Lunhaw

Every year, top corporations in Cebu hold a Media Appreciation Party to honor the mass communication practitioners who have featured the business of these establishments. This year, LUNHAW (green, Cebuano) was the theme of Shangri-La Philippine Properties held at The Marquee and the top executives of these hotels flew to Cebu to join the celebrations.

And the list includes Area Manager and Makati Shang GM Reto Klauser, Mark Kirk (GM Shang Boracay) and Gordon Aeria (GM Traders Hotel Manila), as well as Sales Directors, Communications Directors, their assistants and PR Consultants.

Mactan Shang’s GM Joachim Schutte welcomed the celebrants with a speech to keynote the theme of the dinner, the hotel’s contribution to safeguard the marine sanctuary around the hotel. Just take a look at some of the fishes (like that particular scorpion fish I have seen) in the sanctuary; they have made home here protected from arsenic and dynamite and they might even die, excuse me, of old age here. And the hotel guests had fun feeding the fishes!

Ambiance inside The Marquee was like a rainforest and it has been 20 years ago that I saw a similar environment at the ballroom of another hotel. Seating arrangement was made, mura ug musical chairs arrangement, that the top guns of the Shangri-La properties will be seated and distributed among the media.

The food served in any celebration is often a measure of how valuable these guests are to the host. My guide is an episode in Iron Chef Japan; the secret ingredient for the culinary competition was swallow’s nest and there was a comment that “you serve sea cucumber to your friends, shark’s fin to your superiors and swallow’s nest to your Emperor.” That night, I felt like an Emperor.

First course was the Tian of Prawn and Smoked Marlin Flakes, served with vegetable julienne, red pepper coriander couli. Food presentation looks like an original and the prawn and fish flakes when taken together was very tasty.

Ravioli filled with Water Spinach and Seared Lapu-lapu Fillet with Herb Calamansi Broth was served next. Water spinach is a very ordinary vegetable but there are two varieties of the kangkong; one species is commonly seen around water logged areas and the other type, the Chinese variety can be grown in ordinary soil. Such a simple ingredient but in the hands of the Master Chefs, the ordinary can be transformed into one very exciting dish (aided by the calamansi broth).

To cleanse the palate, the Soursop Sherbet was served. The fruit guyabano or soursop was generally ignored until information came from the internet that this fruit has near miraculous healing properties in the South Americas. As far as I can recall, we had a fruit punch before made with guyabano, rum and calamansi, a very refreshing drink.

Main course was the Tenderloin of Beef and Garden Herbs with Nuts, Local Vegetables, Adobo Reduction Sauce and Lemongrass Native Rice. Nuts provided a new texture to the very tender beef and the taste was enhanced by the adobo sauce.

The finale was the Cebuano Mango Triology: Mango Panna Cotta with Mint, Mango French Macaroons and Mango Sherbet on Native Chocolate Short Bread. Such a fitting end to one truly great dinner and if I had won that coveted gift certificate for an overnight stay at the Shang Boracay, perfect unta that evening.