Bailliage de Manille - Chaine Des Rotisseurs Philippines

Transcription

Bailliage National des Philippines
14-18 March 2012
PROGRAMME
BAILLIAGE DE CEBU
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
19th Grand Diner Amical & Intronisation
Shangri-la Hotel Mactan
Cebu City
Cocktails at 6:00 PM
Dinner at 7:00 PM
BALLIAGE DE MANILLE
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Guided Tour of Old Manila
Intramuros, Manila
By Carlos Celdran, Historian & Raconteur
4:00 O’clock PM
Friday, 16 March 2012
Filipiniana Lunch, Villa Escudero
Served by waiters in native dress amid the rustic
setting of a lush and charming coconut hacienda
Tiaong, Quezon
11:00 AM
Bailliage de Manille
—celebrating 40 years of the good life
The Bailliage de Manille was
established in 1972, a year in Philippine
history marked by trouble on the streets
and fear in people’s hearts. It was a time of
political upheaval, when a people so used to
freedom bordering on license suddenly saw
their wings clipped and their voices silenced.
But that year had its bright moments
too—it was the year La Chaine birthed its
bailliage in Manila, shining, as it were, a ray
of light on a dark night.
This year, 2012, the Bailliage de
Manille celebrates this milestone in a
blaze of red. This Ruby Anniversary brings
together Chaine confreres from Manila,
Cebu and other shores in a celebration of
all the good things that the Confrerie has
colored their lives with, for forty memorable
years—splendid food, the sweetest wines,
and the convivial company of cherished
friends.
Saturday, 17 March 2012
40th Anniversary Grand Diner Amical & Intronisation
Featuring: Musical Presentation on Philippine
History by the Philippine Opera Company
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel
CCP Complex, Pasay City
Intronisation at 6:30 PM
Dinner at 7:00 PM
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Polo Match & Farewell Party
E. Zobel Field, Manila Polo Club
Forbes Park , Makati City
Polo Match at 3:00 PM
High Tea at 3:30 PM
Dinner at Nanten Restaurant at 7:00 PM
MICHEL J. LHUILLIER
Bailli delegue National
Membre, Conseil Magistral
M
es chers confreres,
Anniversaries are important milestones that we remember and
celebrate because they mark special occasions in our lives and
invite us to call to mind happenings in the past that shaped us into what we
have become and brought us to where we are today.
This year we mark the 40th anniversary of the Chaine des Rotisseurs’
Bailliage de Manille which was established in 1972, a precarious time
in Philippine history. It must have seemed irrelevant then to found an
organization whose heart lies in things that, in times of chaos and fear
such as the early 70s were, might have been deemed out of step with the
times—good food, fine wines, impeccable table manners, and the exclusive
company of kindred spirits. But like all good things, the Chaine has not only
survived but thrived, proving that anything that lifts the soul and warms the
heart can pass the toughest tests and, indeed, does.
It is to the credit of the men and women of the Chaine who came before us
that we are here today to savor the pleasures of the table in the company
of dear friends. Our thanks to them and our congratulations to our present
members who today lend life and color to our organization.
Today, we lift our hands in thanksgiving for the Chaine and raise our glasses
in praise of the splendid concept upon which it rests, certain that as long as
there are people in our midst who appreciate and seek the finest things that
life has to offer, the Chaine will be here to stay!
Congratulations to the Bailliage de Manille on 40 years of shining
achievement in the promotion of the ideas and ideals of the Chaine, and to
all our confreres who have made it possible.
Vive le Confrerie! Vive la Chaine!
2 CHAINE DES ROTISSEURS
Bailliage de Cebu
AMPARITO L. LHUILLIER
Bailli de Cebu
Since 1993
M
es Chers Confreres,
It is with great pride that the Chaine des Rotisseurs, Cebu Chapter,
congratulates the Bailliage de Manille on the celebration of its 40th Anniversary with
a Grand Chapitre on March 15-18, 2012.
From the officers and members of the Confrerie of Cebu—cheers and a toast of good
wishes to the Bailli de Manille, Federico S. Borromeo Jr., for leading the bailliage to
what it is today. To our fellow officers and members, we extend our greetings for
your achievements, cooperation and collaboration on the work done all these years.
The events of 2011, which were the product of the creative minds of the officers and
crowned with resounding success, should give us reason to celebrate. I look forward
to another year of formal dinners and casual gatherings that will not only bid us to
do our best but more important, inspire us to be at our best, at the table where we
meet and forge friendships with one another, and everywhere else, where we live
and laugh and love, as members of the larger confrerie of humankind.
We look forward to leading a similar celebration when the Chaine des Rotisseurs,
Bailliage de Cebu, marks its 20th Anniversary in 2013, and we hope to have you join
us then.
I thank you all for the friendship and camaraderie as we, “United as One,”
continue to promote the ideals of our Confrerie around the world.
Vive la Chaine!
CHAINE DES ROTISSEURS
3
FEDERICO S. BoRROMEO, Jr.
Bailli de Manille
“
Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly”
- MFK Fisher
An Alphabet for Gourmets 1949
To My Dear Confreres,
It has been said that one should be careful with whom one dines. This is because the sharing of
food is pregnant with meaning--breaking bread with an adversary is a peace offering and a sign of
mutual respect, and sitting down for a meal is a gesture of intimacy among family members and
close friends or between lovers on a date.
For the past forty years the Chaine des Rotisseurs in the Philippines has been fostering this
kind of fraternity and the culture of the table in new and exciting ways; in experimenting with
menus and titillating liquors and beverages from lands near and far and tastes familiar and
strange; in the experience of stately functions and formal dinners with awesome vintage wines
and champagne, as well as of informal gatherings where we can laugh through bites and sips
and let down our guard, but never the high standards of dining for which the Chaine is known.
On this, the 40th Anniversary of the Bailliage de Manille, we invite you to join us in the
celebration of this honored Chaine tradition. Join us, too, as we give thanks for four decades of
blessings—relationships born, bred and nurtured at the table, friendships forged with every
bite of food and every sip of wine, precious lessons learned on food and wine and life, and the
many wonderful occasions that make up the rich tapestry of memories that will forever live in
our hearts.
With much pleasure, we welcome you to this Grand Chapitre Internationale which we have
planned with care, five glorious days of feasting and fun, interwoven with vignettes of
Philippine history that will take us first, to Cebu, where we trace our introduction to the ways of
the West, then to Manila, the ultimate point of convergence of all the cultures—East and West,
ancient and new— that shape the Filipino heart and soul.
We toast our Confrerie and one another on this happy occasion and look forward to more
pleasant gatherings at the table in the next forty years and beyond.
Vive le Confrerie! Vive la Chaine!
The Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, better known as
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, is an international gastronomic society
that brings together men and women in celebration of the
pleasures of the table, for the preservation of the culture of fine
dining and the art of good manners, at the table and beyond.
Established in France in 1248 by Louis IX as the “Guild of Goose
Roasters,” it flourished for over 500 years until the French
Revolution when it was abolished along with all the other
guilds and remained inactive for over 200 years. Revived as
an order of Chivalry by the French government in 1950 under
its present name, the Brotherhood (Confrérie) invites highly
trained and skilled professionals in the hotel and restaurant
industry and enthusiastic food lovers in other fields to join in
membership.
The Chaine is organized into national, provincial and local
chapters known as bailliages. A national bailliage denotes a
country, a provincial bailliage a region within the country, and
a local bailliage a city or town within the country or region. A
bailliage is run by a president, known as a bailli. The national
president is called Bailli Delegue. Today, the Chaine has some
30,000 members in about 123 countries around the world.
In the Philippines, there are two local bailliages under the
Bailliage National des Philippines (National Chapter)—Bailliage
de Manille (Manila Chapter) and Bailliage de Cebu (Cebu
Chapter). Manila and Cebu have a combined membership of
187. The Manila chapter was formed in 1972, the Cebu chapter,
in 1993.
Though the Chaine is commonly perceived as a gastronomic
society associated only with formal or gala dinners, this is not
so. Chaîne activities are not limited to grand dining. Bailliages
also hold ‘diners amicaux,’ informal dinners, picnics and
barbecues, where members and guests can interact freely in
a more casual and relaxed atmosphere. The programs of the
bailliages vary, depending on local resources and interests.
Many bailliages also offer food and wine tastings, cooking
demonstrations, and even seminars where members educate
themselves in the fine points of cuisine, wines and table
etiquette.
The interaction between professional and amateur members
is one of the things that distinguish the Chaîne from other
organizations. Each bailliage holds one grand gala event, called
chapitre, each year to celebrate the induction of new members.
It is on this occasion that members receive a distinctive ribbon
to be worn at Chaîne gatherings.
The Society has a special section called Ordre Mondial des
Gourmets Degustateurs that is devoted to the study of the
skills in creating fine beverages and to the appreciation and
enjoyment of fine wines, spirits and l’eaux de vie.
The international headquarters (Siege Mondial) is located in
Paris, where the seeds of the society were sown 764 years ago.
Though it now operates in a global and modern setting, with its
bailliages connected with one another by 21st century tools of
communication and travel, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs remains
rooted in the traditions and practices of the ancient French
brotherhood that defined the times in which it was created
over seven and a half centuries ago.
5
L’Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Degustateurs, better known as Ordre Mondial or simply, Ordre, is a special section of the Chaine
des Rotisseurs that is devoted especially to the promotion, enjoyment and appreciation of good wines, spirits and other drinks,
including brandy, liqueurs and eaux de vie. It also focuses on the study of the skills in developing and crafting fine beverages.
Its members are professionals, such as producers or dealers of wines, brandy, liqueurs and spirits. The Ordre Mondial may exist
in any of the Baillages of the Chaîne. It comes under the authority of an Echanson whose activities are supervised by the Bailli
Délégué. The two local bailliages in the Philippines each have a Vice-Enchanson - Arnaldo del Rosario for the Bailliage de Manille,
David Sharpe for the Bailliage de Cebu.
Referred to as the “liquid” section of the Chaine, L’Ordre Mondial was founded in Paris in September 1963. Its principle
goal—to promote and enhance the enjoyment of fine wines and quality spirits from around the world—is met through the
Chaine’s various dinners, tastings, conferences, and competitions, as well as through articles and publications encouraging the
understanding and appreciation of wines and spirits. It is the Ordre that
chooses the wines and spirits that are paired off with the hors d’oeuvres
and entrees during Chaine functions. But the Ordre, by itself, also organizes
small, informal dinners where the focus is on the wine rather than on the
food. Philippine events organized by the Ordre Mondial are
generally less formal than those of the Chaîne.
As a brotherhood within a brotherhood, L’Ordre opens
its membership only to members of the Chaine, as
membership in the Chaine is a prerequisite to membership
in the Ordre. All members of the Ordre are thus members
of the Chaine, though not all Chaine members are
members of the Ordre.
As in the Chaine, the members of the Ordre are classified as
“professionnel” or “amateur,” according to their occupation.
The official induction of new members of the Ordre takes
place during a Chapitre of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. A
chapitre is a gala event held to celebrate the
induction of new Chaine members. Upon the
investiture, the new L’Ordre member receives
the Tastevin or ribbon of his/her rank after
having taken the oath of l’Ordre Mondial
des Gourmets Dégustateurs: “I do solemnly
promise to drink thoughtfully and to respect
the work of the vignereons and distillers.”
Remembering the early years of the Chaine
By Gene Gonzalez
I am Gene Gonzalez and I am one of the oldest, most senior members of the Chaine. I’ve
held several posts as a member of the Manila Board and of the National Board, from Charge
de Presse to Conseiller Gastronomique to Conseiller Culiniere, and I’m now a candidate for
Grand Commandeur.
The Chaine to me has been one colorful adventure in that I was probably one of the youngest
members that entered the Chaine, probably one of the youngest members in the world or
maybe one of the youngest members in Asia since I became a member at age 23.
I’ve seen members come and go. I’ve seen the Chaine Philippine Chapter go up and down
through its upheavals. I’ve been there and we have seen very good dinners, we have seen
very bad dinners, but all in all the past almost 30 years have brought many memorable
experiences for me.
It was unfortunate that I was not been one of the founding
members of the Chaine, but according to stories that were
told by the Founding members, the first Diner Amical of
the Chaine was held on the year when Martial Law was
declared. It was a very tense dinner since people were
to be inducted, but a lot of celebrities and a lot of very
important people like Geny Lopez were jumping up and
down, up and out of their seats, going to the landlines,
taking phone calls because there was some crisis ahead
and it was already forecast that they were going to be
arrested the next day and placed by Marcos under arrest
for some subversion charges. This was a true marker of
what was going to happen for the rest of the Marcos era.
I became a member of the Chaine a couple of years after
it was founded and it was a rather exciting, or privileged,
membership to keep because it was in the era when no
imports were coming in, only hotels were allowed to import
luxury items—meat, fish, and particularly wines, and only
members of the Chaine were able to enjoy this privilege
and pay for it at, well, the prices were quite high at that
time. If the average Chaine dinner is at P3,500 now, certain
dinners were being paid for already at that time, about 20
years ago, at P800 to P1,200 per head, which was a lot
of money then, but definitely, the quality of the ingredients
and the quality of wines were always up too par with what
one had and the people could afford to be critical because
they were paying very good money for whatever was
being served. Hotels were vying for the position of having
the best dinners because only their restaurants had the
ingredients that could satisfy the Chaine members. So
being a Chaine member then was truly a privilege. Now,
one can have a good selection and one has so many chefs
to choose from. One can also be quite critical about the
dinners now because the chefs have at their beck and call
7
all the ingredients they need, from any part of the world, but in those
early days of the Chaine, many of the chefs had to make do with what
they had in store.
table that were flown in from all the major cities of the world. Those were
the glory years of the Chaine, gastronomic events that were engraved in
one’s memory.
It was at that time when a movement called Alta Kusina Filipina, or a
movement of chefs that I was a member of, was formed. There were
no imports coming into the country, and the young Filipino chefs had to
make do with local ingredients. We were making dinners or composing
dinners out of pigeons, goat … we were using local vegetables for haute
cuisine. It was a time when creativity had to peak, it was a time when
we had to think out of the box, when we could not use any classical
ingredients, and I think it was also a very good golden moment for
Philippine cuisine because it was a time of crisis.
The Chaine is rich in history.
The Chaine had a very colorful path. Dinners were held in several
places-- inductions were held in areas like Manila Cathedral and San
Agustin Church. Grand dinners were held at Manila Hotel where you
had 24-piece strings, and at the Champagne Room. The hotels then
were not thinking of the profit motive. They were always thinking of the
prestige of holding a Chaine dinner. They never thought of their cost,
the managers always made sure that when there was a Chaine dinner,
it was really a publicity stunt. It was an opportunity for them to bring
out their best—the best wines, for example. They never brought out
something stocked in their inventories, they never took out things that
were in their freezers for a long time, it was always the best and the
prime wines that would come out of the cellars, these were burgundies
and Bordeaux, wines that one would pay so much for, now. I can still
remember those times. . .
I remember one of the biggest dinners that one looked forward to every
year was the Main Dinner served by Philippine Airlines. Since PAL had
the capacity to bring things in, and PAL was a sister company of Manila
Hotel, a PAL dinner was a dinner to look out for. It was a dinner that
even the other gourmet societies were jealous of because PAL was the
official flag carrier of the Chaine des Rotisseurs in the world, not only
of the Philippines but of the world. Philippine Airlines carried Chaine,
and in this light, the PAL dinner was always one where all the delicacies
were flown in from many parts of the world. There was a dinner where
Berner Burger, the chef of PAL, flew in all those delicacies from France;
another dinner where he flew in all the delicacies from all points of
Europe, where they had the PAL promotions. Another dinner had Roman
Cruz (PAL president at the time) fly in all the major chefs from all the
major cities that PAL was servicing, for a grand buffet, where one chef
was assigned to one stall and all the delicacies were all displayed on a
table. At the end of the dinner, Roman Cruz stood up and said, “Chaine
members, we realize that you have enjoyed the dinner, we would like
you to enjoy even further, please take anything that you want from the
table,” and all
the Chaine
members
took whatever
delicacies
were there,
the fine
brandies, fine
champagnes,
and fine
liquors that
were on the
We had a dinner that commemorated Mozart—it featured a piece of
duck liver, served on ice, carved in a duck with a light each, lighted ice
carving on every table—this was the heyday of Hilton Rotisserie—and
at the end of it all, on signal, baskets were lowered from the ceiling, and
Mozart’s pralines were served to the guests as the baskets came down.
