A Light Seafood Lunch at Marriott Cafe

A light yet sumptuous lunch at Marriott Cafe before an epic food fiesta and Chef's Challenge at Barangay 76 Zone 10 in Baclaran. It's a full day of seriously good eats...

From July 31 to August 3, 2017, over forty F&B representatives, including directors and executive chefs from thirty Marriott brands across the Asia-Pacific converge at Manila Marriott Hotel for the annual 2017 Marriott Asia-Pacific Culinary Workshop. That day, the chefs geared up for a culinary showdown at a nearby barangay scheduled for mid-afternoon, while I settled in for a light seafood lunch at Marriott Cafe...

At Manila Marriott Hotel's Marriott Cafe, you can enjoy the day's freshest sustainable seafood catch daily for lunch and dinner, an advocacy of the hotel for the past few years (for more on Manila Marriott Hotel's advocacy on sustainable seafood, see my previous post, Sustainable, Traceable, Fresh and Right at the 2nd Sustainable Seafood Week Launch). It's an advocacy that not only assures you get the freshest seafood, but goes a long way in supporting local fishing communities. It's all about doing seafood right that's both sustainable and traceable, and you'll find it here at Marriott Cafe.

From plump prawns to succulent mussels, crabs, clams and fish, Marriott Cafe lays out an impressive seafood feast daily for diners to enjoy (for more on Marriott Cafe, see my earlier posts, Seoul Food at Marriott Cafe's Korean Food Festival on their recent food festival last July of this year, The North Asian Showdown at Marriott Cafe on their epic Korean, Japanese, and Chinese festival, and The Freshest Catch at Marriott Cafe's Ocean Harvest Buffet). Sustainable, traceable, fresh, and right, it's a consistent theme that's firmly rooted in Manila Marriott Hotel's culinary philosophy that's highlighted in the 2017 Marriott Asia-Pacific Culinary Workshop with a Chef's Challenge at Barangay 76 Zone 10 in Baclaran later that day. 

Start with a refreshing bowl of garden-fresh greens from Marriott Cafe's impressive selection of salads at the Salad Station. You'll also find prepared salads, including freshly prepared Kimchi and a variety of other salads to kick-off your light seafood feast at Marriott Cafe...

...including the local Lato, a tasty regional seaweed salad with red onions and fresh tomatoes in a sharp vinaigrette. The variety of local and global flavors all in one place make Marriott Cafe one of the metro's popular dining destinations.

Marriott Cafe's station chefs at the different live stations are ready to prepare your seafood dish just the way you like it. Or you can leave it to Station Chef Christian to prepare and surprise you with his elegantly plated dishes...

...like some plump prawns delicately sauteed in garlic butter topped with fresh chives. Each bite delivers an audible snap, a sure sign of freshness, followed by the distinct briny sweetness of the prawns capped by the nutty richness of garlic and butter. Just perfect.

Then, Chef Christian served his Asian-inspired crunchy prawns fried with chili and garlic. The dish offered both flavor and textural contrasts, with the subtle sweetness of the prawns punching through followed by a layer of soothing heat from the fresh chili.

A plate of large and fresh baked mussels and clams draped in creamy bechamel and rich cheese is then served by Chef Christian to cap my light seafood lunch at Marriott Cafe. But there's more...

At Marriott Cafe's Japanese Station, you'll find an equally wide variety of sashimi and delicately rolled sushi with its fresh and clean notes. Tempted, just give in and pick up another plate...

If you're up to it, you can enjoy the rest of Marriott Cafe's savory international offerings, including the rustic Thai-spiced Roast Chicken at the Carving Station...

...or the equally impressive US Angus Prime Rib. Perfectly roasted to medium with a fork-tender juicy pink center that just melts in your mouth, this is seriously good beef.

A plate of fresh fruits capped my lunch at Marriott Cafe for another satisfying dining experience. By 2 pm, we assembled at Manila Marriott Hotel's lobby for the short bus ride to Baclaran to witness Marriott's best chefs from the Asia-Pacific region prepare an epic feast at Barangay 76 Zone 10...see my next post as Manila Marriott Hotel takes gourmet sustainable seafood down to the barangay for the 2017 Marriott Asia-Pacific Culinary Workshop's much awaited Chef's Challenge here at Taking It To The Barangay: The 2017 Marriott Asia-Pacific Culinary Workshop's Chef's Challenge.

Marriott Cafe is located at Manila Marriott Hotel, No. 10 Newport Boulevard, Newport City Complex, Pasay City or call 988-9999 for inquiries and reservations.

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