What's cooking at Oceana?

MANILA, Philippines - The multitasking people behind the Cravings Group of Companies recently launched its first ever restaurant-school called Oceana located at Seaside Boulevard, along the Mall of Asia complex. As a grand collaboration of three companies under the Cravings group namely, CCA Manila, C2 Classic Cuisine, and C3 Events Place, Oceana promises to provide students and diners alike with a truly unique learning and dining experience.

During Oceana’s press launch, guests were briefed on the concept behind Oceana and why it’s definitely not just your ordinary culinary school or fusion restaurant. Dubbed as its “new home by the bay”, CCA’s Oceana is an 800-sqm modern facility which houses a restaurant school; a dining area that can seat 60 people; and an events area which is said to be capable of accommodating up to 350 guests. As a restaurant school, Oceana has come up with the “Fast Track-Pro Chef Program” – a six-month course that highlights the application of French techniques on the preparation and service of various cuisines. The lessons and trainings for this program will be facilitated by CCA mentors who will put the students through a rigorous program that will better prepare them for the challenging and highly-competitive world of the food service industry.

Classics with a twist

For lunch guests were treated to a special buffet lineup of seafood favorites from C2 Classic Cuisine like Cod with Fish Roe Stew, Grilled Marlin with Simmered Vegetable Stew, Tilapia with Coconut Emulsion, Prawns in Aligue Sauce, Tamarind Spice Crab, and Dilis Rice. As for dessert, guests chose their favorite among C2’s bestselling treats like the award-winning Bibingka Souffle and Turon ala Mode. This is because Oceana’s restaurant feature will also be offering C2’s unique and palatable mix of fusion food but this time around, the selection will have a heavy dose of seafood dishes.

As it is located at Seaside Boulevard, diners can expect to experience the “flavors of the sea” with each visit at Oceana. Aside from the modern twists given to classic Pinoy dishes, Oceana’s seafood fare will also play around traditional Malay ingredients like ginger, garlic, local souring agents, and coconut which all work well with seafood dishes. Chef Merrie Lim, Oceana’s kitchen head refers to the restaurant’s menu as something that is primarily composed of “indigenous seafood of the Philippine coastal line with a twist.”

Also, as Oceana is a restaurant-school, students who will be joining its six-month program can well expect to spend about two hours working in the restaurant daily. Oceana students will certainly have an edge over other Culinary Arts students in the sense that they are able to not just train with the best but they are also put in situations wherein they have to think fast and work harder to prove their mettle.

School proper

The school is said to have six intakes per year – with each batch composed of not more than 15 students. This will allow the mentors to keep a closer eye on each student to help monitor his or her progress better during the six-month program. As Oceana students will also have the chance to engage in restaurant operations, they are expected to spend time in the various areas of the Oceana restaurant – from food preparation, restaurant service, customer interaction, and banquet and events planning. All these activities will allow the students to earn actual experiences through work integration in the restaurant-school.

Currently, the first batch of Oceana students are already busy learning the ropes of the food service industry as classes have already began last April 13. In every two months, a new batch of students will start with their six-month training program under Oceana where classes have been set to a minimum of six hours per day at five days per week. As an incentive, interested applicants may be interested to know that they will also get a chance to earn while studying through a paid practicum.

A place for celebration

Lastly, as Oceana is also an events place, its 350-capacity events area is expected to emerge as a popular banquet venue for different social and corporate events according to Catherine Ong of C3 Events Place. The overall design of the Oceana property was inspired by the stunning view

of the bay which is why architects Cathy Saldaña and Alan Casas of PDP Architects made sure that the events venue is bright and airy, with a predominantly white motif and a clean, streamlined look reminiscent of a relaxing day at the beach.

Unique Pinoy accents like cut out patterns inspired by elaborate pastillas wrappers gives a special touch to the walls while the ceilings have been decorated with something that invokes of waves coming to shore. And as lighting is important in any restaurant, drop lights made of glass spheres simulate bubbles that people blow when underwater.

The PDP Architects also designed furniture that is unique to Oceana. To provide contrast against the white and streamlined look of the restaurant, the tables have curved silhouettes and the upholstery of the chairs is in aqua. The magnificent view itself is unveiled by a glass wall that overlooks the bay. Through these, one can truly have a beach reception without the hassles of long drives, heat and sand in one’s shoes.

Whether you want to learn and train under the best culinary arts experts in the country or you just want to try a new dining place or you want to have a special venue to celebrate your life’s milestones, Oceana is truly worth a visit.

For inquiries on Oceana and CCA, Manila, please call 994-2520/30/40, e-mail: [email protected] or visit the website at www.cca-manila.com.