A greener world an hour at a time

MANILA, Philippines – After successfully participating in the worldwide Earth Hour campaign, the all-new Dusit Thani Manila launches “Dusit Hour,” its own little way to show concern for the environment.

“If every single human being in the world would take just a few small steps, make a few different choices, and think about their vital role in the world, restoring the world to its original beauty and resources is possibly within reach,” said Dusit Thani Manila general manager Prateek Kumar.

Every month starting today, May 30, a 120-minute hotel-wide “lights off” initiative will be conducted and participated in by the entire hotel, including the DFiT Fitness Center, Devarana Spa and all of Dusit Thani’s restaurants and bars. Tea candles will be used at Basix, Benjarong, Umu and Fiesta San Miguel, while rechargeable lamps will light Tosca and Lobby Lounge. Hotel guests are also encouraged to switch off the lights in their rooms.

“By voluntarily switching off the lights in all our restaurants and certain areas in the kitchen every last Saturday of the month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., we believe we can make a greener, better world an hour at a time,” said Gilbert Uy, director of food and beverage.

Along with the energy saving brought about by this campaign is the money saved on dining: dinner guests on every last Saturday of each month are entitled to a 30-percent discount on any food and beverage order.

Each restaurant also showcases its respective contribution to making a greener, better world all year round: Basix, the all-day dining restaurant that offers a la carte and buffet spreads of international dishes, conserves resources through its Cold Station of fresh oysters, prawns and mussels that do not require heating; its Salad Station uses organic fresh vegetables and its Surf and Turf Station only cooks grilled items on demand, which results in no wastage of food.

Benjarong, the Royal Thai Restaurant, takes pride in its naturally brewed Thai pandan and lemongrass juices, its use of unrefined herbs and spices as well as utilizing banana leaves, squash, pomelo and melon skins as serving bowls.

All diners will be treated to a true Italian affair in an elegant setting at Tosca while being serenaded by the “unplugged” live performances of renowned jazz singer Joanna Abrera with an accompanying pianist.

The freshest ingredients take center stage at Umu with its sushi bar and robata counter offerings a la minute, plus sukiyaki and shabu-shabu tableside preparation, which promote no food wastage. Meanwhile, Umu’s al fresco dining area paves the way for a romantic, under-the-sky escape with a picturesque view of the vintage Japanese gardens and flowing lagoon housing brightly colored koi fish. 

Partygoers can sample the freshest brewed beer in town with zero preservatives at Fiesta San Miguel, or enjoy the Lobby Lounge’s locally produced lambanog cocktails using 100-percent-natural sugar cane, coconut and rice.

For more information, call 867-3333 or e-mail dtmn@dusit.com.