THE CELEBRITY CHEF SERIES AT LIME RESORT EL NIDO
El Nido is known for its stunning limestone cliffs, white-sand beaches, and crystal-clear waters, and one of the most popular (and largest) hotels there is Lime Resort El Nido. Rooms are spacious and their beautiful Sky Lounge with an infinity pool is the perfect place to have cocktails and watch the stunning Palawan sunset. Even famous El Nido pizza restaurant Bella Vita has already set up a small area in Lime and is making their amazing Neapolitan pizzas by Lime’s poolside! The resort is conveniently located only 15 minutes away from the airport and Lio Beach, where the nightlife is thriving.
Lime El Nido Resort aims for locals and guests alike to have a total feast of the senses with the Celebrity Chef Series that started just last March 15 and will end on June 30. The first featured guest is Sau del Rosario of Sawsaw and Cafe Fleur. Chef Sau has refined his culinary craft by working more than two decades all over the world. He has his own distinct touches when he prepares Filipino food.
Sau says, “I am pleased to collaborate with Lime Hotel and Resorts for the Celebrity Chef Series. ‘Arkipelago: Featuring Food from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,’ brings together the unique mix and tastes of the three major islands of the Philippines.”
Sau prepared a Luzon feast for our first lunch. We started with a refreshing Pako (fern) Salad with Prawns then Kinilaw na Maya-maya with Coconut Lime and Fish Roe. His Sisig Pampangueña with Calamansi pearls was delicious and we didn’t have to squeeze calamansi on it anymore because of his citrus pearl touch!
The biggest mussels I’ve seen in my life were mixed in a Coconut Lemongrass Soup. Mains included Chicken Galantina with Chorizo and Citrus Chicken jus, Sous Vide Lengua with in a Truffle Pastel Sauce, and his most famous dish in his Manila restaurants: Crispy Pork Belly with Macadamia Kare-kare Sauce.
Lime El Nido elevates island hopping for their guests with their Celebrity Chef Series, which provides a wellcurated menu serving hot, fresh and hygienic food, and a cozy table setup, completing the perfect island experience on one of their island stops.
We had a delectable spread, with Sau serving sinugba or grilled food, a popular way of cooking Visayan food. On the boodle table on a private island were Bacolod’s famous Chicken Inasal, fork tender Short Rib Adobo, Eggplant Salad with Tomatoes, Salted Egg and Onions, Pork Barbecue, Boiled Prawns, Grilled Lobster with Butter Garlic Sauce, Grilled Squid stuffed with ginger, onion, and tomato, and fresh mangoes and watermelon for dessert.
For the Mindanao brunch, Sau prepared Chicken Binakol (a soup made with coconut meat and juice) but added lapu-lapu in to the soup, which made it very unique. His Pinoy-style Caesar Salad was made with salted egg. A seafood platter with shrimps, mussels, squid, and octopus, Fried Snapper with Aligue (crab tomalley) and Lechon Baka (roast beef) Au Jus rounded out our heavy brunch.
Lime Hotel and Resorts CEO Emil Po stated, “Lime Hotel and Resorts is known for providing fun-loving individuals an unforgettable visit across our three destinations, namely Lime Resort Manila, Lime Resort El Nido and Lime Hotel Boracay. We want to elevate the El Nido experience with a unique gustatory adventure showcasing the wonderful flavors of our country. Through the Celebrity Chef Series, we envision Lime El Nido as the perfect food destination in the island. We are glad to work with chef Sau in this endeavor and look forward to the next collaborations with other chefs in the coming months.”
Watch out for the next chefs who will take over the kitchen of Lime Resort El Nido for their Celebrity Chef Series!
***