With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus

Sheraton Manila’s new farm and plant-based menu

With the recent launch of Sheraton Manila’s 300-square meter Sheraton Farm in Tagaytay, in cooperation with Nurture Farmacy, this hotel located inside Resorts World has expanded its farm-to-table dining options. The menu now takes on a more holistic approach to sustainable dining to coincide with the nationwide celebration of the first Philippine Sustainable Month this September 2019.

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With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 3 — The Sheraton Farm in Tagaytay

Sheraton Manila has started the transition to a more sustainable menu with the introduction of plant-based meat alternatives sourced from Nurture Farmacy. Plant-based alternatives have been entering the Philippine market lately to address the demand for healthier, meatless options. Sheraton not only wants to cater to this demand, but also to lead an advocacy of mindful eating. These plant-based meat alternatives now find themselves in comfort food dishes available across the hotel’s dining outlets.

Sheraton Manila’s Executive Chef Kiko Santiago shares, “We want to eliminate the stigma that healthy eating or vegetables are dull. So we go back to the basics, switching meats on well-loved foods to plant-based, but still enhancing flavors.” To entice more people to try the new plant-based options, the hotel made these dishes good to share and reasonably affordable, with appetizers starting at P360 and heftier mains going for P640 to P690.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 4 — Meatless tacos with all the trimmings

Now available on the à la carte menu of its main café, S Kitchen, and its in-room dining are six meatless dishes to choose from, starting with a healthy salad that uses kale as its base, partnered with plant-based longganisa mixed in tomato salsa, together with other delish meatless takes on Filipino comfort food dishes like Sinigang, Pancit Bihon, and Embutido.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 5 — No-meat Sinigang

Childhood favorites also have must-try meatless versions, including kiddie-friendly Spaghetti and Tacos, plus guilt-free classic Cheesecake that uses stevia (a plant-based calorie-free sweetener) and a Vegan Brownie topped with caramelized popcorn, that is egg-less, flour-less and dairy-free.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 6 — Spaghetti

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 7 — Vegan Brownie with popcorn

The hotel’s sustainable dining program also extends to its beverages, now including cocktails that use locally-produced ARC Vodka, garnished with “throwaway” ingredients like citrus peels and grape stem twigs, in an effort to promote zero waste initiatives.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 8 — “Sustainable” cocktails using ARC Vodka. Photo by Cyrene de la Rosa

These new dishes are available until the end of October, with the more popular ones bound to become menu staples as the hotel continues to improve its culinary spread—quite an exemplary feat for a new hotel that has only been operational for barely a year.

New French indulgences at Raffles Makati’s Mirèio

Through the years, Mirèio has established itself as one of the best options for French Provençal fare in the city. Credit is due to Mirèio’s chef de cuisine Hervé Clair who works extra hard to ensure that his customers are happy by introducing new dishes, both light and indulgent, to try at this elegant restaurant.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 9 — Pan-seared Foie Gras

Those looking to indulge can opt for the Pan-seared Foie Gras with raspberry and rhubarb chutney, and buckwheat tuile or go for the new mains like Australian Pan-seared Grass-fed Beef Tenderloin and Maine Lobster Thermidore.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 10 — Australian Pan-seared Grass-fed Beef Tenderloin served with homemade truffle potato gnocchi, roasted artichoke, chanterelle, bone marrow beef jus.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 11 — Maine Lobster Thermidore, served with a side of lobster bisque mashed potato, roasted green asparagus and cherry tomato.

Then they can end with more indulgence in the form of a chocolate macaron-based dessert layered with mint crème brulée, chocolate cremeux, and fresh mint ice cream.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 12 — Chocolate and Mint Macaron Sandwich

But for those who want to stay away from rich food, Chef Hervé also has new lighter fare or meatless options like his Truffled Tuna Tartare topped with a Granny Smith apple, celery, baby arugula salad, or my new favorite on the menu: Pan-seared Salmon with grilled fennel and compote, star anise emulsion, and green apple.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 13 — Truffled Tuna Tartare

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 14 — Pan-seared Salmon

Special Cantonese dishes at Crystal Dragon, City of Dreams Manila

Among the many dining options available at City of Dreams Manila, Crystal Dragon, located on the second floor of Nuwa Hotel, is easily my favorite. After all, in my opinion, the restaurant happens to serve the best oven-baked Egg Tarts in Manila. Aside from offering a selection of regional cuisines, Crystal Dragon also highlights premium Cantonese dishes, including these new must-try menu additions.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 15 — Deep-fried Emperor’s Duck with Fried Abalone

Available only for lunch, these new dim sum staples include a seasonal Cantonese Three Dim Sum combination of Deep-fried Crispy Black Pepper Duck Dumplings, Steamed Sea Treasure and Mushrooms Dumpling, and Steamed Golden Fish Seafood Dumpling.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 16 — Cantonese Three Dim Sum Combination.

On its lunch and dinner à la carte menu, these new wok-fried dishes are worth trying as well: a light Wok-fried Scrambled Egg with Dry Scallop and Crab Meat, and Wok-fried Prawns with Fragrant Sea Urchin Sauce. The new pièce de résistance, however, is its finger-licking good Deep-fried Emperor’s Duck with Abalone Sauce.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 17 — Wok-fried Prawns with Fragrant Urchin Sauce.

The just renovated Seven Corners buffet at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria

Now armed with a fresh, modern look, thanks to its revamped interiors done in earthy, neutral, warm tones, Crown Plaza Manila Galleria’s Seven Corners Restaurant is back with a much-improved dining experience, but still with its 7 signature food stations offering dishes from around the world.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 18 — The charcuterie station

The buffet standouts include choice of unlimited crabs or prawns cooked in lemon butter sauce from the seafood station, and the US Rib-eye Roast at the carving station.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 19 — Crabs and prawns in lemon butter sauce.

Diners can also try the pasta made fresh, like the Spinach Ricotta Pasta in White Cream Sauce, at the newly added pasta station. Then they can finish with one’s choice of ice cream prepared teppanyaki style. Service is not just friendly but attentive, too.

With the ‘ber months here, these 4 hotels are raising the game with new moves on their menus 20 — Fresh pasta made into Spinach Ricotta Pasta in White Cream Sauce.

Photos by Cyrene de la Rosa

Sheraton photos courtesy of Sheraton Manila

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