There was no end to the thump when it came to food, it was always a
very grand occasion. The Mozart dinners were always very interesting.
At one point we had a grand piano made of chocolate on every plate that
was served. It was a grand piano molded out of chocolate, hand made
to the shape of a grand piano… with the open top serving as a container
for a mousse. Another time a bust of Beethoven made of chocolate was
given to guests to commemorate a German-themed musical dinner. This
was truly the heyday of the Chaine.
Other memorable Chaine dinners where very rare burgundies like the
Romanie domains were served and the very expensive Reislings that
were premiere cru’s served at the Peninsula. Another dinner that was
quite memorable was at the Cellar Grill of Manila Garden which is now
Dusit Thani. An accident happened that triggered the sprinkler system,
and caused a big problem because the members had to evacuate at
once and the staff was able to move and set the dinner to the ballroom in
30 minutes. It was a true exhibition of service skills, a very good display
cool efficiency under fire that they were able to manage.
Another dinner was that of the Bailliage de Bavaria dinner where Storm
Signal No. 3 was up at Villa Escudero, and it was ankle deep in water
in the kitchen where we were cooking but the show went on although
the flames of the candles in the ballroom where everybody was, were
“dancing.” There were two long tables and the members of the Bavarian
balliage were all having cocktails around the salon, they were waltzing
and there were beautiful sparkling wines being served during cocktails
but one could hear the wind howling and seeing it blowing on the
candles, but we were able to pull through with this grand dinner that Ado
Escudero had planned. Where in the world could you re-create a true
plantation dinner where you had one servant per diner fanning the diner
at the back, and one service crew to take out your plate and another to
bring in the next course. It was a super dinner catered by Alpha Kusina
chefs and Via Mare. These were some of the really memorable evenings
that we had.
The Chaine has grown from Manila to Cebu, with Cebu now having more
members than Manila. When we started organizing Cebu, there were
only 12 or 17 members, and we are now looking forward to creating
another balliage, probably in another major city.
It’s been a wonderful gastronomic and historical trip for me, I’m looking
forward to spending more years with La Chaine and to my promotion to
Grand Commandeur. I think I deserve the title, I think I have spent a few
zeroes with the Chaine, and it’s been one memorable trip. I also owe the
Chaine for my training because were it not for the Chaine, I would not
have gotten my stage or apprenticeship in France through the kindness
of our former world head, Monsieur Robert Bati.
Events 2010
Canadian Wines Dinner
Café Ysabel Restaurant
San Juan
Monday, 25 January
3rd Corte Riva Dinner
C A V, Bonifacio High Street
BGC, Taguig City
Tuesday, 1st June
OMGD Dinner
Brasserie Boheme
Salcedo Village, Makati City
Tuesday, 23 February
3rd BYOB Kaiseki Dinner
Yurakuan, Diamond Hotel
Tuesday, 8 June
Induction Night: Faraway Downs
Grand Diner Amical
Marriott Hotel Manila
Newport City Complex, Pasay City
Wednesday, 10 March
The Viking Experience: Bocuse
d’Or Degustacion
I’m Angus Steakhouse
7431 Yakal St., San Antonio Village
Makati City
Friday, 30 April
Lunch with Fritz Haag Wines
Saturday, 8 May
The Flavors of Verbena
Discovery Country Suites
Tagaytay City
Saturday, 22 May
Viva l’Italia Dinner
Harry’s Bar
Taguig City
Tuesday, 20 July
Royal Thai Dinner
Azuthai Restaurant
Wednesday, 13 October
General Membership Meeting
Sugi Restaurant
Greenhills, San Juan
Wednesday, 10 November
OMGD Christmas Party: Navidades
por España
Barcino at Greenbelt 2
Ayala Center, Makati City
Thursday, 2 December
9
CANADIAN WINES DINNER
San Juan
Monday, 25 January
T
he OMGD cup bearers shone the light on a selection
of cold-weather wines from the vineyards of Canada
as perfect accompaniments to a seven-course dinner
that opened with a torchon of foie gras and culminated with
a rich pavlova. The dinner, another convivial affair among
confreres, also served to acquaint a prospective member, M.
Genaro Yupangco, with the Chaine and its “liquid” section,
Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Degustateurs.
MENU
Cocktails
Legends Semilion
Torchon of Gooseliver with Petite Truffle Bruschetto
Topped with Arugula and Homegrown Microgreens
Henry of Pelham Riesling Dry 2007
Legends Gewurtztraminer 2006
Demitasse of Lobster and Sole Quenelle
Abundance White Diamond 2007
Stuffed Pig’s Trotters Cooked in Grapes and Pearl Onions
Legends Pinot Noir Reserve 2003
Coyotes Run Black Paw Pinot Noir
Pastel of Tongue, Free-Range Chicken and Sausage
Baco Noir 2007
Slice Wine Marinated Malagos Cheese
With Tomato Honey and Walnut Toast
Strewn Cabernet Sauvignon
Predessert of Spiced Citrus Milk Tea Sorbet
Legends Vidal White Icewine 2005
Pavlova of Strawberry, Kiwi and Mango
With an Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream
Peach, Raspberry and Crème Anglaise Sauces
Strewn Icewine
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam
bibendum tincidunt mauris, at euismod ligula egestas et. Nam
sed orci metus, ac commodo metus. Aliquam metus sapien,
suscipit ut molestie vel, mattis sed orci. Nunc molestie quam
nec orci tempor nec feugiat augue lacinia. Pellentesque ornare
ante sit amet nisi vulputate interdum. Vivamus rutrum malesuada facilisis. In sed quam eu justo sodales blandit. Sed in turpis
nunc. Vestibulum ultrices lectus nec felis placerat faucibus.
Aenean dictum neque vulputate nibh vehicula semper. Nam
tellus tortor, porttitor id semper eget, lobortis a nulla. Suspendisse posuere neque ante, in sollicitudin lectus. Mauris ultricies,
mauris euismod commodo aliquam, purus eros cursus lacus,
eu sodales lacus nibh vitae enim. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam condimentum elementum
malesuada.
Sed in justo risus. Phasellus tempor rhoncus enim, vel consequat diam dictum sit amet. Vivamus elementum semper
tortor non mattis. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis
dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Quisque aliquet
egestas orci, sit amet cursus velit fringilla ut. Vestibulum ultricies aliquam urna quis gravida. Nulla facilisi. Integer ultrices
dictum odio, non commodo est consectetur eu. Etiam nec erat
vitae tortor suscipit commodo. Nunc diam tellus, volutpat nec
hendrerit in, condimentum vel lectus. Nam augue velit, aliquet
eu interdum a, porta vehicula leo. Vestibulum feugiat accumsan
placerat. Vestibulum lobortis sem vitae diam ornare hendrerit.
Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et
malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Fusce pretium nulla lacinia
quam pellentesque imperdiet. Donec eu felis in purus congue
consequat ac nec odio.
OMGD DINNER
Brasserie Boheme
Tuesday, 23 February
A
feast of the palate and the eyes was what greeted the
confreres and guests who converged at the Brasserie
Boheme in Salcedo Village in the evening of 23
February. Chefs Robert Lilja and Mason Ring outdid themselves
in preparing a fete special that blended so well with the vintage
wines reserved for the occasion by Charles Lhuillier, a selection
from the private wine cellar of his pere, M. Michel Lhuillier, Bailli
Delegue des Philippines.
11
INDUCTION NIGHT: FARAWAY
DOWNS GRAND DINER AMICAL
Marriott Hotel Manila
Newport City Complex, Pasay City
Wednesday, 10 March
E
legance in the outback? Surely a contradiction
in terms. How, pray tell, can one even think of,
let alone achieve, elegance in the raw, rugged,
inhospitable clime of the Australian outback, where one
is exposed to the elements, left alone to fend for himself,
forage for food, dig the earth with bare hands for water,
and fall on one’s knees in prayer for human company?
But, it turns out, the outback holds in its bosom a rich
promise of things pleasant and warm.
The new Marriott Hotel at the Newport City Complex in
Pasay City, the latest center of gravity for Manila’s social
set, was the convergence point for Chaine members from
the bailliages of Manila and Cebu for the Induction Night
dubbed “Faraway Downs Grand Diner Amical.”
Chef Harry Calinan took the exotic recipes inspired by the
original inhabitants of the Land Down Under, dressed them
in elegance and sophistication, and paired them with the
finest spirits that enhanced the taste of every dish.
13
MENU
Cocktails
Bunda Burrah Braised Kangaroo,
young Beet Tapenade and Garlic Routon
Boolyunga of Mud Crab Gratin
Piper Heidseck Champagne
Coopers Beer
Dinner
Tartlet of pan-fried Morten Bay Bug Tails,
Artichoke Puree, Arugula and
Tomato Tarragon Dressing
Freixenet Cava Elyssia NV
Velvet Cauliflower Cream, Truffled Cream Eggs
and Toasted Macadamia Nut Crumbs
Astrolabe Voyage Pinot Gris 2008
Pan-roasted Australian Milk-fed Veal Chop,
Confit Garlic Potataoes, Speck Barded Asparagus
and Wild Mushroom Forestiere
Montes Alpha Carmenere 2007
Grilled Pear and Gorgonzola Lavosh Sandwich
with Muscat Jelly
Michele Chiarlo Moscato d’Asti Novole 2008
Chocolate Pavlova, Wild Berries,
Passion Fruit and Wattle Seed Cream
Seppeltsfield Para Port
The Viking Experience:
BOCUSE D’OR DEGUSTACION
I’m Angus Steakhouse
7431 Yakal St., San Antonio Village
Makati City
Friday, 30 April
T
he members of both Manila and Cebu bailliages came
together once again for a special, for-one-night-only
dinner exclusive to Chaine confreres and friends. The
treat: a six-course culinary masterpiece, each number paired
with companion wines from France, Austria, New Zealand and
Spain, and prepared with care by Chef Geir Skeie, Austrian
winner of the prestigious Bocuse d’Or 2009.
Parenthetically, the Bocuse d’Or is an on-the-spot international
culinary competition among kitchen masters from 24 countries,
with world-acclaimed chefs from the same 24 countries passing
judgment on the gustatory obras.
Menu
Salmon Carpaccio
with Ruccola, Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Chardonnay Brut, Charles de Fere
Scallops Pan Fried with Coriander Seeds,
Pumpkin Puree, Pickled Pumpkin, Pumpkin Seeds,
and Soy/Ginger Butter
King Crab
with Mussels and Prawn Paelotto
and Gazpacho Bouillion
Riesling Kamptaler Terrasen 2007, Brundlmayer
Atlantic Cod baked in Spice Oil “Bocuse d’Or”
Baked Beetroot, Grilled Leek,
Smoked Prawns and Riesling Sabayonne
Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Craggy Range
Australian Rack of Lamb
Grilled with Fennel and Garlic, Baked Fennel and
Tomataoes,
Polenta, Lamb Jus with Olives
Soleon 2005 Conrad
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Merlot
Cloudberries
With Basil, Star Anise
Linie Aquavit
15
Menu
Lunch with Fritz Haag
Wines
Café Ysabel
Saturday, 8 May
A
ll eyes were on the wines of top German Mosel
Estate Fritz Haag at the let-your-hair-down lunch
of the cup bearers at a venue so familiar, it always
feels like home—Café Ysabel. There to present the wines
was M. Oliver Haag, manager of the Haag estate, who had
handpicked the best wines to pair with the Asian menu
prepared by Chef Gene Gonzalez, owner of Café Ysabel
and Conseiller Culinaire National of the Bailliage des
Philippines.
Wines:
2009 Fritz Haag Estate Riesling
2008 Frits Haag Riesling Kabinett Brauneberger Juffer
2008 Fritz Haag Riesling Spatlese Brauneberger JufferSonnenuhr
Galloping Horse
Shao Shing Drunken Crispy Shrimps with Season Salt
Samosas with Tamarind and Green Chutney
Pan Roasted Hokkaido Scallops with
Than Long Butter and Noodles
Crispy Thai-Style Fish with Plum Sauce
and Preserved Radish
Korean Army Soup
Crispy Oriental Suckling Pig with Thin Pancakes
and Hoisin Sauce
and Morning Glory with Shrimp Paste
Lotus Wrapped Rice with Jasmine Tea
Chilled Mongo Soup with Mochi Balls stuffed with Adzuki
Coffee or Tea
THE FLAVORS OF VERBENA
MENU
Tagaytay City
Saturday, 22 May
Aperitifs
Chef’s Selection of Tagaytay-inspired Hors d’Oeuvres
Assorted Tapas, Mezze & Crostini
Chandon Sparkling Australian by the House of Moet
Black Truffle “Parmentier”
Melted Onions, Leeks & Smoked Pancetta, Organic Tatsoi,
Arugula
Cloudy Bay, New Zealand Chardonnay, 2006
Seared Diver Scallops “Basquaise”
Melted Tagaytay Bell Peppers, Tomato Water,
‘Piment d’Espelette’
25-year-old Aceto Balsamico di Modena
Slow-Roasted Chilean Sea Bass
Barley Mascarpone “Risotto,” Madeira Froth
Shiitake-White Truffle Condiment
Cloudy Bay, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, 2006
Pineapple Granita
Rosemary Aroma
“Tout le Canard”
A Study in French Mulard Duck
Honey & Spice-Roasted Magret “Apicius,” Confit Ravioli,
Seared Foie Gras & Sauce “Dolce Forte”
Terrazas, Argentina Malbec, 2006
C
onfreres from the two Philippine bailliages traveled to the
lovely city of Tagaytay to breathe in its fresh air, bask in
its mild clime, and let their hair down to better enjoy the
picnic set in elegant surroundings by Discovery Country Suites’
unbeatable tandem, Maitre Hotelier, Bobby Horrrigan and Maitre
Rotisseur, Chef David Pardo de Ayala.
What better setting for a picnic is there than in a garden city
bursting with blooms, wrapped in the scent of eternal spring, with
a view Tagaytay alone offers--of a volcano, half submerged in a
lake, against the backdrop of a setting sun that paints the sky with
a palette of colors?
And how better to enjoy
great food and great
wines than with great
entertainment, courtesy of
Piper Heidseck?
Verbena’s “Assiette de Patisserie”
Verbena’s Signature “Old Country Tart,” Black Raisin Coulis
Chocolate Marquise & Pedro Ximenez Strawberries
Carabao Milk Ice Cream
Barako Coffee & Local Herbal Infusion
Tagaytay “Mignardises”
Hennessy Cognac, Digestif
17
3rd CORTE RIVA DINNER
C A V, Bonifacio High Street
BGC, Taguig City
Tuesday, 1st June
F
or the third time in as many years, the OMGD paid
fulsome praise to a duo of Filipino vintners who
have carved a name in the Napa Valley of California
with wines that were the centerpiece of the excellent dinner
prepared by Chef Markus Gfeller.
The evening saw the marriage of French haute cuisine with
wines crafted by Pinoy hands, a complementation that
would have been unlikely ten years earlier. The masterpieces
by Cortes and
Rivera, after whose
surnames the
‘Corte Riva’ brand
was culled, were
presented at the
OMGD dinner by
Nieves Cortes,
owner of the Napa
winery. Corte Riva
has created superb
wines that have
earned high praise
from respected
wine critic Robert
Parker.
Krip Yuson, multi-awarded writer and a member of the Chaine,
was there. Following excerpts of a piece he wrote on the
OMGD dinner that appeared in his 24 June 2010 column in The
Philippine Star:
“It’s not every night that one can have a taste of seared foie gras
and truffle parmentier sorted together with dried cranberries to
complement an excellent duck confit. To have this singular dish
partnered with an excellent cabernet sauvignon, and taken in
congenial company at a distinctive venue boasting a top-class
chef, makes it all the more memorable.
“I was privileged to join the select company of wine and food
lovers, chefs and hoteliers at Cav restaurant at Bonifacio High
Street, where chef Markus Gfeller prepared an outstanding
French menu that was paired with editions of the Corte Riva
Wines from California.
“For starters, we had crustacean bouillabaisse with seared
cod shrimps, chorizo and rouille espuma, washed down with
glasses of the Corte Riva
Viognier 2007, a splendid
white.
