Written by: Gabrielle Borromeo
Published in the Daily Tribune (Life Style section) on Friday, 23 May 2014.
Why go organic?
Life is an adventure that deserves appreciation even for its seemingly mundane repetitiveness. Take it from C.S. Lewis, who says, “How day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.” And the difference is what makes life an adventure.
Such was the experience offered by Marriott Hotel Manila, upon whose invitation we were whisked off to Nasugbu, Batangas for an adventure. The journey began at the lobby of Marriott in Newport Boulevard, where the hotel’s director of marketing communications Michelle Garcia presented us with this idea: “Go green, eat green, think green.”
That is, we were served certified organic products, which, for this writer, this writer, felt like instant detox.
The filleted free range blackened chicken with organic avocado in a lettuce wrap looked like a shawarma, but tasted healthier and even better. The grilled vegetable gourmet salad with organic honey dressing had a healthy, sweet and peppery taste that pleased the palate and had the added benefit of cleansing the body from within.
To wash it down, we were served a variety of organic fruits that quenched our thirst from the scorching sun.
For dessert, the green apple and cinnamon compote crepe was presented like a layered pudding and tasted like one too — sweet and creamy with a satisfying velvety texture. The tiramisu imprinted a coffee taste in my palate and adrenaline level, and the organic cookie bars were simply grand. The white chocolate that covered the bars were milky and cocoa butter-rich. The cookies were baked to a perfect crunch.
All these comprise the hotel’s new Lifestyle Break-Green Cocktails, created by chef Meik Brammer, the executive chef of Marriott Hotel Manila, and definitely one of the highlights of our organic adventure.
Fresh picks
Next on the agenda was a two-hour trip to Nasugbu, Batangas. The drive was smooth and the air crisp. The Bautista Organica Farm, owned by the couple Craig Clayton and Corazon Bautista, is Marriott’s source of fresh produce. This farm also has partners from Panuca (Nasugbu), Calatagan, Lipa City, Benguet, Mindanao and Nueva Ecija to provide all other produce for the hotel. These organic farms grow arugula, beans, bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, tomato, potato, mango and even organic rice.
The couple welcomed the group and showed off their healthy, organic treasures. They even had a planting activity set for us.
First, they demonstrated a brief planting tutorial to guide everyone. Then, armed with a Spanish-tiled wooden tray, organic soil and seeds, we spread the soil on the tray, had probiotics sprayed on it and sprinkled the seeds evenly on every area of the tray. It was a simple yet significant adventure for urban dwellers like us.
Marriott, with chef Brammer, wanted to showcase all that is healthy through a farm-to-table menu. It was an assurance that they make no compromises on the quality and freshness of the ingredients served in the hotel’s premises especially in its premier restaurant, Cru Steakhouse. To emphasize their mission, we were treated to a four-course dinner overlooking the farm with the backdrop of a wildly astonishing Batangas sunset. This was the hotel’s second farm-to-table dinner.
The starter was Citrus Cured Norwegian Salmon, served in a white circular plate in four long strips. The raw organic salmon was naturally bright orange and had citrusy notes. Cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, baby arugula and smoked goat cheese topped the fillet and accentuated its taste. The sweetest cherry tomatoes and pickled onions perfectly complemented the fish. The smoked goat cheese shaped into small balls had a really strong taste by itself but when spread on the salmon, its salty creaminess accentuated the briny flavor of the fish. Paired with this dish was the Rose Martin Codax, Cuatro Pasos Rosado, a transparent red colored wine from Spain that had a subtle sweetness and tartness to it.
Soup was next on the table. It was called the organic sweet corn veloute. The crab spaetzles sat in the middle of the large white bowl, and only when it was served on the table did the waiter pour the chive Chantilly cream. The creamy corn flavor was foiled by sweet fresh picked crab. It was paired with the Masia Freye, Syrah/Tempranillo, an opaque maroon colored wine also from Spain.
The star of the show was the grilled US certified Angus prime rib steak served together with rosemary crushed potatoes, grilled organic vegetables and pink peppercorn sauce. Chef Brammer encouraged the diners to ask for their steak to be prepared to their desired doneness. The mashed potatoes had a bit of ginger flavor and the vegetables that came with it were again surprisingly sweet as if they were candied, which matched the meatiness of the steak well. The main course was paired with Robertson’s, a Portuguese white port wine. This wine had the color of gold and the strongest fermented taste of all, yet it left a sweet aftertaste.
While dining, the sun set beneath the mountains right in front of our eyes. It was beautiful — a really orangey red and pink hard boiled egg yolk in the sky.
For dessert, we had mango confit and peanut sponge — the former a tiny, circular meringue with mango jam on top, and the latter a tiny, circular sponge cake with a mango on top. My favorite was the tamarind ice cream beside it, which had a subtle tamarind flavor and very creamy. On the dessert plate, some smoked raisins and graham cracker crumbles were laid to enjoy with it.
We ended this adventure of the palate convinced that healthy food can taste amazing. It all depends on the ingredients used, and as for Marriott Hotel Manila, nothing is compromised — what is served is always made from the best of the best.
Enjoy the same four-course organic gourmet dinner menu, available at Marriott Hotel Manila’s Cru Steakhouse this whole month of May, for only P2,900.
Marriott Hotel Manila proves that eating ‘green’ is good for both body and soul.
For inquiries, call (02) 988-9999.
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