving of Bunder Gersten Suppe or Swiss Barley Soup, a creamy soup that turned out to be surprisingly light and refreshing, plus small portions of Swiss Cheddar Potato Salad (with wedges of hard-boiled egg complimenting the potatoes with a cheesy mayonnaise dressing) and Apple-Cheese-Coleslaw Salad (combination of red and green apples, cubed, and mixed in with shredded red cabbage and thin cheese sticks).

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

Swiss Creamy Chicken Breasts with Mushroom, Cheese and White Wine

Swiss Creamy Chicken Breast with Mushrooms, Swiss Cheese and White Wine

The main dishes included Crock Pot Swiss Steak, tender and delicious beef steaks slow-cooked, crock pot style, in a skillet for 1-1/2 hours; and Swiss Creamy Chicken Breast with Mushrooms, Swiss Cheese and White Wine.

Svens Schoggikuchen (Wet Chocolate Cake)

Svens Schoggikuchen (Wet Chocolate Cake)

Linzer Torte

Linzer Torte

Dessert was something to look forward to indeed, considering that Swiss chocolate is among the best, if not the best, in the world. Seven Corners offers Swiss chocolate in the form of Swiss Chocolate Fountain, Toblerone-topped Caramel Cheesecake, Swiss Double Chocolate Brownies, Sacher Torte, Chocolate Swiss Roll and Svens Schoggikuchen (Wet Chocolate Cake), among others. Non-chocolate desserts like Linzer Torte, Easy Swiss Apple Pie, Cherry Apple Strudel and Aargau Carrot Cake are perfect matches for the indulgent chocolate creations.

With the special food promotion coming down to its last few days (it ends this Friday, May 31, so you still have two days to catch it), Exquisitely Swiss had quite a successful month-long run. Its dishes, prepared the authentic Swiss way while at the same time taking into consideration the Filipino palate, noticeably use a lot of cheese, milk and other dairy products in them, thus making them calcium-rich and good for the body. They also show the French and German influences that helped shape and define authentic Swiss cuisine. Hotels do not often feature Swiss food promotions, so Exquisitely Swiss is trailblazing indeed.

(Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria is located at the corner of Ortigas Ave. and ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Quezon City. For inquiries or reservations, call 633-7222.)

 

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May 28, 2013
11:55 AM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Say ‘Ciao Italia’
at Crimson Hotel This June

Agnello e Carciofi

Agnello e Carciofi

HAD a delightful lunch today (May 28, 2013) at in a private function room of Café Eight at Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila in Alabang, Muntinlupa. It was the media launch cum lunch of Crimson Hotel’s Ciao Italia, a month-long food festival highlighting authentic gourmet dishes from South Italy which will take place the whole month of June. In case you haven’t realized yet, it’s already June 1 this Saturday. How time flies!

Crimson Hotel's executive chef Alessio Loddo with Alfonso Tagliaferri, First Secretary, Deputy Head of Mission, of the Embassy of Italy

Crimson Hotel’s executive chef Alessio Loddo with Alfonso Tagliaferri, First Secretary, Deputy Head of Mission, of the Embassy of Italy

Anyway, Ciao Italia was conceptualized as both an exciting food promotion to drum up interest in Crimson Hotel’s Café Eight and get people to come and try the food in the newest 5-star hotel South of the metro as well as a good way to introduce the native cuisine of the hotel’s executive chef, Chef Alessio Loddo, a certified, true-blooded native of South Italy. The food promotion comes at a good time, too, because Italy celebrates its Republic Day, also known as Festa della Repubblica, in June, specifically on June 2. It’s a national holiday in Italy which commemorates June 2, 1946, when Italians voted in a referendum to rid the country of the monarchy and for the country to become a republic. Aside from that, Italy also observes two important feasts in the month of June – the Feast of St. John in Florence, Genoa and Turin on June 24; and the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome on June 29.

Apart from the historical significance of staging an Italian food festival at this time of the year, Italian food is always a welcome treat for Filipinos, who have grown to love pizza, pasta, antipasto (the first course of a formal Italian meal which is often composed of cured meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables, and is collectively known as appetizers), tiramisu, panna cotta, and other Italian main entrées and desserts.

For the duration of Crimson Hotel’s Ciao Italia, the buffet spread at Café Eight will have a diverse spread of Italian dishes created by Chef Alesso Loddo and his kitchen team. Besides the Italian appetizers, hot dishes, pasta and desserts, there will also be live cooking stations, such as the risotto station, where diners can indulge in generous servings of risotto that has been freshly cooked – a la minute!

