Vegetarian Comestibles at Mabuhay Palace

When considering a Chinese cuisine, it is also thought that vegetarian practices date back to ancient times. This means the Chinese have had centuries to perfect flavorful combinations found in vegetarian dishes, from sweet and sour to hot and spicy.

Known to be a very sophisticated art, Chinese cooking has been sought-after even in Manila.  Many consummate foodies have found Chinese cuisines one of the best.  With this in mind, Manila Hotel's Mabuhay Palace have had a serious study of revamping their menu with famous vegetarian dishes from China.  

Confucius once said "everyone eats and drinks; yet only few appreciate the taste of food.   A definitive summary of what to expect with the newly added vegetarian choices.   More than the usual, steamed vegetables, or congee which lacks tastes and distinction, is but a fore-shadow.  

To delight into a complete health-giving meal, with careful conceptualization that Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing have put into, begin with a hot cup Sweet Orange Tea.   One can never be recklessly extravagant on a lunch or dinner here.  After all, isn't it that health is wealth?

While you're at a pace with  your choice for the table, these crunchy mound of Wanton Chips will be a good conversation piece.   Sprinkled with white sesame seeds, this house-made wantons are fried and caramelized to prepare your palate for a voracious meal.

How can anyone be more timely preparing a plate of Vegetarian Beijing Duck with Confucius' statuette, than Mabuhay Palace.   Food plus work of art can be a true delight for all the senses.  The miniature Confucius piece is made from salt, mixed, colored then compacted on a mold to form as is.

The wrap on the other hand, had set about our culinary journey with faux duck meat.   A veggie meat delicately seasoned to taste like an authentic Beijing duck.  Comes with a brown, subtly tangy and sweet sauce.

 A veggie meatloaf in it's own right, the Steamed Lotus Root with Glutinous Rice Glazed with Sweet Osmanthus Sauce.   If this doesn't intrigued you enough let me give out the salient details.  Medicinally, it is said to flush out toxins in the body such as mucus.   I only knew lotus flowers as moon cake flavors and fillings but I never really knew that the whole plant can edibly be used.   When boiled and mashed, the texture resembles  a sweet hint of taro (or gabi in our lingua).  This can be a bread or rice replacement, since the mix has glutinous rice already.  Sweetened even more with sugar-roasted, dried Osmanthus petals, used as a tea.  The strong floral fragrance of the topping and flavor serves to remove the disgust giving a loss of appetite from eating a certain food (in simple Filipino term,"pangtanggal umay").

 

Another salt statue of a lucky dragon emblem on the middle of the aforementioned dish.

For a light starter, a bowl of Yin Yang Winter melon and Spinach Soup is a sure stopper.   I love the thickened combination of the purees of winter melon and spinach.  This simple, less salty soup can be eaten in two ways: develop a mixture of the two soups or eat it sparingly on its own ingredient.

And a crowd-pleaser, the Stir-fried Oyster Mushrooms with Salt and Pepper.   A must in your table.  Living up to its name, a big mushroom that smells, looks like and tastes like oysters. Seasoned only with the basics, battered and deep-fried till crisp.  Served with a smackingly good sort of Chinese vinaigrette.

Our lunch getting way even surprising, as a plate of an unusually shaped baby squash was served in our midst.  The Stuffed Baby Squash filled with Vegetarian Meat and mushrooms.   The imported baby squash were baked, opened up and served as a bowl for sauteed chunks of veggie meats, prunes, water chestnuts and button mushrooms.   With these way of preparing the squash, the sweetness from it's meat will be loved even by kids, and did I tell you how good their veggie meats taste.   One actually would taste a pork meat such as Spam inside.

Now here is something for the spiced-mouth and unsuited for silent treatment.  As Chinese as could be, the Stir-fried Celery with Black bean curd and Chinese Wolfberry will change your views of preparing typical stir-fried veggies.  The julienned celery, and veggie meat was made more  delish and vitamin-packed with Chinese wolfberries.  Also known as Goji berries, the wolf berries are considered as a superfood.  Traditional Chinese uses wolfberry fruits to improve eye condition, to support liver functions, to maintain healthy blood pressure, to maintain healthy immune system, to control blood sugar, to maintain body beauty against aging. 

Well, here is the thing, I'm not a vegetarian, though I love vegetables knowing the benefits you get from consuming it.   And turning into something I'm not going to be happy about will mean an entire difference but as we can see, Mabuhay Palace have been so gracious enough with their profound styles in using vegetables.  Say for example, this plate of Braised Wawa Chai with Chestnuts.  It's simplicity may not entice you but once you sip the milky sauce an entire light of change appears.  Again simply putting it this way, they were able to magically bring out a meaty flavor in their veggie dishes.  The soup actually taste like chicken brought though getting your protein from the chestnuts.

If you're fond of eating taho, you will definitely like these, Deep-fried Bean curd with Broccoli Flower in Brown Sauce.  Bean curd, known also as Chinese tofu a soy-bean by product can be deep fried when minced, battered and shaped like eggs.  The mix also contains minced spring onions and smothered with clear yet thick sauce, might be Worcestershire or XO sauce.