“Then came the duck confit,
paired with the Corte Riva
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, which has merited an 89 rating from
influential wine critic Robert Parker. While short by a point of
the top 90s scorecard, this cab had a welcome earthiness all
over it.
“Champagne sherbet followed to cleanse and revive the taste
buds, indeed at the right time, as the next entrée—48-hour
angus short ribs with horseradish croquettes, young leeks and
Portobello ragu—contended in appreciation with the Cabernet
Sauvignon 2005, rated a 93 by the eminent Mr. Parker.
“Our final delectation was baked brie meaux with black pepper
crustillade and mustard fruits. This ultimate dish was paired
with the supreme Corte Riva Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
‘Mabuhay’ 2005—top-of-the-line and even more sensational
than the Cab 2005, rated 94 by Mr. Parker.
“The final fillip to the dinner cum wine tasting was the dessert:
cantaloupe melon and port wine with vanilla bean ice cream.
Burp.”
MENU
Pass-Around Cocktails
June 8, 2010 Corte Riva Viognier 2007 (90 pts Robert Parker)
Discovery Country
Suites
Corte
Riva Merlot 2005 (91 pts Robert Parker)
Crustracean Bouillabaisse
Seared Cod. Shrimps. Chorizo. Rouille Espuma
Corte Riva Viognier 2007 (90 pts Robert Parker)
Duck Confit
Seared Foie Gras. Dried Cranberries. Truffle Parmentier.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (89+ pts Robert Parker)
Sherbet
48-hour Angus Short Ribs
Horseradish Coquettas. Young Leeks. Portobello Ragu
Corte Riva Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (93 pts Robert
Parker)
Baked Brie de Meaux
Black Pepper Crustillade. Mustard Fruits
Corte Riva Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Mabuhay’ 2004
Cantaloupe Melon & Port Wine
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
19
3rd BYOB KAISEKI DINNER
Yurakuan, Diamond Hotel
Tuesday, 8 June
O
MENU
Aperitif
Plum Liquor (Umesyu)
Appetizer
Chicken Liver
Stewed Edible Burdock
(Kinpiragobo)
Kaibashira
Pork Tenderloin Kushi
Quail Eggs Kushi
Yakimono
Japanese Wagyu Zabuton
Sunomono
Oyster and Raddish
Sashimi
Hamachi
Maguro
Amaebi
Salmon
Oshukuji
Yakionigiri
Onogiri
(Salmon)
Nimono
Stewed Lobster in Sweet
Soy Sauce
Mushimono
Sea Urchin Chaan Mushi
Agemono
Kushiage
Ebi Curry Kushi
Soup
Beef Soup
Dessert
Green Tea Ice Cream with
Ogura
After-Meal Tea
ne good turn deserves another, and another. . .
And so it was with the Kaiseki Dinner, a much loved and fondly
anticipated OMGD event, which was on its third run. A feast marked
by delicate ceremony, the Kaiseki Dinner once again offered up an
exquisite menu of the best in Japanese cuisine, prepared by Chef
Junichi Sekiyama at his culinary turf, the famed Yurakuen restaurant at
the Manila Diamond Hotel.
Sake and Prosecco, and, since it was a BYOB affair, the Rieslings,
Sparklings and Pinot Noirs that the diners brought, enhanced the meal.
Bless the early comers, who were treated to sunset cocktails at the Sky
Lounge overlooking the fabled Manila Bay, highlighting a location that
boasts a view that never fails to take the breath away. A splendid dinner
in a splendid setting, indeed.
VIVA L’ITALIA DINNER
Harry’s Bar
Taguig City
Tuesday, 20 July
I
t was a tour of many steps, without moving an inch from
the table or rising from one’s chair. Appropriately, the
dinner billed as a gastronomic tour of Italy was set at
Venice Piazza’s Harry’s Bar, owned by Chaîne member Luciano
Zanirato.
MENU
Cocktails
Bellini
Prosecco Villa Teresa
Prosecco Valdobbiandene extra dry
Antipasto
Focaccia Sandwich with Truffle
Mayo
Lettuce, Tomato and Tuna
*Poggio Argentato, Le Pupille
Primo Piatto
Maccheroni Funghi e Salciccia
Italian Sausage and Porcini
Mushrooms
in a rich Tomato Sauce
*Primitivo de Puglia, San Marzano
Secondi Piatti
Pesce alla Livornese
Fillet of Cobbler Fish,
Slowly cooked in White Wine with
fresh Rosemary
served with Squid Ink Spaghetti
*Poggio Argentato, Le Pupille
As promised, the
Viva l’Italia Dinner
transported Chaîne
members through
Italy with a banchetto
of Italian dishes and
Italian wines which
they savored with
gusto, bite by tasteful
bite, sip by spirited sip.
With Venice as a
starting point, the
Chaîne diners’ palates
found their way
through Tuscany,
Liguria, Alto Adige,
Piemonte, and Sicily,
ending the festa with a
choice of liqueurs from
Sorrento, Campania,
Sambucca, Romana or
Grappa from Venice.
Tendini alla Piemontese or
Beef Tendons Italian style on
Polenta Fontini
*Primitivo de Puglia, San Marino
Dolce
Affogato
Vanilla Ice Cream drenched in a
shot of Espresso
Panna Cotta
Classic Italian Custard with Truffle
Honey
*Limoncello, Sambucca or Grappa
21
ROYAL THAI DINNER
Azuthai Restaurant
T
he flavors and spices of Thailand came together
in the OMGD event billed as a “Royal Thai Dinner,”
the “royal” tag presumably a reference to the meal
‘fit for a king’ and the fact that it was planned with the
guidance and imprimatur of the envoy of the beloved King
of Thailand, His Excellency, Ambassador Kulkumit Singhara
Na Ayudhaya. The privilege of preparing the royal meal
belonged to one of the finest Thai restaurants in Manila,
Azuthai, where a team of Thai chefs had put hands and
hearts together for a 17-course dinner paired off with
a selection of wines and spirits—lemongrass Martinis,
Thai Singha Beer, August Kesselr Estate Riesling 2007, and
Hoegaarden Belgian Beer. 22 CHAINE DES ROTISSEURS
MENU
Cocktails—Pass Around
Azuthai Lemongrass Martinis
Thai Spiced Peanuts with Kaffir and Chili
Fresh Spring Rolls in Rice Paper
Crisp Fried Prawn Spring Rolls
Mini Fish Cakes with Cucumber and Chili
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Dinner—Seated
3 Thai Soups (in tea cups)
Tom Yam Goong (Hot and Sour Prawns)
Tom Ka Gai (Coconut and Chicken)
Tom Klong Pla Krop (Crispy Seabass and Tamarind)
3 Thai Salads
Yam Ta Krai
Lemongrass Salad with Shrimp, Pork & Peanuts
Yam Som O
Pomelo Salad with Prawns, Chicken Toasted Coconut, Lime
Dressing
Larb Moo
Minced Pork Salad with Toasted Rice, Kaffir Leaves, Chili, Lime
Dressing
Seafood Course
Hor Mok Talay
Steamed Seafood Custard in Banana Leaf
Main Course
Massaman Gaeh
Massaman Lamb Curry with Shallots, Potatoes & Peanuts
Jasmine Rice
Noodle Course
Pad Thai
Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Prawns
Dessert Course
Coconut Sherbet
Khao Niao Ma Muang-Mango with Sticky Rice
Tako – Tapioca and Coconut Cream in Pandan Cups
Segafredo Coffee or Tea
23
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Sugi Restaurant
Wednesday, 10 November
E
ven a general membership meeting, usually a prosaic, allbusiness event, turned into a night of pleasure with a postmeeting dinner hosted by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, at Sugi,
one of the finest Japanese restaurants in town.
After the official order of the day—which included the election
of officers and the amendment of the by-laws to conform to the
Reglement Interieur promulgated by the international body—the
confreres from Manila and Cebu settled to a dinner of Japanese
favorites, paired with their personal favorite
wines which they themselves had brought,
since this was a BYOB affair.
MENU
Sanshumori
Ebi Nanban, Morokyu, Beef Roll
Sashimi
Hamachi, Salmon, Blue Marlin
Dobin Mushi
Emperor’s Soup
Tori Kuwayaki
Chawan Mushi
Yakimono
Gindara Teriyaki
Agemono
Ebi Gyoza
Cha Soba
Green Tea Ice Cream with Fruit
NAVIDADES por ESPAÑA
OMGD Christmas Party
Barcino at Greenbelt 2
Ayala Center, Makati City
Thursday, 2 December
C
haîne and OMGD members ended the year 2010 with a
special Christmas dinner as a gesture of thanksgiving for
blessings received and a celebration of the foods of Spain
to which every Filipino palate has been inured and the wines that
go with them.
A veritable voyage of the palate, the meal transported the diners
around Spain as they sampled and savored dishes from four
Spanish regions whipped up by Chef Jaume Vinallonga. And
what better locale is there for a Spanish feast than Barcino, the
restaurant that showcases the tastes and sights of the beloved city
of Barcelona?
25
MENU
Cataluña
Chorizo Platter
Cheese Platter
Montaditos Variados:
Sobrasada de Mallorca (Sausage with Manchego
Cheese)
Pescado (Fish Fillet with caramelized Onions and Alioli)
Salmon y Cangrejo (Smoked Salmon, Crabstick, Shrimp
& Alioli)
Chistorra y Huevo Roto (Fried Chistorra in Omelet)
Tortilla de Patatas
Vilarnau Cava Brut
Bierzo/Castilla y Leon
Marmitako (Typical Seafood Soup from Euskadi)
Quatro Pasos Rose 2008
Galicia
Maya-Maya a la Vasca
(Creamy medley of Maya-Maya, Eggs,
Green Peas, Clams, Asparagus, Parsley & Garlic)
Martin Codax Albarino 2009
Ribera del Duero
Cochinillo with special garnish
Emilio Moro 2006
Cataluña
Crème Catalana
Turron
Vilarnau Cava Brut Nature NV
Events 2010
Bailliage de Cebu
La Nouvelle Chinois
17th Induction Gala Diner Amical
Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort & Spa Ballroom
Tuesday, 9 March
American Country Blast Fellowship Dinner
Lhuillier Residence
Maria Luisa Estate Park
Banilad, Cebu City
Tuesday, 18 May
Seascape Sonata Fellowship
Maribago Blue Water Beach Resort
Buyong, Mactan Island
Wednesday, August 18
Informal Fellowship Dinner
Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa
Brgy. Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City
Tuesday, 26 October
17th Anniversary & Christmas Gala Diner Amical
Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu
Wednesday, 8 December
27
La Nouvelle Chinois:
17TH INDUCTION GALA DINER AMICAL
Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort & Spa Ballroom
Tuesday, 9 March
T
he lore of the China of old, ruled by emperors from
dynasty to dynasty, imperial and opulent in the
Forbidden City, feudal and backward on its rural
fringes, may have receded to the farthest recesses of the mind,
leaving the lessons from Oriental History 101 blurry at best. But
the tastes of China remain alive and fresh, to live again, and be
re-lived, with every Chinese meal one comes across in one’s
lifetime.
The Mactan Ballroom of the Shangri-la Hotel was all dressed
up for the grand occasion, the event of events for La Chaine’s
Bailliage de Cebu—the grand gala diner amical, setting for
the induction rites that would welcome new
members to the fold and ensure continuity for
the centuries-old Confrerie.
The ballroom was transformed into what
could have been a haven, or heaven, for
pandas, with bamboo stalks everywhere—a
perfect counterpoint to the ballroom’s
eye-catching ceiling lamps with dangling
Swarovsky crystals that threw tiny points of
light throughout the hall.
The promise of a dinner fit for emperors
and empresses was soon fulfilled as dish
after dish was served, each one so magnificent it prompted
annotations—by Mildred Amon in English, Sabrina Ding in
Mandarin, the language of China’s elite—an explanation of why
a dish was special and a description of how it was prepared, the
better for the diners to appreciate every nuance of form, flavor
and fragrance that defined each dish.
29
31
American Country Blast
FELLOWSHIP DINNER
Lhuillier Residence
Maria Luisa Estate Park
Banilad, Cebu City
Tuesday, 18 May
B
lue jeans and white tops, the ultimate in casualclassic elegance made popular by heiress Gloria
Vanderbilt, took center stage at the fellowship dinner
billed as “American Country Blast” and held at the home
of Michel & Amparito Lhuillier, he the Bailli Délégué des
Philippines, she the Bailli de Cebu.
It was a sharp departure from the formal dinners usually
associated with the Chaîne, as the confreres, hair let down,
eased themselves to an evening of gay abandon and a meal
that drew oohs and aaahs with every bite.
Credit for the all-American dinner went to chef Brando Perez
of Pino Restaurant and Joel del Prado who orchestrated
the party. Appetites big and small, hale and hearty, found
pleasure in the fall-off-the-bone-tender baby back ribs
and the prime roast beef that had been marinated in Dijon
mustard for two whole days. In obvious deference to the
enduring Brit influence on America, there was a Fish ‘n Chips
Station that came with an array of condiments to tease the
taste buds . Wines from the private cellar of the Lhuilliers
were pressed to service as a complement to the finger-lickingoodness of the meal.
And to complete the Americana, there was
entertainment in the manner of Las Vegas and
period music so inviting, everyone surrendered
to its heady beat to boogie and rock ‘n roll the
night away.
33
SEASCAPE SONATA FELLOWSHIP
Maribago Blue Water Beach Resort
Buyong, Mactan Island
Wednesday, August 18
“
lsland Soirée” was how it was themed, and aptly so, an
evening party staged at Maribago Blue Water Beach
Resort on Mactan Island, a setting perfect for a gettogether among friends who share a common love for the
good life and its myriad pleasures. It was the Chaine’s salute to
the famous beach resort’s 21st anniversary, a favor returned
in full measure by the Alegrado family, owners of Maribago, in
particular Chaine Member June Alegrado and Julie Alegrado
Vergara, who left no grain of sand unturned to make the
soiree a sonata of flavors, sights and sounds that would play
on and on in the Chaine members’ memories for years to
come.
The diners’ floral-print attire and the stage decked with
blossoms harmonized with the beach setting of sand, sea and
moonlight, a scene that offered a touch of Hawaii and a taste
of heaven.
The menu had something for everyone: for certified seafood
fanatics, there were the fresh gifts from provident waters,
hand-picked by Executive Chef Alan Gilbert Mathay—
succulent oysters, clams, female blue crabs bursting with
fats, Tiger prawns, and the tastiest, sweetest fishes; for the
meat lovers, there was a spread of mouth-watering offerings:
Pupu Baby Back Ribs with a Hawaiian barbecue sauce;
35
banana leaf-wrapped Steamed Chicken and
Fish; oven-baked, smoke-flavored Kahlua
Turkey; and the pièce de resistance, the
celebrated Cebu Lechon, a whole pig roasted
ever-so-slowly over an open pit, that had
once been hailed as “the best in the world” by
famed food master Anthony Bourdain. And as
in all Chaine functions, there were drinks to
wash down the food with, wines and exotic
concoctions of various hues, poured copiously
into waiting glasses to quench the thirst and
enhance the flavor of every bite.
The heavens smiled on La Chaine that night,
allowing the confreres hours of fun and fine
food and drinks in convivial company. The
rains that had threatened to throw off all
the best-laid plans of Maribago’s best minds
mercifully stopped in time for the party, and fell
again later to bring
the soiree to an
unwelcome end. No
matter. It had been
one lovely party at
the beach.
37
IMPERIAL PORTS OF CALL
FELLOWSHIP DINNER
Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa
Brgy. Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City
Tuesday, 26 October
T
he invitation, or circular, bid the diners to come in “smart
casual” togs “with a touch of the Orient,” a note that
automatically nixed the jeans, no matter how chic. After
all, this was a dinner meant to transport guests to two of the
East’s “imperial ports of call”—Korea and China—and one was
politely asked to dress in an imperial fashion.
That meant getting the palate primed for the tastes and aromas
that pleased the emperors and empresses of both lands of a
time long gone, the delicate dishes especially prepared for the
occupants of the throne and brought into the royal dining rooms
in gilded bowls and the finest porcelains by servants summoned
by the imperious sound of a gong.