Talented singer Jeannelle Bihag-Roldan entertains diners while they enjoy the sumptuous Italian food

Talented singer Jeannelle Bihag-Roldan entertains diners while they enjoy the sumptuous Italian food

More than just the food, however, the food fest promises to be a well-rounded feast for the senses, with soothing Italian music plus live entertainment numbers performed by talented singer Jeannelle Bihag-Roldan during dinner every Friday and Saturday. Guests will also feel like being transported to Italy, as they are surrounded by Italian artworks and the hotel staff dressed in Italian festive costumes while they indulge in their favorite Italian comfort foods. Crimson Hotel’s partnership with Il Mercante Di Venezia made this possible.

Prosciutto San Daniele con Melone

Prosciutto San Daniele con Melone

Carpaccio di Tonno alla Carlofortina

Carpaccio di Tonno alla Carlofortina

Aragosta alla Catalana

Aragosta alla Catalana

Frittura di Calamari

Frittura di Calamari

For today’s lunch, Chef Alessio had food prepared family style but served by the wait staff to each guest. Appetizers included Prosciutto San Daniele con Melone (Italian prosciutto ham paired with melon slices), Carpaccio di Tonno alla Carlofortina (thinly sliced tuna carpaccio), Insalata Caprese di Bufala (salad of tomato and buffalo cheese slices), Aragosta alla Catalana (Catalan style lobster), and Frittura di Calamari (deep-fried squid rings).

Partial to seafood over red meat, I liked the Aragosta alla Catalana and Carpaccio di Tonno alla Carlofortina, but my favorite was the Frittura di Calamari.

Malloreddus alla Campidanese

Malloreddus alla Campidanese

Risotto alle Cozze e Limone

Risotto alle Cozze e Limone

Tagliata di Manzo con Rucola e Grana

Tagliata di Manzo con Rucola e Grana

For the pasta and main dishes, we had a taste of Malloreddus alla Campidanese (gnocchi pasta with tomato-based sauce), Risotto alle Cozze e Limone (risotto or Italian rice with mussels and lemon), Agnello e Carciofi (baked lamb with artichokes and peas), and Tagliata di Manzo con Rucola e Grana (sliced beef with arugula).

I loved both pasta dishes, but the Risotto alle Cozze e Limone, I should say, was outstanding. It had subtle seafood flavors and just the right hint of lemon to give it a refreshing finish.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu

Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta

Pardulas

Pardulas

Cannoli Siciliani

Cannoli Siciliani

Then came my favorite part of the meal – dessert – and it came in the form of Tiramisu (coffee flavored mascarpone cheese and chocolate refrigerated cake), Panna Cotta (custard-like pudding topped with fruit slices and served with fruit coulis), Pardulas (Sardinian sweets with a base of pasta and a filling of ricotta cheese with eggs and sugar), and Cannoli Siciliani (Sicilian tube-shaped pastry filled with sweet and creamy ricotta cheese and sprinkled with powdered sugar).

My Panna Cotta had a slice of fresh strawberry on top and was served with strawberry coulis, while my husband Raff’s had a mango ball on top and mango coulis around his Panna Cotta. It was the first thing that I ate among the desserts, and it was so good that I finished the whole thing. Next, I forked my Tiramisu with no intention of finishing it, but it was so moist and flavorful that – again – it disappeared before me. I tried the Pardulas and the Cannoli, too, but I was too stuffed with Panna Cotta and Tiramisu to still finish them. Of the four desserts, Pardulas was the only thing I had not encountered before. I washed down my desserts with a pot of Peppermint Tea.

To everyone’s delight, Crimson Hotel’s marketing and communications team, led by Francis de Leon, sent us off with a mini jar of Panna Cotta giveaway to enjoy at home.

Panna Cotta in mini jars as giveaways

Panna Cotta in mini jars as giveaways

To have a taste of exquisite Italian cuisine, the buffet price at Crimson Hotel’s Café Eight is Php1,100 nett for lunch and Php1,400 nett for dinner. A Buy One Get One offer is also available on Italian wines priced at Php1,500 nett for Romio Sangiovese and Chardonnay.

(Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila is located at the Entrata Urban Complex, 2609 Civic Drive, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa city. For inquiries and reservations, call 863-2222.)

 

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