Another "wow-factor" in the menu was the manner of how the rice can be served.  From a far you can smell the aroma of a cooked strong brewy leaf with the rice.  I was taken a back when this was brought to our table, having a bit tummy-filled already, I still took a few  spoons of this Vegetarian Lotus-wrapped Fried Rice.  All along, I thought that Lotus plants merely are for aesthetics only, something to please the soul with its bloom's beauty floating on rivers or pools.  Centuries prove that Chinese culinary is as endearing as Confucius' sayings.  The aromatic fried rice, amber-colored without any hint of curry, wrapped carefully with the lotus leaves, is a perfect match to any veggie meats or seafood flavored meat substitute, like the Stir-fried Oyster Mushrooms with Salt and Pepper.

To end a glorious, health-giving meal sweetly, how about a traditional Steamed Sweet Taro filled with Red Bean Cream.   This dome-shaped dessert is another heavy stuff for the tummy so make sure you have ample space before you slice a serving from it.  A layer of the sweetened mashed taro and red beans garnished with dried fruits and heavily scattered with pulverized peanuts, can be a better alternative to the sugar-laden dessert ( without trace minerals our body needs).

All these can be enjoyed at the the Filipino version of  the Imperial Palace, Mabuhay Palace, garbed in hues of red, orange, and gold; chinoiserie -carved dividers; padded panels of dragon-pattern fabric; and glass and jade panels depicting the life of Chinese philosopher Confucius. 

 On the picture are Manila Hotel's Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing and Executive Chinese Sous Chef Joy Tanganco-Candelaria

Mabuhay Palace is located at the historic Manila Hotel.
Open for lunch from 11 AM - 2:30 PM and dinner from 6 -10 PM.
For inquiries or reservations call 527-0011 local 1261.

http://www.manila-hotel.com.ph/

Mom's Best Friend: Peppermint Salon

Are you a mom like me, who always, always have the family's needs come first?  Or a generally stressed out person who aims to finish every job with perfection?  An under-rated baker, perhaps, who gets the J-O-B done,  prioritizing the happiness each baked products would give to the recipient?  I'm practically an example of all the above mentioned.   But then, come to think of it, were is the joy in that, when it will end with tired, old-looking hands, chipped nails and cuticles coming out in every fingernails.
Our hard work truly shows up in our hands.  Apart from our face, our hands are the first to be seen at by others.   Don't you just envy a gal, donning a gorgeous red nail polish on smooth hands or feet?  Yes, more often than not the nails are the first thing that people see when they notice our hands.  While adorning your fingers with fine jewelry gives an elegant, put -together look, chipped polish or cracked skin diminishes the beauty of our hands.   Much as we wanted to allure not only others but ourselves as well, time is always have been our enemy.   No time to go to the salon, timid, slow-poked salon staff, question about available salon near our place and bla, bla, blah...
With this, let me share an experience at one of the wonderful salon we have here in Malibay, Pasay City.   I've seen and tried a lot of nail salons, but as I've mentioned it is a hassle to go to malls just to get my nails, hands and feet made-up.    Most of them would be expensive also, but will not give you the true satisfaction you needed.   I've actually been there three times already and seems that I'm going to be back sooner than m husband would think of...Hahaha...
The name, Peppermint Salon, caught my attention one time as I was on my way to one salon near EDSA, knowing that it was new, with the building just built as well, I didn't quite mind it.    I hate waiting, and having to waste even 15 minutes of my time just for my turn with the manicurist.  So I decided to visit Peppermint and check it out first.  
To my surprise, the place was so posh.   As the glass door opened, a slight tinged of soothe already welcomed me, with an aroma to match the lux spas and salon in the upscale side of the town.

The welcome staff greeted me with a smile and attended to my need and questions right away and she had me seated on a nook that every guest would definitely love.   At that time, I have with me  heavy bags of fruits, which she took and found a place for it.   Well, here I didn't mind them taking time to prepare the things for my service, there are a lot to see in every nook and cranny of the semi-narrow place.   And here are the things that I have observed which really caught my fancy.

1.   Yey!  They have nail art.

2.   They welcome kids.  They even have services for children like haircuts, nail arts and lice removal.

3.   The place is new so everything might be new and clean.

4.   An artsy blackboard will give you a hint that they are different and above the norm of beautification only.

5.   The place was so cute, they even have a special kiddie section where kids are groomed on a toy car while a cartoon video of their choice will be played on the LCD screen.

6.  Next to it is the the nail grooming section, where you can have your pampering while looking after your child being tidied-up.

There are more to be shared here, but have to end here for this moment.  But let me end with these, far more that what you can expect on their foray of services and of course with the venue itself, I love that an hour of stay here was so rejuvenating.   From having my nails cleaned to colored, glammed-up and my hands and feet made younger-looking,   I'm am more ready to face more challenges, even more stress, for now I have a friend who will take care of that.  

