Living and dining at its finest
MANILA, Philippines - Generosity has a flavor and it appears on the menu of Manila’s five-star hotels under the heading of Spreading the Table. Throughout the month of November, an entry listed as the Chef’s LifestyleAsia Special will be available in different restaurant outlets. Every order will contribute to a calamity victims fund which the Metrobank Foundation has agreed to manage.
Part of a Lifestyle
The return to some semblance of normalcy did not diminish people’s willingness to be part of any assistance to the relief and rehabilitation of those severely affected by the spate of disasters. Even as people resumed their work, many still wanted to make a contribution. The LifestyleAsia team was preparing the November entertaining issue while still actively involved in helping friends, co-workers and complete strangers get back on their feet. “Belief that every man can do something, regardless of where he stands, provided the ground to respond to the separate realities,” editor in chief Anna Sobrepeña said. Ideas evolved to mobilize resources through the dining features and Spreading the Table was conceived. The response was overwhelming.
Management of the different hotels was enthusiastic to participate in the LifestyleAsia’s initiative. They responded to the needs, distributing goods and providing other assistance to their employees and affected communities. The collaboration not only allowed them to continue doing more, it also complimented their service in the hospitality industry. Sharing would continue even after the waters subsided and the demands of occupation required volunteers to return to their offices.
Initially the concept began with one dish that would contribute to a fund which the Metrobank Foundation would manage. The MBFI had been approached by different private individuals and entities to receive donations that would be given to the various agencies and groups providing help to the survivors. The organization had been tapped for their credibility and network. Despite not being a donee institution, MBFI responded to the entreaties to handle the monetary gifts and distribute these to the pertinent agencies in behalf of the donors. They acquiesced to do the same for LifestyleAsia and the participating hotels.
Chef’s lifestyleasia Special
Spreading the Table will run throughout the month of November. The different Chef’s LifestyleAsia Specials will be offered in the premium restaurant outlets of the hotels. Dusit Thani Manila will serve chef Kiyoshi Ogawa’s ebi yuzu butter yaki and gyuniku enoki aspara maki at Umu.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s Tivoli offers executive chef Rene Ottlik’s red mullet consommé with prawns, clams and lobster and executive pastry chef Roberto Molleman’s Earl Grey chocolate mousse with tonka bean ice cream.
Newly arrived Italian chef Salvatore De Vincentis puts together lobster ravioli with roast pumpkin sauce and grand fusilli with smoked salmon in a creamy tomato sauce for patrons of Edsa Shangri-La’s Paparazzi.
Sofitel Philippine Plaza offers several choices with the sunset view at Le Bar. Executive sous chef Arnold Guevarra whipped a combination of poached slipper lobster, pan fried goose liver accompanied by mesclun greens tossed in sherry truffle dressing and pancetta wrapped tenderloin of milk-fed Dutch veal tenderloin on cèpe mushroom ragoût, sun dried capsicum gnocchi in port wine jus. Other Chef’s LifestyleAsia Specials are tarragon Parmesan cheese crusted fillet of sea bass served with tomato capellini in dill cream sauce and strawberry and white chocolate bavarois with fruit coulis and white chocolate ice cream.
Peninsula Manila’s participation is the entire lunch and dinner buffet at the newly opened Escolta Restaurant showcasing chef de cuisine Anthony Craven’s culinary fare. Manila is invited to be part of one big giving table.
