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Indulge in a lavish summer vacation with a unique gustatory experience complemented with scenic views of the Philippine seas.
Philippine Tatler Dining rounds up the best dining places in the country where guests may savour sumptuous meals with a luxurious resort experience.
Tea of Spring
Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Punta Engaño Road, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, +6332.231.0288
Savour creative Sichuan-style signature dishes and be indulged with the restaurant’s sumptuous array of dim sum choices and stir-fried seafood varieties. Dining alfresco may give one the full epicurean resort experience but the spectacular view of the resort can also be seen even from the tables by the windows.
Tatler Tip: Many of the signature dishes include tea in unexpected ways like the excellent crispy bean curd with osmanthus oolong tea leaves. Have a taste of the delicate two-flavour pork and shrimp wanton soup for starter and enjoy stir-fried scallops and prawns as well as an oven-baked salmon served with XO sauce for a hearty lunch or dinner meal. A fitting end to the meal is always the chilled fresh mango purée, served with sago pearls and pomelo bits.
Saffron Café
Crimson Resort and Spa, Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, +6332.401.9999 loc. 1614
Enjoy a delectable variety of Asian and Western culinary cuisine while dining with an attractive view of the resort’s infinity pool and lush gardens. Besides the international buffet spreads, Saffron Café also offers guests indulgent à la carte menu.
Tatler Tip: Start with the penne pasta with spicy sausage for a deliciously light and creamy combination of cold cuts, cheese, raisins, sausage, and penne. Other must-try dishes include the stir-fry noodles, yellow fin tuna with apple and peanuts, and coconut prawns with sweet corn and black bean salad. Cap off the meal with the Torta Cebuana, a lighter variation of the sponge cake with a caramelised top, as well as other tempting choices at the pastry section.
Kilimanjaro Kafé
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Marigondon, Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, +6332.505.9800
Perched over a saltwater swimming pool, Kilimanjaro Kafé offers a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere and a cosy dining experience.
Tatler Tip: Whether in the mood for a grilled angus steak, a fresh made-to-order Caesar salad, or a meltingly tender and flavourful kare-kare, every plate that arrives on the table will not disappoint. Try any of the resort’s signature ice creams and sorbets, which are simply perfect on a hot tropical day or a balmy evening.
Vintana
Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, Brgy. Yapak, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, +6336.288.4988
Tucked away from the crowds and blaring music of White Beach, this all-day dining outlet offers an indulgent buffet spread in an elegantly laid-back tropical island setting.
Tatler Tip: Satiate gustatory cravings with the simple but elegant Greek salad, soft and succulent bagnet, and the thick and opulent roti canai dengan kari ayam in spicy curry sauce best to pair with a chilled 2012 Grant Burge Chardonnay. For dessert selections, Vintana has a signature ice cream, crepe, and fondue station as well as a station dedicated to local Filipino specialities like ginataang palitaw, which is a glutinous rice dessert in coconut milk with pandan twist.
Fiji Restaurant
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Marigondon, Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, +6332.505.9800
By the Mactan Channel, diners may try the succulent flavours from the Pacific Rim. Step into this relaxed tropical restaurant and be delighted with the picturesque views of the sea and indulgent varieties of sushi and sashimi.
Tatler Tip: Begin with the kway teow, slightly spicy stir-fried flat rice noodles with prawns and Chinese vegetables in a clay pot. The house special prawn tempura, which includes perfectly crisp four jumbo prawns, is not for the faint-hearted. Fiji’s Baked Alaska, a home-made vanilla bean ice cream encased in flambéed meringue, is a perfect decadent ending to this hearty meal.
Sirena
Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, Brgy. Yapak, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, +6336.288.4988
Sirena has to be one of the most romantic and peaceful settings on Boracay with the warm and balmy breeze, the rustling palm trees, and intimate candle-light setting.
Tatler Tip: Book ahead for a table on the deck and savour the classic lobster bisque, grilled seafood, pan-seared scallops, and the Chocolate Sensation for dessert, which is a decadent and blissful sauce encrusted in a thin layer of chocolate.
Abacá
Abacá Boutique Resort, Punta Engaño Road, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, +6332.495.3461
Set in the lush tropical grounds of the Abacá boutique resort, Abacá guarantees a uniquely sensational dining experience with its tropical beach vibe and exquisite menu.
Tatler Tip: Enjoy a cocktail or two on the patio with flatbread pizzas straight out of the wood-burning oven, before sitting to dinner. Share with family or friends a generous serving of the perfectly grilled rib-eye steak, which is crustily seared on the outside but flavourful and tender. Try the Nightmare Broccoli—roasted broccoli tossed in olive oil and red pepper flakes—and later indulge in a dessert platter that includes a perfectly executed crème brûlée, silky chocolate mousse, and the house ice creams and sorbets.
Acqua
Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Punta Engaño Road, Lapu-Lapu City, +6332.231.0288
The relaxed atmosphere of this poolside restaurant belies the depth of its extensive menu of Italian specialities.
Tatler Tip: Besides the wonderful thin-crust pizzas, Acqua has a dizzying selection of mouth-watering food to choose from. Begin with a fresh tartar of yellow fin tuna and then savour the highly recommended risotto al nero con calamari e bottraga.
Cowrie Cove
Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Punta Engaño Road, Lapu-Lapu City, +6332.231.0288
Besides the beautiful seaside setting of this alfresco restaurant, it is also known for serving the freshest seafood and the most succulent meats in Cebu.
Tatler Tip: Cowrie Cove’s seafood platter is a must if you don’t mind eating with your fingers. It is piled high with cold lobster, prawns, green-lip mussels, clams, and crab. Must-try dishes include the clay pot-cooked lapu-lapu in a spicy ginger sauce, grilled prawn and mango salad paired with a glass of crisp white wine, and the tangy berry sorbet for a light and refreshing dessert.
Rima
Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, Brgy. Yapak, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, +6336288.4988
Ideal for an intimate date by the sea, Rima looks outward to an infinite view of the crystalline waters and beautiful rock formations. The unique ambience and the novelty of dining in a tree house coupled with excellent service and delectable cuisine make for an inimitable evening.
Tatler Tip: Delight in the squid ink risotto served with baby calamari and fresh thyme to begin. Enjoy the rich and tender ossobuco braised veal shank, marvellously combined with the al dente creamy saffron risotto, and then the thinly crusted torta di mele for a light and satisfying way to cap off a hearty Italian meal.
Photos courtesy of respective restaurants
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