A gourmet dinner at Casino Español de Cebu - C‘EST CEBU By Honey Jarque Loop
Casino Español de Cebu, where families bond together and friends meet friends, is virtually second home to most of its members for various reasons. Significant events in one’s life, such as baptismal and birthday celebrations, school proms and graduation balls, romantic weddings, and endearing reunions, have etched wonderful memories in their hearts.
Food and beverage, the common thread that binds almost all milestones, have always been a main attraction. Recently, however, the much-desired-to-be-a-member-of-more-than-just-a country club has raised the culinary encounter to new heights. Periodically scheduled fine dining has been launched.
Fine dining is not just about food or wine, the décor or the ambiance. It is about a total experience where everything fits into the right place. Crisp table linens and polished cutlery, fresh flowers and lush greens, music to relax by, beautiful surroundings, attentive but not over zealous attendants and, let’s not forget, well-planned, excellently executed balanced selection capped by decadent dessert play an important role in making dining truly a memorable affair.
To create the magical combination of these earthly pleasures, Casino Español de Cebu hosted a fabulous gourmet dinner at the well-appointed El Comedor salon.
The evening started with cocktails at the courtyard. The waitstaff passed around unusually delicious canapés as guests savored sparkling wines specially selected by wine connoisseurs Dondi and Corinne Joseph.
For starters, the sit-down plated dinner consisted of crab cake with lime and ginger sauce and roasted apple. This was followed by toasted shallot and butternut squash soup with beet crisps and charred chicken breast cooked to perfection. Then came a refreshing green mango sherbet. The main course was tender, juicy grilled lamb chops with oregano, tomato chutney, and mushroom brochette. The wines for the night were Australian Chardonnay, Deakin Estate, and
After all that delicious food, we had chocolate mousse for dessert with coffee and pralines, those rich, yummy, addictive candy confections.
In attendance were the newly elected board led by president Cheling Sala and his wife Susan, vice president Gabriel Leyson, accompanied by his long-time partner Tina Jordana, secretary Rico Gandionco with his proud parents Rodrigo and Julie Gandionco, treasurer Manuel Sainz, house chairman Jimmy Escaño who brought along visiting brother Tommy, and director of sports Nonoy Alba.
In animated conversation were members Choy and Rosebud Sala, Michel and Amparito Lhuillier, Alberto and Tere Rotaeche, Jaime and Cecilia Picornell, Tintoy and Maricar Perdices, Nonoy and Miriam Terol, and Spanish resident Mitos Montilla.
Congratulations to general manager Ed Tongco, events manager Rudy Rubi, chef Dennis Quemada, pastry chef Jane Palacio, and the entire kitchen brigade who went to great lengths to ensure an evening truly beyond forgetting!