Though distinct in some ways, the cultures of China and Korea
intersect and merge in others, a convergence most noticeable
in their cuisines, where noodles and rice, sauces and broths,
vegetables and dried meats reign supreme, and where
chopsticks take precedence over spoons and forks and other
cutlery.
On this night, the Chaine confreres get together for the first time
at the Imperial Palace Waterparks Resort and Spa to savor morsel
after morsel of the finest foods flown in from Beijing and Seoul,
and their other regional ports, and laid out on two buffet tables
with two carving stations, foods fit for the kingly tastes of the
Chaine members.
39
17TH ANNIVERSARY AND CHRISTMAS
GALA DINER AMICAL
Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu
Wednesday, 8 December
A
fter two casual dinners, one American where they
came in blue jeans and white tops, the other Asian,
where they went smart casual with an oriental
touch, the Chaine members slid back to the dress they’re
most comfortable in, attire they wear like second skin—
tuxes or black suits for the gents, long evening gowns
for the ladies—formal togs dictated by the occasion, the
17th Anniversary of the Bailliage de Cebu which, true to
tradition, coincided with their annual Christmas Gala Diner
Amical.
The venue was the Santa Maria Ballroom of Radisson
Blu, the latest addition to Cebu’s growing lineup of
hotels serving up five-star luxuries. And the hotel did not
disappoint. Its re-creation of winter, which it christened Ice
Dream, conjured images of a snowy landscape shimmering
in the moonlight and left the guests speechless. The warm,
welcoming greetings came with champagne, chilled
and bubbly, that played perfect companion to the hors
d’oeuvres that made the acquaintance of sight and taste
buds for the first time.
The Ice Dream went on with first-rate
entertainment that had guests transfixed: songs
of the classical and Broadway musical genres
interpreted by Soprano Rachelle Gerodias; a
pas de deux from The Nutcracker performed
by a tandem from Ballet Philippines; and choral
renditions by the University of San Carlos
Choristers.
And then, of course, there was the five-course
meal, product of meticulous planning and
masterful execution by Executive Chef Ofir
Yudilevich and his team, that proved to be the
evening’s crowning glory.
41
MENU
Cyan Ice
Lobster Salad with XO Sauce Ice
Balloons
Calamansi Vodka
Winter Tide
Salmon Brule with Seared Scallops,
Marinated Red Onion and Ricotta
Galette
Torre Oria Semi Secco, Spain
Amber Crystal Foam
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
With Maple Foam and Pancetta
Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay,
France
Cerulean Winter
Blue Lime Sorbet
Fleece White as Snow
Grilled Lamb Rack on Creamed
Polenta
And Balsamic Semi Dried Tomato
With Citrus Asparagus
Laurus Rasteau, Grenache-Syrah,
South Rhone Valley
Frostine
Warm Fig Tart
With Muscat Marcapone
And Pistachio Tuile
Hanepoot, South Africa
Events 2011
Shanghai 1930’s
39th Induction and Grand Diner
Amical
The Peninsula Manila
Monday, 14 March
Argentinian Parillada Dinner
Wednesday, 23 March
Brasserie Boheme
Friday, 3 June
4th BYOB Kaiseki Dinner
Umu Restaurant
Dusit Thani Hotel
MCBD, Ayala Center, Makati City
Thursday, 7 July
Swiss Rendezvous in Red & White
Chesa Bianca
San Antonio Village
Makati City
Friday, 12 August
BYOB Asian Dinner
Yong Jin Restaurant
San Juan
Wednesday, 31 August
La Fete de la Lune
Choi Garden
Thursday, 8 September
Classic French Dinner
San Juan
Tagaytay Sojourn
Saturday, 12 November
• BYOB Lechon Lunch
Kalamunda Restaurant
At the border between Tagaytay City and Silang, Cavite
• BYOB Afternoon Cocktails
Tagaytay City
43
Shanghai 1930’s
39TH INDUCTION AND
GRAND DINER AMICAL
The Peninsula Manila
Friday, 7 March 2011
A
peak at the ballroom of Manila Peninsula Hotel said it
all—this was an occasion like no other, an event where the
word “usual” had no place. Instead of dozens of circular
tables, there were two long tables, one on each side, adorned
with splendid arrangements of flowers and fruits that seemed to
reach skyward, colorful Venetian masks hanging from thin poles,
and miniature treasure chests tastefully strewn about on the
tables. Hanging from the ceiling were drapes of sheer white cloths,
tastefully blending with the rich chandeliers. On the walls were
framed objects from the treasure trove of the mythical Mme. Ning
of Shanghai, inspiration for the evening’s dinner billed as “Tryst with
Madame Ning.”
It was the annual dinner of the Bailliage de Manille of the Chaine
des Rotisseurs, the Manila chapter of the international confrerie of
discriminating lovers of fine food and fine spirits who have elevated
gastronomy to the level of art.
The dinner was preceded by cocktails at the intimate Salon the
Ning, where Chaine members—led by Michel Lhuillier, Bailli
Délégue National, his wife Amparito LlamasLhuillier, Bailli de Cebu, and Federico Borromeo,
Bailli de Manille—and their guests treated
themselves to a feast of wines and finger foods,
a perfect foretaste of things to come.
The dinner that followed at the Rigodon
Ballroom was a veritable banquet fit
for a king, or a head of state—“like a
state dinner at the White House,” as an
astounded guest put it. Every gustatory
number—elegantly plated and paired
with the finest wine, and served by an
army of waiters moving in unison, on cue from
an unseen hand—was met with appreciation,
silently applauded by discerning taste buds.
The dinner was not the occasion, though it did
seem that way. The occasion was the induction
of new members into “chevaliers” and “dames”
and the promotion of certain members to a
higher rank in the Chaine order. The ceremony
is marked by the laying of a saber on the
shoulder of the inductee, a ritual reminiscent of
the investiture of knights at King Arthur’s Table.
The evening of 14 March 2011 served as the
stage for two glorious traditions—the induction
ceremony and the formal dinner-- each
occasioning the other in the grand fashion of
the Chaine.
45
Hail, gastronomy!
By Alfred A. Yuson
The Philippine Star, 20 March 2011
When I was a boy, I wanted to be an astronomer. I must
have missed a beat in my prayers; some half-deaf biggie up
there turned me, officially last Monday, into a gastronomer.
What a gas.
Well, you can also say “gastronome” or “gastronomist.” The
English language tries hard to accommodate everything French,
since that culture takes precedence, especially when it comes to
culinary excellence: read the feasting table.
Why, even the matter of spit-roasting had been raised to the
level of science as early as the 13th century. C’est incroyable!
In 1248, King Louis IX established the Guild of Goose
Roasters, which generically became the Chaine des Rotisseurs
and flourished for over 500 years until pheasant-hungry peasants
stormed the Bastille so they could eat cake and make heads
roll. All guilds were abolished in the name of Liberté, Fraternité,
Egalité! It wasn’t until 1950 that the Chaine was re-founded in
Paris.
And now, after 60 years, the worldwide organization called
Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs — which unites both
professional caterers and amateur gastronomes who enjoy good
food in general and that cooked on the turning spit and silver
grill, in particular — enjoys a membership of 30,000 “foodies” in
123 countries organized into National and Regional Balliages.
Here, we have a Balliage de Manille and a Balliage de
Cebu, from where our national head honcho comes — Michel J.
Lhuillier, Bailli Délégue National and Membre, Conseil Magistral.
His spouse Amparito Llamas-Lhuillier is Bailli de Cebu, meaning
she heads that chapter. For Manila, it’s the dashing Federico S.
Borromeo Jr., my friend since we worked together on a coffeetable book for the Rotary International or was it Makati or both.
My tocayo Freddie had invited me to attend a couple of
dinners with the Chaine, and on both occasions he must have
appreciated the manner in which I burped most discreetly, apart
from expressing my admiration for the level of imagination and
creativity that went behind the preparation of special menus,
particularly those that were paired with excellent wines and/or
more robust alcoholic drinks, such as single malt whisky.
Last Monday, March 14, new members were inducted
into the Chaine. And my goodness, I happened to be one of
these, together with my rock-‘n’-roll and broadcast buddy Harry
Tambuatco, among several others.
Each one of us was called onstage, given a sash and
medallion crafted in Paris, and made to hold a saber, with its
point down on the floor, and then received not exactly whacks
but taps on our shoulders with a sword blade, as conducted
by Monsieur Lhuillier. Then the handshakes and congrats, the
signatures executed on parchment sheets that now said we were
Chevaliers of Chaine des Rotisseurs, Balliage des Philippines, as
well as Membres Gourmet Desgustateur of the Ordre Mondial
des Gourmet Degustateurs. The latter, I believe, has to do with
liking spirits of the glasses as much as calories found on plates.
This ceremony was not the only highlight of the long
evening that was billed as “Tryst with Madame Ning” and held
mainly in the Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula Hotel.
It all started with cocktails at Salon de Ning, that ode
to decadence that wonderfully mystifies and mythifies the
concocted character of a Ms. Ning of Shanghai who becomes
a Madame and celebrates her fabled status with thematic
collections — such as of shoes and boxing paraphernalia —
displayed with art deco panache in nearly horror vacui
resplendence.
If Salon de Ning may be said to be quite over
the top, its ambience certainly helped prepare us
for what was to follow — the assembly, induction
rites, and formal dinner at Rigodon Ballroom.
Now, I’m quite familiar with the trappings
of enjoyment in that venue, which I traditionally
associate with the Palanca Nights held on the First
of September, when our best writers are honored
with prizes bestowed by the Palanca Foundation
by way of judgment from their own peers. I know
exactly where to go for a smoking break: that glass door on a
corner which one can slide open for egress into an elongated
patio and garden.
But on this night, the ballroom was made up exactly as
Madame Ning would have wanted it, even with some of her pairs
of shoes on display, as well as masques crowning the exquisite
floral arrangements that bedecked two long tables seating
about a hundred members and guests.
The glass doors on one side were not visible anymore, since
they were concealed by velvet drapes, as was the opposite wall
with wooden doors that led to a corridor and the CRs. Sheen-y
swathes of white cloth embellished the ceiling, and even the
chandeliers were all dressed up with somewhere to go —
maybe hog heaven when one looked up from plate after plate
of a memorable menu that could only underscore how elegant
and fabulous was the evening.
Indeed, it was a tryst with all things bright and beautiful
and delectable and sensuous.
The first elegant plate had terrine of foie gras wrapped
in prosciutto, fig-apple compote and cassis coulis, paired with
a particularly excellent Max Ferd Richter Wehlener Sonnenhur
Riesling Kabinett 2007. Ahh.
A large screen that served as the stage backdrop flashed
images of a culinary narrative that brought everyone from, say,
Brandenburg, Germany to Peshawar, India, as introduction to
the next course, titled “Kundan, Lal Gujral / Graf Von Zeppelin”
and composed of tandoori prawn and scallop with pickled
vegetables and raita, washed down with Max Ferd Richter
Mulheiner Sonnenlay Zeppelinlabel 2008.
An intermezzo of lychee and raspberry sorbet followed,
the plating so aesthetically pleasing. Then the “August Escoffier”
that harked to Monte Carlo, France — beef tenderloin, pumpkin
risotto, asparagus and cepes sauce — with yet another glass
poured by the kitchen attendants who marched in dramatically
with each new plate, this time from freshly uncorked bottles of
Louis Legin Santenay ler Cru La Comme Rouge 2005.
The next course evoked Milan, Italy, with parfait of
gorgonzola and mascarpone cheese plus raisins, garden greens
and toasted brioche, the paired wine the sweet bubbly G.D. Vajra
Moscato D’Asti 2008.
A tribute to Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen and “The
Silk Road” followed, with exotic spice-roasted pineapple and
peppered mango sorbet, paired with Salon de Ning Champagne
Rose Brut.
Coffee or tea came with “Assorted Mignardise” — so brightly
pastel-colored one wanted to preserve them as sala decor.
Ah, yes, Lucullus himself would have saluted the feast
— its conception and execution, thanks to Pen GM Jonathan
Crook, Maire de Table Dean Seo, chef Freddy Schmidt and chef
Sebastian Cocquery, together with Chaine members led by wine
expert Jay Labrador.
We did salute the entire company of the kitchen who all
streamed in at the end of the dinner, including the servers,
noting how they even outnumbered the diners, so exquisitely
had the entire evening been planned, directed and superbly
executed.
As an international society, the Chaine des Rotisseurs is said
to be dedicated to the promotion of the culinary and hospitality
arts and enology (the art of making wine) through example,
education and camaraderie.
I was delighted, and sated, to be in such company, as the
evening was indeed rife with comradeship, conviviality and
splendid conversation (especially with the Lietz couple who
sat next to my elegant, fabulous consort — on everything
from antiquities to books Filipiniana to the enchantment of
the Palawan cherry tree). To my left was seated Celine Borja,
architect to the Lhuillliers for several projects in Cebu. I was
utterly charmed by and learned much from her, too.
The evening ended the way it began with that aura of
mystery at Salon de Ning, matching the sensory captivation
by intrigue and seduction. Armanac and calvados capped the
night, back at the salon, where Venetian masks became gifts
that preceded the ultimate blessing that is passion — for the
good life and the great love, in the sweetest possible company.
47
The Art of Civility
By Harry Tambuatco
OpinYon Vol. 1 No. 33
April 4-10, 2011
The art of civility needs to be exercised every step of the way
even in the midst of devastation.
And for this, I toast the Chaine des Rotisseurs Bailliage
National des Philippines.
“Let us spread wide the gospel of the Chaine. And let it be
known that the pleasures of the table are reserved for everyone
who truly appreciates life’s precious gifts –good food, good wine
and good friends, ” says Michel J. Lhuillier, Bailli Délégué National
and Membre, Conseil Magistral. We eat, we drink and, hopefully,
are merry from day to day as this is the constitution of the human
body. We likewise tend to trivialize our being as we serve ourselves
life’s survival requirements and forget our purpose of existence.
Celebrate Life
There is a need to celebrate life regardless of its trials, as
we strive to get ahead, if not master, the expectations of others
towards us. Maybe we need the Porsche automobile to succumb
to the ego we were born with, and, for others, faith. There are
curious replacements. Some do drugs, yet others enjoy the thrill of
a kill, any excitement that will curb the inherent insatiable human
appetite for “more”. Yet for others, it can be power, absolute power
for those we see in war-torn countries like Egypt and Libya, where
the monarchial resolve of those that rule over a people seemingly
places a country under the guise of royalty when, in reality, rulers
are made of the same flesh and blood.
A Code of Conduct
Civility is a code of conduct, a standard that sets out how
we should interact. Stated simply, it determines how we should
always treat each other – with consideration and respect. Civility
requires us to behave politely, calmly and reasonably at all times. It
is a policy that describes the standards of behavior expected of us
when we interact. It provides for the appropriate ways of dealing
with problems that may arise. It applies to all interaction. The art
of civility is best served with food and drink; to celebrate survival
and appreciation for life as we know it, as we have it and as we are
supposed to enjoy it.
By Invitation Only
I salute the induction ceremony last Tuesday when I was
accorded a membership, one that I stand proud to associate with.
The seeming decadence
is not the objective but
the pleasure, if not the
privilege, of preparation
for an evening of
consumption. Very fine
consumption,
Salute!
Congratulations
to
Freddie Borromeo on
his relentless efforts to
propagate civility in its
finest form through the
Chaine and the brands of
personalities that support
and promote life as how
it should be. Membership
in the Chaine des
Rotisseurs is by invitation
only. It is, in effect, a case
of friends inviting friends.
A nominee is required
to attend at least three Chaine events to be accepted into the
Society’s roster of members. Attendance in these events gives the
prospective member a chance to make new friends, observe the
way the Chaine operates, and better appreciate the art of cuisine
and fine dining that the Chaine is committed to promote.
Membership
There are two types of membership—professional and
non-professional or amateur. If you belong to the food and
drinks business—as owner of or director, manager or chef in a
hotel or restaurant, or owner or manager of an enterprise that
distributes or retails wines and spirits— you come under the
professional category. Everybody else comes under the amateur or
nonprofessional category— businessmen, ambassadors, doctors,
lawyers, land developers, engineers, architects, writers, and so
on. Bailli Delegue Michel Lhuillier, former Ambassador Alfonso
Yuchengco, and Bailli de Manille Freddie Borromeo, businessmen
all, fall under this category. Upon receipt of the membership
application form, the Siege Mondial sends to the member a
“nomination” for induction along with a membership card, which
entitles the new member to attend local and international events
and to a vote at the Annual General Meeting. At the induction
ceremony, a gala event referred to as a chapitre or grand chapitre,
the new member is formally received into the Society and receives
the appropriate colored ribbon and diploma. See you soon at the
Chaine events!
