COOKING FROM THE HEART IS WHAT SETS CYAN APART
HOW do you create a different buffet restaurant in a hotel and make it stand out from the rest? For Kristine Oro, Executive Chef of CYAN Restaurant that is located at the swanky Lanson Place Mall of Asia, Manila, the way to make a buffet restaurant stand out from its competition should be based on the brand standard that the place represents.
Sustainability is one, she said, and that means all the products they are getting should be local. “Most of the products should be locally sourced, like we are coordinating with SM to source some of our products to establish that synergy and we are assured of a steady source,” Oro explained.
The good thing about being part of SM, she said, is that they share the advocacy of sourcing products from the local market, which is also what Lanson advocates. When the restaurant was opened, Oro said that in addition to being sustainable, it should also be able to cater to various dietary needs of guests like those who prefer less oil in their food, those who are vegan or vegetarian. “So the menu we created should have that. It was a challenge creating menus that cater to specific dietary needs so we just had to be more creative in coming up with ideas about creating food that will cater to them.”
Creative way of planning
ORO said that it involves a creative way of planning, like the ingredients, especially for those who don’t want certain items like gluten in their breads so they have a regular supply of gluten-free flour in the kitchen. Also, for those who are lactose intolerant, they have soy milk or almond milk that is always readily available upon the guests’ requests.
The restaurant’s setup, Oro pointed out, is not too much about decors and other stuff but really minimalistic yet very modern. “We are also very flexible in accommodating certain requests from guests, like preparing seafood items with garlic butter or pasta. You can’t just put everything in a buffet because it will not fit the standards and advocacies we follow. Being sustainable is not just lip service but a total commitment. Also, as a chef, I cannot commit to what I cannot deliver,” Oro succinctly explained.
Lanson Place Mall of Asia, Manila, Oro said, offers both a hotel and serviced residence and she sees it as an advantage for CYAN, especially for long-staying residents since they are able to find out their dietary preferences. They have guests, she stressed, who will dine at CYAN together with friends or family but sometimes order or inquire about a certain food that is not yet part of the cycle in their menu. Oro said they are willing to adjust and they are open to accommodate guests’ requests.
Oro emphasized that they are willing to take the extra mile in serving guests so they can enjoy their dining experience at CYAN, and that’s the reason why they opened the restaurant for guests to enjoy not just great-tasting food but to have an even better dining experience.
Like for example their grilled food items like cajun chicken or pork belly. They are grilled just like in any other food establishment, but CYAN’S is kind of different. Oro attests that the experience can be attributed to the level of cooking of, say, home cooking by one’s mother. “There’s no magic in the way we cook here at CYAN, and we don’t have magical equipment or ingredients. Our chefs here put so much love in preparing food. It may be cliché but it’s true that food tastes good if you cook from the heart. We take extra care in our cooking, grilling, even in the way we marinate.”