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Like the
legendary lost continent after which it is
named, Lemuria exudes an air of mystery and
seclusion. Tucked away in a quiet corner of
Quezon City, the fine dining destination
attracts only adventurous souls who are willing
to break away from the run-of-the mill
restaurant experience one can easily find in the
malls or other more accessible stomping grounds.
A year after opening, the restaurant’s continued success inspired
its founders, Kitt and Klaus Schroeder, to
freshen up the menu. And so they sent their
gifted young chef Golda May Raņada on a French
sojourn.
In late September of this year, the tail-end of
summer, she spent eight days soaking in the
sights, culture and cuisine of the heart of
France. True French cooking requires everything
to be prepared from
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Chef Golda in the
market of France |
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scratch, using
only the freshest and finest ingredients.
As a chef, her journey would have been incomplete without visits to
the famed French country markets. Market day for
the French means just one day in the week where
all the artisans bring in their produce—fruits,
vegetables, meat, seafood, cheese, herbs,
spices, baked goods and other wares—which they
set up in the town square. Chef Golda describes
how wonderful it was to see fresh produce in all
colors, shapes, sizes and textures set up in
long tables with customers just wandering around
to purchase everything they need to create
delectable dishes.
Dinner was the piece-de-resistance of each day. Golda and her hosts
ended up savoring French cooking and
experiencing service the French way at one
Michelin-starred restaurant, bistro and fine
dining facility after another. They even stopped
by Cassis in Cote D’Azur to sample their vaunted
bouillabaisse, the flavor of which Lemuria
guests can now partake of.
To take Lemuria to another level, Chef Golda intends to challenge
herself by incorporating the elements she
experienced in |
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C2’s Classic
Cuisine with a Twist
By Katrina N.
Cabanos
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C2
Classic Cuisine restaurant has
carved a reputation as a popular dining
destination for tourists and balibayans
since it opened in Shangri-La Plaza Mall
two years ago. With its emphasis on
sophisticated presentation and
high-quality service, C2 offers an
alternative to the usual native Filipino
fine dining experience.
The menu echoes the restaurant’s innovative style, adding bold
twists on traditional Filipino fares.
Case in point is the restaurant’s range
of tempeh dishes cooked in the fashion
of timeless, local favourites. Tempeh
has been a staple source of protein for
the Javanese for hundreds of years and
is rapidly becoming popular in the rest
of South East Asia. Similar to tofu,
tempeh is a versatile soybean product
but with a |
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the
perfect meat substitute and an excellent
way to go vegetarian or vegan without
having to compromise the taste. Prepared
like our favorite meaty dishes, its
nearly impossible to tell that it’s
soybeans.
The second C2 branch opened last September at the Power Plant Mall
in Rockwell. Aside from the familiar
favourites from the first C2 in
Shangri-La Plaza, C2 Rockwell offers
Kinilaw Sampler, an assortment of
seafood cooked in vinegar; Suam na
Fettucine, Manila clams in broth and
over roasted tomato fettuccine; Foie
Gras Inasal, velvety goose in ginger
lemongrass sauce; Bulalo in Phyllo
pastry, beef shank in crispy phyllo
pastry pouch with light beef broth; Pork
Belly Binagoongan,bagoong (shrimp paste)
crusted |
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different texture and nutritional
content.
The fermentation process gives it a
higher content of protein, dietary fiber
and vitamins compared to tofu. Its
firmer texture and stronger flavor makes
it |
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Chefs of C2
prepare for the day’s meals
before the lunch and dinner
crowd walk in |
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braised pork belly served with tomato
puree; Mini Max Mung Bean sampler, three
ways of enjoying mung beans served with
crispy galunggong fillets; and Salmon
Adobo, salmon fillet drizzled with adobo
glaze.
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rance into
their completely revised menu. It now features
five new appetizers and an all new dessert line,
all inspired by southern France. At the same
time, the Lemuria function room, now known as
the Lavende (Lavender) Room, is ready for
guests. Fresh and dried sprigs of lavender, as
well as a variety of paintings all with the
lavender theme give the room a distinct
personality all its own.
Both Chef Golda and the Schroeders are excited
about Lemuria’s new offerings. And guests, both
regulars and new clients, will certainly benefit
from the French Provencal experience.
Accompanied by sparkling Ger |
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man Riesling
and a full complement of fine Romanian wines,
the rich and yet delicately flavored dishes
tickled our palates with notes of truffles and
foie gras during the exclusive preview dinner
held for What’s On & Expat. The twisty trip to
Quezon City from Makati was proven well worth it
considering the impeccable gourmet experience.
Lemuria is now open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. For
reservations, please call (02) 724-5211. They
are located at The Winery, 5 Julieta Circle,
Horseshoe Village, Quezon City. |
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Marco Polo
Hosts
South African Wine Roadshow
By Richard A. Ramos
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SIX
INDEPENDENT SOUTH African wine producers
recently held a wine presentation and press
discussion at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Cebu.
Led by South African Ambassador Pieter Vermeulen
and Eugene Grobler of the Embassy, the visiting
wine manufacturers consisted of Louis Roos from
Mooiplass, Yngvild Steytler from Kaapzicht Wine
Estate, Bennie Howard from Meerendal, Junel
Vermeulen of Mont du Toit Wines and Paul Kretzel
of Lammershoek Winery. Leading the welcome del
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Taste Around the
World
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How
would you like to embark on a
culinary adventure without leaving the
confines of the city? From the
Mediterranean foods of southern Europe
and the antipasti of Italy to the
tempura of Japan, The Tasting Room in
Greenbelt Makati brings gourmands and
food enthusiasts to a gastronomic world
tour of nine dining destinations.
Ongoing until the end of the year, The Tasting Room features the
creative menus of Mezze, Kai, Max
Brenner, Capricciosa, Bubba Gump, Mr.
Rockefeller, Bizu, Fuzion and Bed Space.
Each of the restaurants is offering
versions of a tasting menu, an array of
culinary bestsellers and new dishes,
giving diners a chance to take on a food
trip without denting the holiday budget.
The two-month long food fair is like a degustacion of some sort, an
appreciation of the best the restaurants
have to offer in sample-size servings.
—Jacqueline L. Ong
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egation for
the visitors was Dondi Joseph, president of the
Wine and Cheese Club of Cebu, as well as the
Cebu Business Council.
The South African group discussed the merits and distinguishing
features of their wine genre, saying that their
products are usually overlooked among the
world’s top wine-producing countries despite
ranking ninth in overall volume production
worldwide.
Highlighting the press gathering was the pairing of various local
dishes with foreign wines in an attempt to bring
in local cuisine into the wine picture. Also
discussed was the importance of the
compatibility of choice cuisine and wine pairing
since neither one should overpower the other.
Interested buyers may contact the South African
Embassy at (02) 889-9383, fax (02) 889-9337, or
e-mail manila@foreign.gov.za.
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Loy
Krathong at Dusit Hotel Nikko
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Experience Thailand’s most
picturesque festival on November
24–December 5 with traditional
entertainment at the newly refurbished
Benjarong Royal Thai restaurant in Dusit
Hotel Nikko, Makati City.
Thais celebrate the Loy Krathong during the full moon of the
twelfth month of the year. Loy means
float while krathong is a raft. Locals
gather near the riverside to set adrift
small lighted floats decorated with
flowers and incense as a symbol of
letting go of the past to usher in the
prosperity of the New Year.
This event is made possible with the support and cooperation of the
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai
Airways and Best World Beverages.
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