49
A Diner Amical at
Madame Ning
By Gene Gonzalez
Manila Bulletin
March 24, 2011
It had been two years since I had to be convinced of a
true roadshow performance of any Makati hotel when it came
to our grand diner amicals at the Chaine des Rotisseurs.
For those who don’t know, the Chaine des Rotisseurs is
a gourmet club and an international society dedicated to the
promotion of gastronomy through example, education, and
camaraderie. Originally established in France in 1248 by Louis
IX as the “Guild of Roasters,” it flourished for over 500 years until
the French revolution abolished all the other guilds. Happily, a
modern reincarnation of the Chaine was re-founded in Paris in
1950. The Chaine today unites both professional caterers and
amateur gastronomes who enjoy good food and wine. There
are over 30,000 members in 123 countries, organized into
National and Regional Baillages.
The Grand Diner Amical is a culmination of a grand diner
held once or twice a year for a special function. This particular
occasion was to induct new members into the Manila Chapter.
The theme was a tryst with Madame Ning at the Peninsula
which is the new bar that had mesmerizing interiors and truly
an avant garde place for such an event.
Diners were first welcomed with the plush ambiance
together with their luxurious house Champagne Salon De Ning
Rose. The Hors d’ Oeuvres were Quail in a wonton cup with
fruit compote – this appetizer exploded with crispiness; then
the combination of the compote with the quail and a crispy
texture was seductive as the leaf shaped Siopao with unagi
was creatively thought of and the Buchi stuffed with prawns
was again an element of imaginative playfulness in terms of
textures. This went very well with the house champagne.
The concept of the dinner was the travels of Madame Ning
around the world so dinner started with the first course from
Brandenburg, Germany- Terrine of Foie gras wrapped in Prosciutto,
fig apple compote and Cassis coulis. This course had high technique
as the chef made a torchon out of the Foie and wrapped it in
Prosciutto. I guess it was cooked in a Sous Vide Bath or long cooked
at low temperature and the compote and the sauce worked well with
the liver. It was paired with Max Ferd Richter Wehlener Sonnenhur
Riesling Kabinnet 2007 which had a sweetness to it that cut the
richness of the foie and good mango fruit character that enhanced
the dish as a whole.
Second course was from Pashawar, India – Tandoori Prawn
and Scallop, pickled vegetables, and Raita. The wine paired with this
dish had a light acidity and a slight sweetness that complimented
the Indian flavors of this dish. Wine was Max Ferd Richter Mulheimer
Sonnenlay Zeppelinlabel 2008. To pair off wines with the powerful
spices was genius on the part of the two Professionel des Vins Arnie
del Rosario and Jay Labrador.
The third course was an Intermezzo of Lychee and Raspberry
sorbet. The
sorbet was
layered so
that when
one scoops
it, a swirled effect
is achieved. It
was placed on a
bed of shaved ice and
a pedestal of a frozen fruit
puree.
The main course came
from Monte Carlo, France: Beef tenderloin pumpkin risotto,
asparagus and cepes sauce alongside Louis Leqin Santenay les
Cru La Comme Rouge 2005. The steak was a perfect medium
degree of doneness. The Pumpkin risotto was slightly done
though probably with the one executing this dish as having
fears that the rice would not come out al dente. The wine
like any good Pinot Noir required some deep contemplative
thinking and tasting and delicately just harmonized with
meat and risotto.
The Cheese course from Milan, Italy - parfait of
Gorgonzola and Mascarpone Cheese, raisins, garden greens
and toasted brioche paired with G.D. Vajra Moscato d’ Astio
2008. The Moscato at first was a tad too sweet for me but
with the cheese spread on the brioche, it was magic. It was
crisp and the sweetness was minimized. (And this was the
most expensive bottle for the night which rather surprised
everyone…)
Sixth course, the Silk Road – Exotic Spiced roasted
Pineapple and peppered Mango Sorbet along with Salon
de Ning Champagne Rose Brut. The pineapple was cooked
in a caramelized liquid with spices and to contrast, they
dehydrated a thin sliver of pineapple topped on the mango
pepper sorbet. (A very Asian concept of going full circle
by serving the champagne again which was very well
appreciated to refresh our
palates for a final volley of
coffee and mignardise.)
After dinner, we all
went back to Salon de
Ning for some Armagnac
and Calvados. This time
with House music and the
ambiance of Salon de Ning.
Bravo to the Peninsula.
On second thought, a
standing ovation!
51
ARGENTINIAN PARILLADA DINNER
Wednesday, 23 March
M
arch is at the heart of summer, and summer is
the ripest time of the year for a barbecue. On
this warm night, OMGD gourmets got together
for a veritable feast of grilled meats. Reminiscent of the
Argentinian parillada, a culinary tradition in Argentina
presided over by “el asador” standing over the “parilla,”
the OMGD dinner offered up choice cuts of beef, pork,
and other meats, as well as sausages, washed down
with red wines made from Argentina’s signature purple
grapes, Malbec. Chef Gene Gonzalez, Grand Officier Maitre
Rotisseur and Conseiller Culinaire National, and, as owner
of Café Ysabel, host for the night, was profuse with thanks
to Bailli de Manille Federico Borromeo for the meats he
had so thoughtfully brought for everyone to enjoy.
MENU
Appetizer
Patacon
(Guacamole, Tomato Onion Salsa, Black Beans)
Ensalada Rusa, Ensalada Verde
On the Table:
Tomato Salsa, Papas Fritas, Chimichuri,
Salsa Creola, Baston de Batatas
On the Bonfire:
Side of Roast Pork (Lechon)
Roast Goat (Cabrito de Asado)
Grilled Bread
Vacio Beef Belly (Short Plate)
On the Grill:
Chincolin (Beef Intestine)
Pork Sausage (Longaniza)
Librillo (Tripe)
Riñones (Kidney)
Morcillas
Beef Ribs (Asado de Tirra)
Ribeye (Ojo)
NY Striploin (Bife de Chorizo)
Hanging Tender (Entraña)
Colita de Cuadril (Chuck)
Dessert
Dulce Tostado
Rum Raisin Ice Cream
Panqueque con Manzana
Wines
(Sponsored by Best World Beverage Brands)
Piuquenes Malbec
Auka Malbec
53
BRASSERIE LA BOHEME
Brasserie Boheme
Salcedo Village, Makati
Friday, 3 June
A
s suggested, the diners came wrapped in Black
and Red, the prescribed colors of the evening,
to honor Chef Tom Hines’ invitation to “tantalize
your senses” with music from the strains of the great
opera, La Boheme. And so they came to enjoy the
genteel company of dear friends, and the “delectable
cuisine” that “lifted the soul,” and in the process set
free the bohemian that lies in the bosom of everyone
who loves life passionately enough to be counted as a
member of the Chaine.
MENU
Amuse Bouche
Citrus marinated Ceviche
And Yellow Fin Tuna with Dill and
Caviar
Soup
Velvet Cauliflower Veloute
With Truffle Essence
From the Sea
Norwegian King Salmon Supreme a
la Russe
With Spinach and Lemon Risotto
Intermezzo
Calamansi and Rosemary Sorbet
Grazing
Snake River Beef Medallion
and Lamb Cutlet Duet Fondant
Potato,
Asparagus Red Beet
and Port Reduction
Dessert
Bohemian Finale
Lamillco Coffee or Infused Tea
Petit Fours
4TH BYOB KAISEKI DINNER
Umu Restaurant, Dusit Thani Manila
Thursday, 7 July
MENU
Wagyu Misozuke
Ebi Oharagi Age
Aburi Tai, Uni, Kinome, Tosazu Jelly Sauce
Niyu Men(Ebi, Shiitake, Furi Yuzu, Kinusaya,
Tamago Soumen)
Suzuki Usuzukuri, Ponzu Sauce, Spring Onion,
Momiji Oroshi
Maguro Maki Yamagobou, Umumaki, Dragon
Maki
Maguro Harasu Teriyaki, US Buta Nagaimo with
Ginger Sauce
Shake Harasu, Blue Cheese, Shimeji, Ginan and
White Pepper
Edamame Gohan
Asazuke (Daikon Kyuri)
Miso Shiru (Nameko, Aonegi, Wakame)
Sakekasu Ice Cream and Goma Tofu, Azuki,
Green Tea Sauce
T
hat this was the fourth run of the Kaiseki Dinner was concrete evidence
of its popularity among OMGD members. This edition of the Kaiseki was
inspired by the Tanabata Festival, which, legend has it, is based on the
story of two lovers whose celestial paths cross but once a year—on the seventh
day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
Here is Arnie del Rosario’s account of the event:
On the rainy evening of July 7, 2011, Chaine de Rotisseurs members and their
guests trooped to the UMU restaurant of Dusit Thani Manila to attend the
fourth edition of the Ordre Mondial’s Kaiseki dinner. The Tanabata (7th day of
the 7th month) festival provided the setting for the Japanese feast prepared by
Umu chef Hiro Fukata who used nothing but the freshest authentic ingredients,
some of which were flown to Manila from Japan just for this event.
Diners were treated to no less than 14 different dishes organized into 7 courses.
Highlights of the meal were the seared Japanese red snapper with vinegar jelly,
the grilled wagyu marinated in miso paste, the intriguingly
smoky Niyu Men (noodle soup), the Suzuki Usuzukuri
(Japanese sea bass sashimi), and the dessert of sake ice
cream and sesame tofu topped with red beans and green tea
sauce.
Traditionally the OMGD Kaiseki dinner is a BYO event in order
to allow members and guests
to bring whatever wines they
prefer to have with Japanese food
but guests were also treated to
sparkling Prosecco (courtesy of
Bestworld Beverage Brands) and
four different kinds
of sake including a
sparkling sake, and
a peach flavored
dessert sake (courtesy
of Philippine Wine
Merchants).
55
MENU
Cocktail
Chaschuechli, Schingengipfeli
Blatterteig Geback Mit Sbrinz Cheese
Cheese quiche, ham croissant,
puff pastry sticks with sprinz cheese
Chasselas Romand 2009
Bundner Teller
Traditional air-dried Beef and Ham
platter
served with Bunder Rye Bread
Dole du Valais 2007
Raclette Station
Swiss raclette cheese, baby potatoes,
cornichons, cocktail onions
Fondue Moitié Moitié
Traditional fondue with gruyere and
vacherin cheese
served with bread and baby potatoes
Fendant du Valais – Blanc d’Amour
2009
Swiss Dessert Sampler
Grand Cru Maracaibo chocolate
mousse,
Vacherin glacé and apple fritters
Coffee or Tea
SWISS RENDEZVOUS IN RED & WHITE
Chesa Bianca
San Antonio Village, Makati City
Friday, 12 August
T
aking a culinary leaf from the land
that birthed and bred William Tell,
from whose alpine mountains
originated the tremulous yodel, the Chaine
hosted an authentic Swiss dinner inspired
by the olden gastronomic practices of the
farmers who once populated Switzerland. In
deference to the country, the Chaine adopted
the Swiss colors, Red and White, as theme for
the evening, and made stars of the raclette, a
round cheese heated on a fire until it becomes
soft enough to be scraped onto the diners’
plates, and a fondue of warm cheese, bread
and potatoes.
Playing host for the evening was Reiner
Gloor, Bailliage de Manille’s Conseiller
Gastronomique and commandeur for 2012,
who hails from Suisse.
MENU
Cocktail
Mini House Roasted Duck Sandwich
BBQ Pork with Scallions
with Japanese Mayo & Katsuboshi Flakes
Cold
Spicy Crisp Sichuan Tripe
with Japanese Sea Grass & Great Wall Chicken
Chilled Japanese Tofu with Pork Ears
Soup
Vietnamese Pho with Crystal Noodles
and Spiced Lemon Salt
Hot Dishes I
Pan-fried Hanoi Dumpling
Autumn Sweet & Sour Plum Pork
Steamed Spicy Chilean Bass
with Taosu & Yunan Ham
Steamed Prawns with Garlic Noodles
Steamed Fadu Crab with Roasted Chili Sauce & Nori
BYOB Asian Dinner
Yong Jin Restaurant
San Juan
Wednesday, 31 August
C
haine and OMGD members converged at the
Yong Jin Restaurant, beside Café Ysabel in San
Juan, for a meal that featured the distinctive
cuisines of Southeast and Eastern Asia, as well as fusions
of the two culinary cultures. The gastronomic travel
through Japan, Vietnam, China and other Oriental
climes gave them a chance to try out the wines they had
chosen themselves for this BYOB function.
Entremet
Hibiscus & Mango Sorbet
Hot Dishes II
XO Beek Steak Tips
with Wolf Berries & Candied Walnuts
Roasted Sinjiang Goat Shoulder
in Mandarin Sauce with Sesame Flat Bread
Leeks and Cucumber Sidings
Baked Fried Millet with Japanese Unagi
Dessert
Papaya with Milk Pudding
Black Sesame Ice Cream
Baked Seasonal Fruit Pocket
57
LA FETE DE LA LUNE
Choi Garden
Thursday, 8 September
I
t was the Chaine’s early celebration of the Moon Festival—la fete
de la lune—otherwise known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, which,
in 2011, fell on the 12th of September. The feast celebrates an
abundant lunar harvest and is timed for the 15th day of the eighth
month in the Chinese calendar, which coincides with September or early
October in the Gregorian calendar.
And how better to mark this festivity than to dress up a la
Chinois for an authentic Chinese lauriat that would please the most
discriminating palate?
Forty-eight bon vivants gathered at the Choi Garden
in Greenhills to feast on the deep sea delicacies chosen
by Bailli de Manille Federico Borromeo and Manila officers
Eduardo Yap, Arnie del Rosario,and Jay Labrador.
The dinner curtain-raiser was a roast suckling pig
appetizer, paired with the exclusive Lhuillier champagne
provided by the Bailli Delegue Michel Lhuillier. This was
followed by the Sharksfin soup, the blue dotted grouper
served two heavenly ways, and the blue lobster with the
Sauvignon Blanc, followed by scallops, and the roast pipa
duck that went so well with the Alpha Montes Pinot Noir
2008.
MENU
Appetizer
Lechon Macau
Sze Chuan Prawn Ball
Bacon Roll
Seaweeds
Menu
Steamed Lobster with Egg white Sauce
Braised Shark’s Fin with Pumpkin Soup
Roast Marinated Pipa Duck
Blue-dotted Lapu-Lapu, served 2 ways
Pan-fried Stuffed Scallop with Japanese Salad
Dessert
Mooncake with Hot Dessert Soup
OMGD:
CLASSIC FRENCH DINNER
Cafe Ysabel
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
T
he Ordre Mondial was treated to an extraordinary dinner
accompanied by wines from the most famous French wine regions
at Cafe Ysabel for an event entitled French Classics.
The dinner started with oysters served two ways accompanied by
Champagne Delamotte Blac de Blancs 1999 followed by a timbale of sole stuffed
with a salmon mousse together with a Joseph Faiveley Puligny Montrachet Les
Folatieres 1er Cru 2008.
Next course was a wild duck served hunter style with a Burgundy Grand
Cru; a Lois Jadot Chezeaux 2004. The next two courses were accompanied by
wines from Bordeaux. The intricate beef course was matched by the Second
Growth Ducru Beaucaillou 2004 from St. Julien while the cheese flan was paired
with a Premier Grand Cru Classe from St. Emilion - Beau Sejour Becot 2004.
For dessert, the pear poached in red wine and the souffle Rothschild was
appropriately matched by First Growth Sauternes Chateau Rieussec 2003 which
is owned by the Rothschild family.
Although it was the smallest Ordre Mondial event of the year so far, with
an intimate group of 14 people, the careful matching of the wine and food and
the thought that went into the dishes presented certainly made it the most
memorable event so far.
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Menu
Escargot a la mode
(Amuse bouche of escargot with toast)
Huitres Frais Couronne avec des Caviar du Saumon
Huitre Gratinee de Foie Gras Parfume de Citron
(Raw oyster topped with Salmon Caviar and Baked Gratin of Oyster with a
Sliver of Citrus-scented Foie Gras)
Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1999
(This is a small Champagne house but is managed jointly by the more
famous houses of Laurent-Perrier and Salon.)
