Going organic is sweet (and fresh) at the Marriott Manila
MANILA, Philippines - Germans are always on time,†claimed Marriott Manila executive chef Meik Brammer as we arrived at Bautista Organic Farm in Nasugbu, Batangas. It took exactly two hours to get from the Marriott Hotel to the farm, from which the hotel’s guests are fed.
Corazon Bautista and Craig Clayton warmly greeted us. They’re the dynamic duo behind Bautista Organica Inc., which is dedicated to bringing organic food to Filipinos.
Bautista Organica runs a group of farms around the country, with their largest client being Marriott Hotel. They educate local farmers about the benefits of going organic, provide them with seeds and fertilizer and buy whatever they grow at a predetermined price. Both Marriott and Bautista Organica uphold very high standards of quality. Only the best produce is selected and served. The rest is fed to the farm’s lucky, extremely well fed black pigs.
The couple gave each of us a beautiful mahogany tray lined with delicate Spanish tiles, along with everything we needed to grow our very own gourmet salad mix. You simply had to line the tray with compost coconut, a substitute for soil, sprinkle it with seeds, and spray it with water three to four times a week for 21 days, and voila! You have your very own batch of gourmet green and red oakley, romaine and dolorosa lettuce leaflets.
As we tried our hand at farming, Craig and Corazon went around the table to spritz a dash of organic probiotic fertilizer, a mixture like Yakult that is fermented with molasses, and passed out samples of the finished product. The cool, crisp lettuce leaves were definitely worth 21 days of my care and attention.
Then came the main event: our beautiful, fresh meal. Chef Brammer and his complete set of staff from Cru Steakhouse treated us to a delectable four-course organic dinner featuring ingredients that came straight from the farm to our table.
The meal started off with citrus-cured Norwegian salmon with the sweetest cherry tomatoes, pickled onions and baby arugula that I have ever tasted. It was also served with fresh goat cheese that was delightfully thick, creamy and chunky at the same time. Together this made for an exquisite starter. It was a marriage of salty and sweet with contrasting textures.
We were then treated to a beautifully plated soup. Cru’s organic sweet corn veloute was poured on a bed of crab spaetzles and topped with a dollop of chive Chantilly cream. The soup was so fragrant and upon reaching my lips, creamy, sweet and buttery, the way sweet corn ideally is. It blended perfectly with the salty-soft shredded crab and tiny, chewy spaetzle.
For the main course, the chef served grilled US Certified Angus prime rib steak with rosemary crushed potatoes, grilled organic vegetables and pink peppercorn sauce. The meat was extremely tender with a strong flavor from the peppercorn seasoning and sauce. The rosemary potatoes had superb flavor and consistency, creamy yet chunky with an herb-butter taste. The grilled vegetables were stars in their own right. Crisp and incredibly sweet, I could tell that this was the finest and freshest produce available.
The meal was capped with my personal favorite, dessert. I was delighted to see the unique dish of mango confit, peanut sponge. Light, fluffy peanut sponge was topped with sweet mango and served with irresistibly tart, smooth and creamy tamarind ice cream on a bed of graham cracker crumble. It was absolutely divine.
Each of these dishes is best enjoyed with a selection of Spanish wines such as Cava Classic Brut, Valiformosa, Albariño and Martin Codax from Barcino Corporation.
This special “Farm to Table†set menu will be available this May at Cru Steakhouse in Marriott Hotel Manila.
Although I enjoyed the trip to the farm, there is no more need to look far for the freshest food. Marriott Manila delivers the best produce straight from the farm to your plate.