The picture above is a sample of their nail-art, which is stamped, which gives that flawless uniformity in every tips as compared to the manual painting, not only cumbersome to the artist but takes a lot of time to do.  It's what I had last Halloween.

Below is my simple, chic yet sophisticated look (in baby pink with soft glitters) for those ambitious client meetings.   Mind you, this was taken after 3 days since I had it done at the Peppermint Salon.

Catch my write-up again as I have my hair and other nail arts with them...

Adress:   Unit 10 2nd Floor, #45 C. Jose Street corner V. Cruz Street, Malibay

    1302 Pasay City,

Phone:    +632 478-3566 / +632 806-0258
Email:    sales@peppermintsalon.com
Website:   http://www.peppermintsalon.com

Facebook:   Peppermint Kids and Grownups Hair and Nail Salon

A Mesclun of Fine Things

Much have already been written and said about The Linden Suites and the anticipated new dining room, Mesclun Restaurant and Cafe.   With their top accounts, media friends and industry partners, The Linden Suites swung open their doors last October 18.

 Kathy Manuel-Salenga, Director of Marketing, hosted the night and with warm welcome remarks from General Manager Lawrence Wee and Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara, had kicked-off the event.

Knowing the expertise of the Le Cordon Bleu-trained proprietor of a couple of newbie big names in the dining market, Chef Katrina Kuhn Alcantara,   Mesclun will be a grand addition to Ortigas' dining joints.

“Mesclun means mixture, and the menu we created is a mix of local & international favorites.  Creations inspired by my personal travels and experiences and collaborations with my team of talented chefs.  It is a mix of what makes the old world classic & the new world refreshing.  We are  thrilled to offer the Ortigas business community and its residents, a different level of dining experience now available in the heart of Ortigas.”  Said Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara.

On that note guests were delighted with a sumptuous array of appetizers, signature dishes and drinks from Straits Wines.

To give you a clue on what they are serving, let me give a couple from their perfectly crafted menu.

1/2 pound Angus Burger

Half-pound U.S. Angus beef patty, lettuce, tomato, spicy garlic sauce and mayo mustard.

Surf and Turf Tapas

A trio of beef tenderloin salpicado, gambas and herbed skillet potatoes.

Sisig Spaghetti

Spaghetti with pork sisig and light cream sauce topped with chicharon.

(Slightly spicy, heat may be adjusted).

Grilled Pompano

Grilled whole pompano with green beans and mango - tomato salsa

Bacon Flammekeuche

Bacon, onion and crème fraîche with nutmeg.

Australian Lamb Chops

Australian lamb chops with ratatouille mint rice.

Ulang Thermidor

Baked ulang on black ink seafood risotto

with grana padano slivers

Mesclun Restaurant and Cafe is open from 6am to 11pm.  For exciting offerings follow them on twitter @MesclunResto or call 638 7878.

The Linden Suites is at #37 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Visit www.lindensuites.com

A Serene Escape the Family Needed at Chateau Royale

 This can be your home for the weekened...

This can be your snack for the weekend...

Imagine a crusty, less sweetened spring roll wrapping  good slices of saba bananas and ripe jackfruit.  In every bite, creamy purple yam delicacy oozes out with enough warmth to fill your mouth, encompassing the frigidness in every gust of the wind blown from the greenery.

This can be the place where you watch over your kids waddle in pool while you sip cup after cup of coffee with the Ube Langka Turon.   Wifi service can also be your friend as you tinker away with your gadgets and not minding the tie pass.

Yes, this can be the alley that's serene and clean as you walk to your cabin...

Imagine this to greet you as you head to your cabin, or visit other places of interests inside Chateau Royale and relish the

A weekend can be an ultimate adventure week-ender with this made-up building only for wall climbing.

Be ravished with a line of  life-sized Buddhist stone-carvings, as make each child jitters while nearing the playground.

This can be your kids' weekend playtime spot.

Get soaked in unspoiled sunbeams and cool clean water and get meager smiles and laughs.

Get a doze of Flipino cuisine on what seems to be a floating restaurant, just a walk away from your doorstep.

How about unique finds to take home or get treats for friends or colleagues as "pasalubong."

A new look above the ceiling with this eye-catching work and chandelier, would not hurt, not even on some weekends.

This Three-egg omelet can be a different take on your breakfast table.    Have it with fried rice or classic bread toasts and more coffee.   Without the daily morning noise of the neighborhood.

LOLz.  This can be the most awkward family picture you can have on a weekend yet a dear one.

The Lounge to greet you,  as you are received in the resort and the last site before you go back to the harsh reality that is so called, urban living.


Chateau Royale is conveniently located across Evercrest Golf Course, a twenty-minute drive away from Tagaytay City. Please refer to the map below for directions.

Chateau Royale Sports & Country Club, Inc.
Km 72 Batulao, Nasugbu
Batangas
Philippines