*****
Timbale de Sole Farcie de Mousse du Saumon Fume et Medallion de
Coquille St. Jacques avec de la Sauce Nantua
(Moulded Sole stuffed with Smoked Salmon Mousse in Chive Pernod Nage
with Medallion of Scallop in Crustacean Sauce)
Domaine Faiveley Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Folatieres” 2008
(Puligny-Montrachet is one of the finest sites for white Burgundy and
Faiveley is one of the top houses with an excellent reputation.)
*****
Sorbet
*****
Canard Sauvage Braise a la Style de Chasse
(Braised Wild Duck Hunter Style with Tongues in Caskets)
Domaine Louis Jadot Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004
(Although more of a merchant house rather than a grower, Jadot has an
impeccable reputation.
Echezeaux is one of the lighter Grand Crus but can have exceptionally
intricate flavors and persistence.)
*****
Tournadoes Financiere
(Pan fried Medallion of Beef with a topping and garnish of Mushrooms,
Cockscombs and Marrow with a Truffle Sauce and Chestnut Puree)
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2eme Cru St. Julien 2004
(A 2nd Growth from St. Julien. This so-called “super second” got a rating of
93 points by Robert Parker.)
*****
Flan de Coulommiers Chaud au Confit d’ Echalotes
(Warm Coulommiers Flan with Shallot Confit)
Chateau Beau-Sejour-Becot 1er Grand Cru Classe (B) St. Emilion 2004
(This Premier Grand Cru Classe from St. Emilion fell on some hard times 20
years ago but is at the top of its game now.
Makes opulent wines with great finesse. Rated 91 points by Robert Parker.)
Souffle Rothschild
Poire au Sirop de Vin Rouge Epice
(Citrus Souffle with Candied Fruit, Pears in Red Wine Syrup and Spices)
Chateau Rieussec 1er Cru Sauternes 2003
(This is a 1st Growth Sauternes, neighbor to the great estate of Yquem
owned by the Rothschild family and from the great Sauternes vintage
of 2003. Powerful and opulent, this wine makes a fitting end to a great
dinner.)
TAGAYTAY SOJOURN
T
he day started early and ended a bit late for a
small group of confreres who motored to balmy
Tagaytay for an entire day of food and wine,
fun and kindness, in the Chaine spirit of conviviality and
camaraderie.
61
BYOB LECHON LUNCH
Kalamunda Restaurant
At the border between Tagaytay City
and Silang, Cavite
L
unch was set and served in a lovely place called
“Kalamunda” (Australian for ‘home in the bush’),
a haven tucked in an inner sanctum where the
pineapple farms of Tagaytay meet the rolling hills of Silang. It
is Carlos and Sylvia Miguel’s ‘home in the bush,’ a quiet retreat
they open from time to time to small groups of food lovers
personally known to them, on a strict by-appointment-only
arrangement. This lunch was arranged by Officier Charlie
Rufino and his wife, Chinit.
Hidden from view by a long, slightly winding road and
a high, wooden fence, the genteel farm opens to a lush,
sprawling garden in the midst of which sits Kalamunda the
restaurant, welcoming in its ambience of airy home and warm
hearth.
On the veranda stood a long table wrapped in a floral
tablecloth where the diners later sat, savoring bite after bite,
of the dishes the Miguels had especially prepared for them,
between sips of the wines they themselves had brought along.
Animated conversation added pleasure to the splendid
meal, crowned by Kalamunda’s signature offerings—organic
milk- and corn-fed lechon, remarkable for the absence of
the usual fat drippings, and vegetable paella, and capped
with Pavlova, a light, meringue-based dessert created by
an Australian chef in honor of the legendary Russian prima
ballerina, Anna Pavlova, about a thousand moons ago.
BYOB AFTERNOON COCKTAILS
Verbena Restaurant, Discovery Country Suites
Tagaytay City
B
ack in the center of Tagaytay, the confreres settled
themselves in the comfort of Verbena, a garden
setting back-dropped by a picture-perfect view
of the famed Taal volcano. As day gave way to night and
light to shadow, Bailli de Manille Federico Borromeo and
a handful of confreres sat in a circular setting, totally
engrossed in light talk while savoring an array of finger
foods paired with the special Lhuillier champagne,
compliments of Bailli Delegue Michel Lhuillier.
Served one after another, the cocktail food built up to
a crescendo with the Fresh Shucked Oysters with GingerShallot Granita and climaxed with the delicate Oysters
Fricassee with Caviar Cream, which made a mark on
everyone’s memory and lingered on the palate long after
the last bite.
The sparkling conversation continued as the soft
light of a full moon enveloped the garden and magically lit
up the lake below.
Menu
Asparagus & Parma Ham Grissini
with Parmesan
Lemon & Tarragon Shrimp Salad Canapé
Curried Eggplant Empanaditas
Verbena’s Assorted Crostini
Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Tart
Chicken Macadamia Canapé
Coconut Lychees with Cream Cheese
Fresh-Shucked Oysters
with Ginger-Shallot Granita
Oysters Fricassee with Caviar Cream
Baby “Steak au Poivre”
with Red Onion Marmalade
Creamy Smoked Salmon Maccheroni
with Baby Capers, Spring Asparagus and Lemon Zest
63
A Tagaytay Sojourn
By Karen Salle-Gatdula and Jemy Gatdula*
The Bailliage de Manille marked the start of the holiday season
last November 12, 2011 with another gastronomic adventure,
this time in Tagaytay, just two hours out of Manila. Not only
was this event dished for personal serving but was also
an opportunity to share the blessings of its members with
the community by launching its 4th supplemental feeding
program.
Confreres Jonny and Milette Carlos sponsored the
program, providing 30 children from the adopted Barangay
of Iruhin Central with a hot meal, enriched with a glass of
milk from corporate sponsor Mead Johnson Nutritionals, for
the next six months. It is hoped that by training the resident
mothers, they will finish the program equipped with the skills
necessary to provide and sustain the dietary needs of their
families. The launch was attended with much enthusiasm by
the barangay residents and their children, several members of
the Confrerie led by Bailli de Manille Federico Borromeo, and
town and barangay officials, and teachers of Iruhin Central
School where the children are enrolled.
The Confrerie then proceeded to a well-deserved lunch at
Kalamunda Restaurant, found through winding interior roads
at the border of Silang and Tagaytay. The restaurant is actually
the residence of Carlos and Sylvia Miguel who open up their
home for private lunches and dinners by appointment.
Passing through the gates of Kalamunda, one is greeted
by an airy home, extensive greenery peppered by sheep and
goats at a distance, and a warm welcoming handshake from
Carlos Miguel. Even with boisterous laughter from children and
adults alike, a peaceful spell is cast upon the place.
The residence’s cook is the equally charming and
engaging Sylvia Miguel, who took charge of preparing the
sumptuous buffet starting with a sampling of her Duck and
Chicken Liver Parfait accompanied by Melba Toasts. It was just
perfect to whet everyone’s appetite for the lunch to come,
which was composed of a Salad of Mixed Greens, Blue Cheese
and Pear with mustard seed dressing, Chicken with Herb de
Provence and Mushrooms, Mixed Seafood Pudding, SlowBraised U.S. Beef Belly with that melt-in-your-mouth goodness,
Sylvia’s pride that is the Roasted Vegetable Paella (and rightly
so), and the centerpiece of that occasion, the organic milk-andcorn-fed Lechon, for which Kalamunda is steadily being known
for. Capping the feast was a creamy and light Pavlova and
the delectable Chocolate Natilla with almond praline. It was
indeed a perfect lunch for a perfectly sunny day.
The meal did not end without the group’s thanks given to
Carlos and Sylvia for the unforgettable spread, and to confrere
Charlie Rufino who organized it with wife Chinit.
Shortly, thereafter, the confreres departed for Sisters
of Mary Girls Town at Bario Biga, Silang, Cavite. This is
managed by Fr. Al’s Children Foundation, Inc. (FACFI) which
was established in November 26, 1992 after Msgr. Aloysius
Schwartz, founder of the Sisters of Mary congregation, passed
away. It is the foundation’s aim to assist in the charity programs
of the Sisters of Mary’s Boys Town and Girls Town. These are
actually schools wherein the congregation provides not only
secondary education with technical/vocational training to
underprivileged children from all over the country, but also
food, clothing, shelter and medical services, all for free. Thus,
the foundation is very much dependent on donations and
sponsorships from generous patrons.
After the students regaled the Confrerie with performance
pieces from their orchestra of bells and a sampling of their
culinary delights, the group once again traveled back towards
Tagaytay for a more relaxed gathering at the Discovery Country
Suites for a “B.Y.O.B. Afternoon Cocktails”.
The menu was meticulously planned by Maitre Hotelier
Bobby Horrigan and Maitre Rotisseur David Pardo de Ayala.
The small plates passed around were a wide assortment of
canapés, crostini and empanaditas, and there was the delicate
Creamy Smoked Salmon Maccheroni. However, it must be said
that the Fresh-Shucked Oysters with Ginger-Shallot Granita and
Oysters Fricassee with Caviar Cream were simply unforgettable.
Indeed, beneath the calming twilight sky and a view of
Taal Volcano through the shrubs of the Discovery’s gardens,
the camaraderie among the confreres continued well into the
night. It was an eventful and truly accomplished day.
* Karen is a lawyer and food and travel blogger. Jemy is a lawyer
and columnist for BusinessWorld.
Events 2011
Bailliage de CEBU
Beyond Imagination: A Taste of Surrealism
18th Induction & Gala Diner Amical
Waterfront Hotel & Casino
Thursday, 17 March
Roaring, Rolling 60’s Fellowship Dinner
Marriott Hotel
Thursday, 26 May
Rio by the Bay Fellowship Dinner
Plantation Bay Resort & Spa
Thursday, 25 August
A Night to Remember Fellowship Dinner
Friday, 28 October
18th Anniversary & Christmas Party
Marco Polo Hotel
Tuesday, 6 December
65
18TH INDUCTION &
GALA DINER AMICAL
Waterfront Hotel, Cebu City
Thursday, 17 March
“
Beyond Imagination: A Taste of Surrealism” was
how it was billed and it delivered on its promise
of a “one-of-a-kind visual and culinary feast that
veered away from the classic and conventional Chaine
des Rotisseurs dinners of the past.” Drawing inspiration
from the Surrealist Art Movement, the dinner invited
guests to “let their imagination run wild, submit to their
flights of fancy,” throw logic to the wind, and relish the
joys of rhyme without reason, if only for a night.
A Taste of the Surreal
C’est Cebu
By Honey Jarque Loop
The Philippine Star
28 April 20114
The Chaine des Rotisseurs- Cebu chapter staged one
of its largest induction ceremonies at the Waterfront Hotel
recently. The affable general manager Marco Protacio brilliantly
conceptualized the theme “Beyond Imagination, A Taste of the
Surreal.”
The evening started with cocktails at the hotel’s foyer
where a perfectly chilled Champagne aperitif was served.
Invitees then proceeded to the reception room for the
induction of new members officiated by Bailli Delegue for the
Philippines Michel Lhuillier. Inducted dames were Marie Cecille
Dakay and Juliette Blouin, while the chevaliers included Allan
Mill-Irving, Dale Rennie, Pierre Dakay, Allen Hamilton, Jurgen
Toft, Charles Michael Smith and John Martel.
Joining the list were Carlo Sainz, Bruce Alexander
Winton, Alice Woolbright and Brendan James Mahoney in
the Maitre Hotelier classification, Gaetano Sapori Sansoni de
Campobianco as Maitre Restaurateur, and Ofir Yakov Yudilevich
as Maitre Rotisseur.
After the formality of the ceremony, members moved to
the Pacific Ballroom for the Diner de Gala. The entire room was
draped in olive green and plum, accented with larger-than-life
reproductions of six renowned surrealist painters: Salvador Dali
and Joan Miro from Spain, Belgian artist Rene Magritte, German
painter Max Ernst, Parisian Yves Tanguy and Mexican painter
Frida Kahlo.
The sequence of the dishes was oddly changed in ways
that you would not see in reality. But in spite of this, each one
was a visual delight as well as being exceptional in flavor and
taste, complemented by an equally outstanding selection of
premium wines.
The surreal menu had names such as Tanguy’s Cheeses
for starters, Kahlo’s Prey of poached and roasted tenderloin
of veal, lemon and rose sorbet as an Ode to Magritte, Rene’s
pan-roasted sea bass with artichoke-mascarpone and caviar,
a Dali concoction of double consommé of beef and vegetable
pearls, the color wheel of Max Ernst that had watermelons and
prawn salad with spicy avocado mousse, and last but not least
was Miro’s Mirth — a delicious dessert of chocolate, roasted
peach, caramel brulée and Maracaibo chocolate mousse with a
granola base in a peach-caramel brulée cone.
Talented tenor Ervin Lumaoag and the Type One
Performance artists, who interpreted an amazing pantomime
to the delight of the guests, provided the fabulous
entertainment.
Out-of-town guests who graced the occasion included
Macau Bailli Delegue Donald Hall, Bailli de Manille Federico
Borromeo and his wife Josephine, Socorro Protacio, proud
mom of Marco, Rafaelita Pelaez from Cagayan de Oro and
Thavanh and Mali Svensouk, residents of America.
A certificate of appreciation was then presented to GM
Marco Protacio, to executive and banquet chefs Alessio Loddo
and Allan Chan. The entire service and kitchen brigade likewise
received some well-deserved applause. Everyone agreed the
evening had been an unforgettable culinary event.
67
69
ROARING, ROLLING 60’S
FELLOWSHIP DINNER
Marriott Hotel
Thursday, 26 May
T
he occasion bid Chaine members and their
guests to dig deep into the innermost
chambers of creaky bauls and aparadors to seek
and pull out long-mothballed clothes from that beloved
era billed with fondness and nostalgia as the Groovy or
Psychedelic 60’s.
This Chaine event, however, set those labels aside
and billed the dinner, simply, as the “Roaring, Rolling
Sixties.” Yes, that decade that will long be remembered
for the iconic mini skirt, the Flower People and their
distaste for convention, and the ultimate icons of
that time, Elvis “The King” Presley, the Beatles—with
their timeless music that sent girls shrieking, and their
brazen irreverence, as they “blasphemously proclaimed
themselves more popular than Jesus Christ,” -- that sent
the elders shaking their heads in disapproval.
And so, powered by the Spirit of the Sixties, the
Chaine members donned hipsters and bell bottoms,
mini skirts and hot pants, to further enhance the
ambiance of Marriott Hotel’s new sixties
look, replete with images designed to
relive that unforgettable decade, including
its dying year, when
Woodstock fever took
sway and every “flower
child” had a mantra to
say.
71
RIO BY THE BAY
FELLOWSHIP DINNER
Plantation Bay Resort & Spa
Thursday, 25 August
Fun Night at Plantation
Bay
By Jaime Picornell
Philippine Daily Inquirer
T
he Cebu chapter of La Chaine des Rotisseurs went
Brazilian during its latest fellowship shindig held
at scenic Plantation Bay resort in Marigondon,
Mactan Island. It was one of the most colorful events of the
season, not to mention lively and fun-filled.
At the forefront of it all were Michel and Amparito
Lhuillier. As we all know, Michel heads La Chaine in the
Philippines, and Amparito reigns over the Cebu social
life. It’s a partnership they enjoy to the hilt, and all
events they plan are sell outs.
The scenery was perfect; the gastronomy to
rave about; and the show, fabulous! Samba sounds
reverberated, and lovely Cariocas swayed, supple
bodies glowing in the floodlights. However did they
flail those belly buttons?
Best of all, anyone could join the
fun, with Michel and Amparito leading
the flock. Plantation Bay’s general
manager Efren Belarmino was
beaming with pride, collecting due
praise. So did the kitchen brigade
that was asked to take a bow and
receive certificates of appreciation.
73
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
FELLOWSHIP DINNER
The Gustavian Restaurant
Friday, 28 October
I
t has to be said that when the Bailliage de Cebu
makes a promise, it delivers. For the last informal
dinner of the year, they promised to come up
with a “A Night to Remember,” and come up with a
night to remember they did.
