The Embassy Of Canada and the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel had a special tasting event and cooking demonstration using the finest Canadian seafood. The event formally opened a Canadian food festival at the hotel’s Cafe Marco.
The Canadian Embassy’s Second Secretary (Commercial Affairs) Alex George came to Cebu for the occasion, as did trade commissioners Yvette Buendia and Angel Cachuela. Doing the honors from the Cebu end were Canada’s Honorary Consul Robert Lee with his wife, Anna Lee, and Gemela Gomez of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Guests at the foyer sipped ice cold cranberry juice or licked those delicious maple syrup lollipops. Welcoming all were the hotel’s resident manager Julie Najar and executive chef Luke Gagnon who is Canadian.
In her welcome remarks, Julie said this was the third time Marco Polo in Cebu held a Canadian food fest. She mentioned that Canada is the world’s second largest country. We also gathered that Canada supports more than 160 species of fish and seafood, exporting them fresh, frozen, smoked or canned to 130 countries.
A buffet lunch featuring some of these products followed at the hotel’s Manila Room. The raves were for those huge, thick, luscious oysters. It was fun prying them open, and so rewarding. After coffee and dessert some stayed on for the cooking demo.
At the Seoul Room, chef Luke had a formidable team—sous chefs Juanito Abangan and Cornelio Tolo, chef de partie Luigi Mangubat and pastry chef Rodelio Galvez.
What’s next after this “culinary journey?” Chef Luke was quick to answer, “We’re going local in April, with the flavorful food of the Bicol region.” There will also be a Filipino theme in June to mark June 12 as Independence Day.
Then in July, it will be the sixth edition of “Sabores de España,” for which an invitation has already been coursed to Spanish Ambassador Jorge Domecq. He will also come for the Spanish Month celebration at Casino Español de Cebu.
Japanese food fest
The Radisson Blu Hotel held a food festival of Japanese cuisine at its best with Katsuya Ono, executive chef of the Radisson in Narita, preparing an exquisite array. On opening night he was personally cooking the shrimp tempura, which went fast, it being a Friday of Lent.
The opening was quite an event, and very well-attended, too. Guests gathered at the lobby lounge to sample Japanese morsels, sip chilled white wine, admire a stylized display of martial arts, and applaud a fan dance by pretty girls in pink floral kimonos.
The rationale of the event was explained by communications manager Mina Gervacio, while words of welcome came from Yoshiaki Hata, consul and counselor at Japan’s Consulate in Cebu; and Lyle Lewis, general manager of the Radisson Blu.
Everyone moved to the hotel’s Feria outlet for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. With Consul Hata and Lewis were Takeshi Ishida, president of the Japanese Association of Cebu, and Agnes Gupalor, of Cebu Pacific, the airline that flew Chef Ono from Japan to Cebu.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama caught up with the celebration later, and joined Consul Hata and his wife Setsuko. Diners rated superlatives to what was served on the sushi and sashimi counter. There being an increasingly large Japanese community in Cebu, the fest was quite a success.
Montebello turns 40
Montebello Villa Hotel is the only one in Cebu surrounded by a lush garden of carpet lawns, blooming plants and tall trees. It is a veritable oasis. Montebello just celebrated its 40th anniversary on Feb. 14.
It recalls Valentine’s Day in 1972 when it first opened to the public, with an al fresco buffet dinner. It was originally a swimming club with three guest rooms and a duplex honeymoon cottage in the garden. In two years, it metamorphosed into a hotel that has kept growing.
Theme of this year’s celebration was “In the Mood for Love.” What else? At the vanguard of it all was Zelia Borromeo with her nephews Greg Cancio (Montebello’s current president and general manager), with wife Paulette, and Fabby Borromeo, with wife Kim, plus their son Paqui and daughter Kirsten.
Red was the predominant color and there was a prize for the most red couple—Alter and Rose Smith. Other prizes went to early birds Casey and Msribeth Eikelberger, and the most romantic pair—Alfonso Camino and Kristel Canig.
There was dancing to the pulsating Amicos band at the Celebrity Ballroom, while diners at the poolside were serenaded with romantic love songs by Stephen Lim and Faith Abarquez.
A few weeks later, there was another more solemn celebration with Fr. John Iacono officiating a Mass of thanksgiving at Salon de Mercedes. In attendance were Montebello’s stockholders and the hotel staff.
After the Mass, many stepped out to the garden to release 40 red balloons. Merienda was served, made livelier by the presence of Pinky Marquez Cancio, who sang some of the best numbers.
This was as good a time as any to reminisce with Zelia Borromeo countless anecdotes about the celebrities that have stayed in the hotel. In 1974, it was the newly crowned Miss Universe Amparo Muñoz and her court.
One afternoon, out of a rickety taxi from the airport stepped out Cliff Robertson (Oscar for Best Actor in “Charly,” 1968), with his wife, actress Dina Merrill, very beautiful, and heiress to a breakfast flakes fortune, who always graced the best dressed lists.
And there was Liv Ullmann in 1987 on a mission for the United Nations, helping the cause of street children all over the world.