The venue was The Gustavian, a setting that
invited guests to relax, let their hair down, and simply
have fun. A post-event circular recapped the party
thus:
“No stone was left unturned in making the last
informal fellowship dinner at Gustavian’s truly a “Night
to Remember,” as aptly themed. All facets of great
hosting were observed and personally supervised to
the minutest detail, resulting in flawless execution—a
service brigade anticipating every guest’s needs,
excellent wine and champagne flowing endlessly
from the personal collection of Michel Lhuillier, fruits,
desserts and food generously spread for everyone’s
picking, such that almost all made two or more
visits to the buffet tables. To top it all, every lady in
attendance had a special gift-wrapped surprise, a firsttime treat that the ladies loved, while precious wines
from Michel’s collection were raffled off to gentlemen
members.”
75
18th ANNIVERSARY &
CHRISTMAS PARTY
The Clockwork Princess - An Illuminating
Christmas Journey
Marco Polo Hotel
Tuesday, 6 December
I
t was, as promised, a ball worthy of a grand finale
for a year of grand events. The Marco Polo Hotel’s
general manager Hans Hauri and executive chef Luke
Gagnon put their heads and hearts together to design and
execute a dinner ball that drew raves from the discriminating
members of the Chaine who know a winner when they see
one. The grand ballroom was dressed up for a celebration
of two occasions dear to every Cebu confrere’s heart—18
memorable years of the finest dinners and everyone’s
favorite feast, Christmas, an excellent dinner of course after
course that pleased the palate, and a piece of theatre in “the
Clockwork Princess” that fed the soul.
Marking 18 Years of Regal Splendor
By Jaime Picornell
Philippine Daily Inquirer
T
he Cebu chapter of La Chaine
des Rotisseurs marked its 18th
anniversary with a grand gala at
the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel on December
6, 2011. Presiding were Honorary Consul
of France Michel Lhuillier who heads La
Chaine in the Philippines and his wife
Amparito Llamas Lhuillier, head of the
Cebu chapter.
Present on this occasion were
Josephine and Federico Borromeo,
he being the head of La Chaine
in Manila. “We are more than 100
tonight,” said Amparito, who was
in red silk and wore a magnificent
necklace of diamonds.
Greeting the guests along
with Michel and Amparito were the
Marco Polo’s general manager Hans
Hauri and his pretty wife Bo, resident
manager Julie Najar, marketing
and communications director Lara
Constantino Scarrow, and Stephen
Wieprich, food and beverage director.
A large elegant crowd gathered
at the hall adjacent to the ballroom
for predinner drinks and delicious
canapés. Getting birthday greetings
was Angie L. Matthieu, perhaps
the most kissed lady that evening.
“I couldn’t miss this,” said her sister
Marguerite Lhuillier who had arrived
in Cebu just a couple of hours earlier.
Margie had joined the trade mission
of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to
Brazil, Chile and Argentina.
La Chaine’s top officers were very much in
evidence on this occasion: Teresin Mendezona in
sparkling black gossamer, Dr. Nestor Alonzo with
his wife Joji, Dr. Vivina Chiu Yrastorza, Claude Al
Evangelio, and Dave Sharpe.
Behind the scenes was Luke Gagnon,
executive chef of the Marco Polo, who prepared
the fabulous menu.
Michel Lhuillier Chardonnay 2010 from
France accompanied the sweetbread of lobster
and sea bass dry shot. Apple Martini, “shaken,
not stirred,” served as the sherbet, prelude to
77
a fabulous entrée.
This was crusted veal tenderloin, matched by an excellent
wine—Cellier des Princes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2008. A cheese
dish next and then the desserts, to the credit of chef Ryan Zimmer.
As dinner progressed, a lavishly mounted musical play
unfolded according to the plot of “The Clockwork Princess,”
directed by Alex Uypuangco. Rhina Senining Echivarre played the
title role, with Gabriel Gomez as the tinkerer and Yemma Senining
Judilla and Graeme Elmido as the queen and king.
The story was by Jessica McYorker, Pamela Therese Estalilla
and Vincent Gaton who did the choreography. In the company
were Leomor Hermosilla, Jeo Librando, Cattski Espina (musical
direction), Jay Young and Paul Canada (musical arrangement and
electronics), Justin Alfafara (sound engineering), Peewee Senining
(wardrobe) and Zoroaster Villahermosa (light design).
Cebu’s top hotels were well-represented on this occasion:
Manny Gonzalez and Efren Belarmino from Plantation Bay;
Bruce Winton wearing a Scottish kilt and wife Christina, from the
Marriott; and Joachim Schutte and wife Christina, from the Mactan
Shangri-La where the next Chaine event in Cebu will be held, a
formal induction gala on March 14.
Among those present were Rep. Eddie Gullas with lovely
wife Norma Selma Gullas; Alliance Francaise de Cebu director Louis
Thevenin with his wife Honeylet; Iris Arcenas and daughter Mia,
who designs all those airy silk caftans; The Wine Shop’s Gabriel
Palmer; and fashion plates Rosebud Sala and Annabelle Luym.
Also present were Rafaelita Pelaez, president of Liceo de
Cagayan University; Deidre Fischer, superintendent of the Cebu
International School; Honorary Consul of Sweden Jose Sala and
wife Susan; Honey Jarque Loop, Greg and Agnes Heuttel, Gunther
and Sandra Pesch; and Jessica Avila, the Marco Polo’s consultant
for Cebuano cuisine. She has prepared the food fest to celebrate
Cebu’s Sinulog in mid-January.
More: Mila Espina who sat beside Martin Klieger of the
Union Bank of Switzerland Hong Kong; Elvira Luym and Marissa
Fernan; chef Massimo Lamagna, Hans Eullenhofer, Stella Bernabe,
Mike and Rose Hennessy, Detlef and May Ernst with Alice Plaza;
Hartwig Scholz and Maria Catral from the Badian Island Resort in
southwest Cebu.
It was midnight and the fun was just about to start. Dance
music played, Michel took Amparito for a spin, and that got
everyone hopping until 2 a.m.
INTERNATIONAL GRAND CHAPITRE &
ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY
French Riviera (Cote D’ Azur)
June 9-11, 2011
Chateau de la Napoule, Mandelieu (Cannes)
Mr. Yam Atallah - Chaine des Rotisseurs President, with Bailli
Delegue des Philippines Michel Lhuillier and Bailli de Cebu
Amparito Lhuillier
Bailli Delegue des Philippines Michel Lhuillier with the
waitress serving cocktails in a unique cocktail dress
with assorted canapes in a transparent tray.
79
GRAND CHAPITRE
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
September 30- October 2, 2011
Standing: Bailli de Cebu Amparito Lhuillier, Vice Consellier
Gastronomique Teresin Mendezona, and Dame de la Chaine
Mariquita Yeung; Seated: Prince & Queen of Indonesia
Vice Consellier Gastronomique Teresin Mendezona, Bailli de
Cebu Amparito Lhuillier and Dame de la Chaine Mariquita Yeung
Vice Consellier Gastronomique Teresin Mendezona, Bailli
Delegue of Indonesia Firdas Siddik, Dame de la Chaine Mariquita
Yeung, Tazbir- Head of Provincial Tourism Indonesia, Bailli de
Cebu Amparito Lhuillier and Mrs. Siddik-event planner
INDUCTION GALA DINNER
Bailliage National de Macau
November 26, 2010
Bailli de Manille Federico S. Borromeo, Officier
Josephine A. Borromeo, Charge de Presse Michael
Toledo, Bailli Delegue des Macau Donald Hall, Mrs. Toledo, and
Maitre Restaurateur Charles Andre L. Lhuillier
Gala Dinner at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Macau
Farewell lunch for foreign delegates
Camaraderie at the Macau Chapitre
81
ANNIVERSARY CHAPITRE
60 YEARS: BAILLIAGE DE SUISSE
Interlaken, Switzerland
September 16- 18, 2011
Bailli de Manille Federico S. Borromeo with President Yam
Attalah
Bailli de Manille Federico S. Borromeo and Officier Josephine
A. Borromeo at the Suisse Chapitre
The Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs is
an organization of men and women bound in close
communion by a shared love for good food, fine wines,
and the cherished company of friends who matter.
In 2007, both the Bailliage de Manille and the
Bailliage de Cebu thought it about time to start
looking beyond the Chaine’s traditional turf to extend
a sharing hand to a part of society close to their
hearts—the children. Choosing an outreach program
was a no-brainer for the Chaine confreres—of course it
had to be something connected with food!
That year marked the launch of a feeding
program for malnourished school children by the
Bailliage de Manille and a Christmas gift-giving
program for street children by the Bailliage de Cebu.
Since then, both bailliages have been carrying on with
their respective outreach programs in the run-up to
Christmas and reaping rewards beyond measure.
83
BAILLIAGE DE MANILLE
2010
Pasong Tamo, Makati
December 16
On December 16, 2010, the start of the novena
of dawn masses called misa de gallo, the Manila
chapter teamed up with the Department of Social
Welfare and Development for a Christmas party for
street kids in a section of Pasong Tamo, Makati City.
It was the Chaine members’ way of sharing
their blessings with and bringing the joys of the
season to children who might otherwise not get
anything for Christmas. They brought the children
loot bags filled with goodies to take home and
served them a special meal with a glass of milk. More
preciously, they took the time, in a season of frenzy,
to spend a few hours away from work, family and
the whirl of activity that usually marks their yuletide
calendar, a gesture of kindness that was certainly not
lost on the children.
BAILLIAGE DE MANILLE
2011
Iruhin Central School, Tagaytay City
Sisters of Mary Girls’ Town, Silang, Cavite
12 November
Thirty children from Iruhin Central School in Tagaytay
City are the beneficiaries of the Chaine’s 6-month feeding
program that began in November 2011 and is set to wind
up in May 2012. A small group of Chaine members, led by
Bailli de Manille Freddie Borromeo, motored to the cool city
in Cavite on 12 November 2011 to preside
over the launch of the feeding program
sponsored by Chaine members Jonny
Carlos and wife Milette Carlos.
In the afternoon, the group drove in
convoy to the neighboring town of Silang,
Cavite for a visit to the Sisters of Mary
Girls’ Town where students are enrolled,
on the basis of private and corporate
scholarships, in life courses such as culinary
arts, bartending, housekeeping and
baking. Here the Chaine members
were treated to samples of the dishes
and breads prepared by the students.
As a gesture of appreciation and
support, the Chaine members offered
commitments for scholarships as
well as future employment for the
students.
85
BAILLIAGE DE CEBU
2010
Parian Social Hall
November 27
On the 27th of November, a Saturday, Mme. Amparito
Lhuillier, Bailli de Cebu, led a group of volunteers—officers,
members and staff of the Bailliage de Cebu, in whipping up
an early Christmas party for 150 street children at the Parian
Social Hall on Mabini Street.
The children enjoyed a merienda of Jollibee
cheeseburgers and Funchum orange drinks, and other
delectable treats donated by members and corporate
donors—assorted cupcakes, muffins, cookies, juice drinks,
assorted candy, mineral water. They also brought home loot
bags and instant noodles from donors, and school supplies
from the Lhuilliers, including backpacks, pencils, pencil
cases, face towels, and lunch kits.
The Chaine confreres made the kids’ day by throwing
in a very special treat—the presence of Jollibee the Mascot
and party games that further upped the fun factor for the
children.
The other volunteers who broke bread with the
children: Teresin Mendezona, Dr. Vivina Yrastorza, Dr. Nestor
Alonso, Al Evangelio, Angie Mathieu, Carmen Campbell,
Mariter Klepp, Ana Marie Dizon, Chef Vinz Karlsen of
Plantation Hotel, the Hilton Hotel staff, CdR Cebu Exec. Sec.
Elmera Abellanosa, and Anita Rellon.
87
Leonor M. O’Leary
Argentier National
Amb. Alfonso T. Yuchengco
Conseil d’Honneur
Michel J. Lhuillier
Bailli Delegue
Juan Antonio O. Lanuza
Conseiller Gastronomique
National
Gene R. Gonzalez
Conseiller Culinaire National
& Echanson National (OMGD)
Michael T. Toledo
Chargé de Presse National
Jaime Arturo L. Viola
Chargé de Missions National
Diether J. Lonishen
Chargé de Missions National
Brix S. Pujalte, Jr.
Vice-Argentier
James P. Concepcion
Vice-Chancelier
Federico S. Borromeo
Bailli de Manille
Gino S. Gonzalez, Jr.
Vice-Conseiller Culinaire
Elizabeth S.P. Lietz
Vice-Chargeé de Missions
Eduardo H. Yap
Vice-Chargé de Presse
Arnaldo D. del Rosario
Vice-Echanson
Reiner W. Gloor
Vice-Conseiller Gastronomique
Julius C. Labrador
Vice-Chargé de Missions
89
Vivina Yrastorza
Vice-Chancelier/Argentier
Chef Luke Gagnon
Vice-Conseiller Culinaire
Amparito L. Lhuillier
Bailli de Cebu
Teresin A. Mendezona
90
David Sharpe
Vice-Echanson
Alvan Claude L. Evangelio
Vice-Chargé de Presse
Nestor V. Alonso II
Vice-Chargé de Missions
ROSTER OF MEMBERS 2012
MEMBER
RANK
MEMBER
RANK
M. Goran Aleks
M. Eduardo C. Arroyo, Jr.
M. Vicente R. Ayllon
M. Federico S. Borromeo
Mme Josephine A. Borromeo
M. Dennis P.J. Botman
Mme Soonhwa Yi Botman
M. Jesus G. Cabarrus
M. Marilyn B. Cabarrus
Mlle Ines Margarita B.
Cabarrus
M. Conrado T. Calalang
M. Paulo E. Campos, Jr.
M. Juan J. Carlos, Jr.
Mme Carmelita E. Carlos
M. Vicente J. Carlos
Mme Kristina Chua
Mme. Ingrid Karin Colangelo
M. James P. Concepcion
Mme Camille Christine O.
Cunanan
M. Eliseo J. de Guzman, Jr.
M. Arnaldo D. del Rosario
Mme Edna B. Diaz
M. James M. Donovan
M. Conrado A. Escudero
Mme Mariandy A. Fricke
M. Ignacio B. Gimenez
M. Reiner W. Gloor
M. Gene R. Gonzalez
M. Gino S. Gonzalez, Jr.
M. Sanjeeb S. Gopaldas
M. Urs Paul Gressly
M. Kenneth Thomas Hines
M. Bobby R. Horrigan
M. Ronald L. Joseph
M. Reto K. Klauser
M. Martin J. Kleger
M. Klaus Koppenhofer
M. Julius C. Labrador, Jr.
M. Antonio Manuel R.
Lagdameo
Officier Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Commandeur
Bailli de Manille
Officier
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Commandeur & Grand
Officier Maitre Restaurateur
Commandeur
M. Ricardo F. Lagdameo
M. Marcelo B. Lambino
M. Juan Antonio O. Lanuza
M. G. Domenico A.V. Lanuza
M. Charles Andre L. Lhuillier
M. Jean Henri D. Lhuillier
M. Philippe Andre D. Lhuillier
M. Rudolf J.H. Lietz
Mme Elizabeth S.P. Lietz
M. Dieter J. Lonishen
Mme Celine B. Mangubat
Mme Olga S. Martel
M. Guenter Matschuck
M. Voltaire DC. Mauricio
M. Toshiro Morita
M. Othmar Ober
M. Roberto B. Olanday
Mme Leonor M. O’Leary
M. Lino C. Palenzuela
M. David Pardo de Ayala
M. Marco E. Protacio
M. Jose S. Pujalte, Jr.
M. Marko Rankel
M. Carlos S. Rufino
M. Gerald Savigny
M. Rodrigo M. Segura
M. Harry L. Tambuatco
M. Elton See Tan
Mme Josefina Ng Tan
Mme Sylvette Y. Tankiang
M. Michael T. Toledo
M. Gilbert Q. Uy
Mme Ma. Victoria M. Vazquez
M. Romualdas G. Vildzius
M. Copernico J. Villaruel, Jr.
M. Jaime Arturo L. Viola
M. Michael Wiesner
M. Eduardo H. Yap
M. Alfonso T. Yuchengco
M. Alfred A. Yuson
M. Luciano Zanirato
Mlle. Stephanie N. Zubiri
M. Randy Zupanski
Maitre Restaurateur
Officier
Officier Commandeur &
Conseiller Gastonomique du
Chevalier
Maitre Restaurateur
Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Pair de la Chaine
Vice-Chargee de Missions
Charge de Missions, Bailliage
National des Philippines
Dame de la Chaine
Officier
Pair de la Chaine
Chevalier
Chevalier
Officier
Officier
Argentier National des Philippines
Chevalier
Commandeur & ViceArgentier
Maitre Rotisseur
Pair de la Chaine
Maitre Restaurateur
Chevalier
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Dame de la Chaine
Charge de Presse, Bailliage
Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Chevalier
Chevalier
Charge de Missions, Bailliage
Maitre Rotisseur
Vice-Charge de Presse
Conseil d’Honneur
Chevalier
Professionel du Vin
Dame de la Chaine
Officier Maitre Restaurateur
Grand Officier Maitre Restaurateur
Officier
Dame de la Chaine
Officier
Dame de la Chaine
Dame de la Chaine
Vice-Chancelier & Officier Maitre Hotelier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Rotisseur
Vice-Echanson
& Professionel du Vin
Professionel du Vin
Chevalier
Commandeur & Officier
Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Pair de la Chaine
Commandeur &
Conseiller Culinaire
National des Philippines,
Grand Officier Maitre
Rotisseur,Echanson (OMGD)
Vice- Conseiller Culinare &
Maitre Rotisseur
Chevalier
Officier Commandeur
Maitre Rotisseur
Professionel du Vin
Officier
Chevalier
Vice-Charge de Missions &
Professionel du Vin
Chevalier d’Honneur
91
ROSTER OF MEMBERS 2012
Bailliage de Cebu
MEMBER
RANK
MEMBER
RANK
Mme Jennie C. Aclan
M. Raul D. Alcoseba
M. Eduardo C. Alegrado
Mme June Christie Alegrado
M. Nestor V. Alonso II
Mme Ma. Iris F. Arcenas
M. Bayani S. Atup
M. Efren P. Belarmino
Mme Stella S. Bernabe
Mlle Juliette Blouin
M. Kevin Bruce Boland
Mme Carmen A. Campbell
M. Mirko Cattini
M. Winglip K. Chang
M. Jaime Go Chua
M. Marc C. Cools
M. Carlo Cordaro
Mlle Marie Cecille T. Dakay
M. Ricky P. Dakay
M. Pierre Collin T. Dakay
Mme Milagros R. Demecillo
M. Benjamin T. Dimaano
M. Alex Derek H. Dytian
M. Hipocrates G. Efthimiou
M. Detlef Ernst
M. Hans-Joerg Eulenhoefer
M. Claudio L. Evangelio
M. Alexander A. Farrugia
Mme Marissa N. Fernan
M. Vincent F. Frasco
M. Luke J. Gagnon
M. Helmut Gaisberger
M. Klaus Graesslin
M. Alistair R. Granger
Mme Grace A. Guinefolleau
Mme Eva C. Gullas
Mme Norma S. Gullas
M. Allen L. Hamilton
M. Johannes Rudolf Hauri
M. Michael G. Hennessy
Mme Victoria D. Hermosisima
M. Kok Fai Ho
M. Gregg R. Huettel
M. Ojvind Leth Karlsen
Mme Ma. Theresa D. Klepp
Mme Miranda Konstantinidou
M. Angelo Maria Kram
M. Massimo La Magna
M. Herve Lampert
M. Lyle Lewis
M. Gabriel V. Leyson
Mme Marguerite J. Lhuillier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Restaurateur
Maitre Restaurateur
Maitre Hotelier
Vice-Charge de Missions
Maitre Restaurateur
Chevalier
Grand Officier Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Dame de la Chaine
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Hotelier
Maitre Restaurateur
Chevalier
Chevalier
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Officier
Chevalier
Officier
Chevalier
Officier Maitre Rotisseur
Chevalier
Maitre Hotelier
Professionel du Vin
Vice-Charge de Presse
Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Chevalier
Maitre Rotisseur
Commandeur & Officier Maitre
Hotelier
Maitre Hoteliver
Maitre Hotelier
Dame de la Chaine
Dame de la Chaine
Officier
Chevalier
Officier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Hotelier
Chevalier
Maitre Rotisseur
Maitre Restaurateur
Dame de la Chaine
Chevalier
Maitre Restaurateur
Officier
Maitre Hotelier
Chevalier
Officier
M. Michel J. Lhuillier
Mme Amparito L. Lhuillier
M. Michael Edouard L. Lhuillier
Mme Joanna M.S. Lhuillier
M. Lars Erik Lofgren
Mme Honey J. Loop
Mme Annabelle C. Luym
Mme Elvira G. Luym
Mme Evelyn S. Luym
M. Brendan J. Mahoney
Mme Cenelyn DJ.
Manguilimotan
M. Michel Marchant
M. John Martel
Mme Angie L. Mathieu
M. Francisco Jose F. Matugas II
Mme. Teresin A. Mendezona
M. Alan Mill-Irving
M. Martin Julian B. Miranda
M. Glauco Muzzi
M. Robert Oliver
M. Manuel H. Osmeña
M. Gabriel Palmer-Mari
Mme Rafaelita P. Pelaez
M. Jurgen Christoph Pesch
M. Jaime R. Picornell
Mme Alicia T. Plaza
M. Alfred Portenschlager
M. Dale Rennie
M. Carlo Marcelo Sainz
Mme Rosebud R. Sala
M. Joachim R. Schutte
M. Andrew Sharpe
M. David Sharpe
M. Charles Michael Smith
M. Carlo Spema
M. Felimon M. Suarez
M. Leonardus H.A. Tacke
Mlle Jacqueline C. Tan
Mme Marlinda A. Tan
Mme Margaret R. Taylor
Mlle Anna Kathrina Thelmo
M. Louis Thevenin
Mme Honeylet S. Thevenin
M. Jurgen Toft
M. Edgardo C. Tongco
M. Joseph Edward P. Tongco
M. Richard C. Uysiuseng
M. Bruce A. Winton
Mme Alice C. Woolbright
Mme Vina Flor C.
Wurgler-Cronin
M. Simon K. Yang
Mme Mariquita S. Yeung
Mme Vivina C. Yrastorza
Cardinal Ricardo Vidal
Bailli Delegue National des
Philippines;
Membre du Conseil Magistral
Bailli de Cebu
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Hotelier
Dame de la Chaine
Officier
Officier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Hotelier
Maitre Hotelier
Maitre Restaurateur
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Chevalier
Chevalier
Chevalier
Chevalier
Officier
Maitre Restaurateur
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Officier
Officier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Hotelier
Chevalier
Maitre Hotelier
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Hotelier
Maitre Restaurateur
Vice-Echanson, OMGD
Chevalier
Officier
Chevalier
Chevalier
Maitre Hotelier
Pair de la Chaine
Dame de la Chaine
Maitre Hotelier
Chevalier
Dame de la Chaine
Chevalier
Maitre Restaurateur
Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Maitre Hotelier
Maitre Hotelier
Maitre Hotelier
Maitre Hotelier
Officier
Vice-Chancelier & Argentier
Honoris Causa
Saffron (pronounced SAF-ruhn) is the world’s most
expensive spice. It is usually sold by the fraction of an
ounce or by the gram, with retail prices that can go as
high as $315 per ounce or $5,040 per pound. Simply
mind-boggling!
Where does saffron come from, and what makes it
so pricey?
Saffron refers to the stigmas from the crocus sativus
flower. Each flower has only 3 stigmas, called saffron
threads, which are harvested by hand. It takes about
13,125 threads to make one ounce of the spice.
The crocus that produces saffron is not just any
crocus and certainly not the spring flowering crocus
grown in abundance in certain parts of the world. The
saffron crocus is the only one of more than 75 crocus
species that yields this spice. The saffron crocus blooms
in the fall, producing fragrant, lilac-colored flowers one
to two inches long. Only the 3 small, burnt-orange female
parts of the flower, called stigmas, are used for the spice.
With a long history of cultivation—it is believed to have
been used by Egyptian physicians as a medicine as early
as 1600 BC—true saffron is known as a domesticated
plant, with only a few related species growing in the wild.
This makes it difficult to ascertain its origins, but it is
believed to have originated in Asia Minor.
How much saffron can be obtained from the flowers?
The numbers are staggering. With 3 stigmas per flower
it takes 75,000 flowers, or 225,000 stigmas to make one
pound of saffron. It is easy to
see why it is so expensive.
Today saffron is used
primarily as a flavoring and
coloring agent in foods,
especially
paella,
risotto Milanese, and
bouillabaisse. Its original
uses, however, were
almost exclusively
m e d i c i n a l .
Throughout
history, claims have
been made that
saffron tea was a stimulant and antispasmodic, could
induce sweating, provoke menstruation or abortion, cure
the plaque, stop toothaches and headaches, and act as an
aphrodisiac. Pliny the Elder listed 20 remedies derived
from saffron. Even today Europeans drink 12 million
liters a year of Fernet-Branca, a bitter black elixir based
on saffron that people claim will awaken one’s appetite,
ease indigestion, or cure a hangover. Saffron’s aroma
is quite pleasant, and the Greeks and Romans used it in
perfumes.
Where Saffron Came From
Saffron originated from Western Asia and most
likely Persia. The crocus was cultivated in ancient Europe.
The Mongols took saffron from Persia to India. In ancient
time saffron was used medicinally and as well as for food
and as a dye.
How To Buy and Store Saffron
Unless you use saffron frequently it is best to
purchase it in small amounts like .5 or 1 gram at a time.
If you use saffron frequently, you may want to invest in
a one-ounce tin.
Threads vs Powder
Like most spices and herbs, “whole” is more powerful
than ground. Whole saffron must be prepared before
use, sometimes soaked, sometimes toasted and ground.
If that’s too much fuss for you then you may want to
purchase ground saffron. Ground saffron should be
used within 3 to 6 months. Be particularly careful when
buying powdered saffron as it can be “cut” or diluted
with turmeric or other additives.
Storage
Saffron must be stored in a cool dark place. It is
customary to wrap saffron in foil and place it in a tin or
jar with a tight fitting lid.
Shelf-Life
Properly stored you can keep saffron for minimally
three years. It won’t “go bad” but the flavor will diminish
as it ages.
How To Use
The most important rule is “don’t use too
much.” A very little bit of saffron goes a long way.
If overused, it becomes overpowering and leaves a
“medicinal” flavor.
93
How to Become a Member of the Chaine
Membership in the Confrerie de la Chaine des
Rotisseurs is by invitation only; it is, in effect, friends
inviting friends. That makes it exclusive and very special.
It means that someone who is already a Chaine
member regards you as deserving of the honor of
membership in this brotherhood of gastronomes that is
known the world over as the touchtone of good taste in
fine dining and impeccable table etiquette. It means that
the person who issued the invitation enjoys the pleasure
of your company and believes that you can contribute to
the enhancement of the prestige and polish of both the
bailliage (chapter) to which you are being invited and the
Confrerie as a whole.
Though most new members join through
recommendation by friends and associates who are
already members of the Chaine, it is also possible to
obtain information on membership directly through
national Chapters or bailliages.
A nominee is required to attend at least three (3)
Chaine events to be accepted into the Society’s roster
of members. Attendance in these events gives the
prospective member a chance to make new friends,
observe the way the Chaine operates, and better
appreciate the art of cuisine and fine dining that the
Chaine is committed to promote.
There are two types of membership—professional
and non-professional or amateur. If you belong to the
food and drinks business—as owner of or director,
manager or chef in a hotel or restaurant, or owner or
manager of an enterprise that distributes or retails wines
and spirits—you come under the professional category.
Chefs Gene Gonzalez of the Center for Asian Culinary
Studies and his son Gino, owners of Café Ysabel, are
examples of professional members.
Everybody else comes under the amateur or nonprofessional category—businessmen, ambassadors,
doctors, lawyers, land developers, engineers, architects,
writers, and so on. Former Ambassador Alfonso
Yuchengco and Bailli de Manille Federico Borromeo,
businessmen both, fall under this category.
For both members and nominees, one set of criteria
stands out: an abiding passion for good food and fine
wines, a passion for elegant dining, and a genuine
appreciation of the pleasures of the table, including
the company of confreres. All Chaine members are held
together in this unique brotherhood (confrerie) by a
common bond—the heart of a gourmet and the spirit of
a lover of the finest things in life.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Editor Layout Artist Photography Secretariat TESS C. DUMANA
RONNEL DOTARO
Armando Barbiera
CHARLIE Guevarra
Peter Manlangit
Rizam Studio
SHIELA LOPEZ
ELMERA ABELLANOSA
TINTIN DOTARO
Baking and Pastry Production
Food & Beverage Services
Housekeeping
Commercial Cooking
The Sisters of Mary is a religious congregation for women
founded by the late Msgr. Aloysius Schwartz, a 1983 Ramon
Magsaysay awardee for International Understanding.
Its primary work is to establish and run live-in secondary
institutions—called Boystowns and Girlstowns—for students
from poor families. The schools are supported mainly by
donations, gifts and bequests from generous individuals and
organizations, local and foreign. They also provide the students
with food, clothing, shelter, and medical care, all free of charge.
The curriculum consists of 3 years of academic high school and 1
year of intensive technical-vocational training in preparation for
employment here and abroad.
The congregation runs four schools—two in Silang, Cavite
and two in Cebu City—with a combined capacity of 11,200
students.
Course offerings for the senior year training for both
Boystowns and Girlstowns are similarly oriented towards
technical-vocational skills development, to give their students a
fighting chance at employment after graduation.
Chaine members would be interested to know that the
schools offer courses under the Tourism and Hospitality umbrella.
Boystown offers Baking and Pastry Production, a course
that aims to develop and enhance skills in baking breads, pastries
and cakes in preparation for employment in hotels, restaurants,
bakeshops, luxury liners, and similar establishments.
Girlstown has three courses linked to HRM:
• Commercial Cooking, which builds competencies in
cooking hot and cold meals, and preparing, portioning
and plating of foods to guests in hotels, motels,
restaurants, clubs, canteens, resorts and luxury lines/
cruises;
• Food and Beverages, which develops competencies
in the delivery of food and beverage services in hotels,
restaurants, social clubs, luxury liners, resorts, and similar
establishments; and
• Housekeeping, which equips students with the
knowledge, skills and attitudes required for delivering
housekeeping services in hotels, resorts, and other
lodging places.
The training offered is intensive and hands-on, so that by the
time a student graduates, s/he is ready to apply the skills s/he has
learned for gainful employment. Many Boystown and Girlstown
graduates have been hired by and are now proving their worth in
hotels, resorts, restaurants, and luxury liners here and abroad.
This page is sponsored by
CENTER for ASIAN CULINARY STUDIES
The Center for Asian Culinary Studies (CACS) is a school
with a mission: To provide its students with world class
culinary education and make of them topnotch chefs who
can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best.
At CACS, learning is fun and exciting and is effected by
classical and modern teaching techniques by CACS mentors,
who are all professionals. The school’s learner-centered
teaching method, which ensures mastery of subject matter,
has enabled its graduates to obtain key positions in the food
and beverage industry here and abroad.
The CACS is the only culinary school with its own
restaurant, the multi-awarded Café Ysabel, a favorite haunt
for those who love the fine things in life. It is where students
intern, before they are sent for externship in hotels and
restaurants of their choice.
At the CACS, learning goes beyond the confines of its
well-equipped kitchen classrooms. In 2009, for example,
some CACS students went on a learning tour of Thailand for
an up-close look at the Thai cuisine and of the vineyards that
grow the grapes from which come the country’s wines.
The CACS has one thing no other culinary school
can offer—the expertise, insight and creative spirit of
Gene Gonzalez, the school’s founder, president and head
instructor. The celebrated Chef Gene has received countless
accolades, but none more precious than the TOYM Award in
Culinary Arts, the first and so far only award ever given by
the TOYM organization in this category.
At the CACS, a would-be chef learns the ropes in the
kitchen while getting an education in the appreciation and
enjoyment of the good things in life.
455 P. Guevarra Street, San Juan, Metro Manila
Tel. Nos. (+632) 725-5089
Telefax: (+632) 726-9326
E-mail: [email protected]

Bailliage de Manille - Chaine Des Rotisseurs Philippines

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