AS TIME GOES BY
An Epicurean Trip
The Taal Vista Hotel, the eternal watcher of the fabled volcano and legendary lake, a witness to memorable moments and celebratory milestones, recently commemorated its 80th Anniversary through a themed luncheon, As Time
Goes By, reminiscent of the melodious melody popularized by the blockbuster film
Casablanca— with yesterday’s idols Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman—which delved on the sophisticated and illustrious history of its familiar halls and beyond, through its eight decades of prosperity.
Born out of a desire of Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon for a weekend lodge for Filipinos and visitors to immerse themselves in the cool altitude with a dramatically picturesque vista of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake, it has since undergone extensive renovation, expansive growth with added top-of-theline facilities and much-desired amenities. Today, the highly admired undisputed queen continues to be an integral part of Tagaytay’s history and heritage.
A string quartet serenaded us with songs of days-gone-by which rekindled old memories, as everyone—with no exception whatsoever—had a story to share on family get-togethers, precious times with grandparents, high school escapades, weddings and honeymoons, and even a couple of sentimental journeys.
We were then led to the always-refreshing believer of farm-to-table principle, the Taza Fresh Table, which catapulted itself to its own trademark and is today the gathering hub for all things at the lofty ridge.
SERVED BY NOTHING BUT THE BEST
Modern gold centerpieces illuminated wide rectangular set-ups covered with ironed-on-thespot, exquisitely embroidered beige tablecloths with white underlinings, a subtle touch from the days of old, rather missed today and yet still very much appreciated.
Heavy silver cutlery graciously flanked bone china plates and bowls on top of chargers complimented by glass goblets of various shapes and sizes, with crisp no-creases linen napkins, in their formal dining arrangement. Accents of Holland white tulips, Ecuadorian roses, baby’s breath, and a masterful combination of light green and locally-grown, are seemingly strewn about with an artistic touch.
The seven-course sit-down feast was curated by Food Historian Clang Garcia, the author of Food Holidays, hailed as the best in the world by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. An expert in Culinary Heritage Tourism, she cleverly breathed life into the repertoire through the decades.
Executive Chef Jayme Natividad, who has had impactful stints at the two-star brasserie The Balthazar, the three-star Gramercy Tavern, the Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and Lupa and the Postrio under the Austrian celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, all based in New York, before he joined Pico de Loro and Park Inn by Radisson Hotels.
The anticipated result of this months-long collaboration was nothing but a procession of sterling dish after tony dish, authentically tied up with the cultural, social and political flagships within our islands that ranged from the Commonwealth Era till the present.
A RICH HISTORY OF FLAVORS
The pass-around hors d’oeuvres certainly brought back pleasant recollections as we were guided to our respective designated seats.
The Adobong Dilaw sa Pan De Bulilit— a favorite of the late Henry Sy, Sr.—and
Shrimp with Desiccated Coconut were testimonies from the Commonwealth Period of the 30s, to World War II and the establishment of the First Philippine Republic in the 40s, when food scarcity and limited variety were a reality. And thus, came in the convenience of canned goods.
The post-war fiesta culture of the 50s saw an abundance of handa as exemplified straight out of Enriqueta David Perez' Recipes of the
Philippines cookbook, where she painstakingly collected priceless home prides from oral and written traditions and brilliantly presented it as a gift for generations to come. The easy-to-follow and well-illustrated outputs inspired many to cook! The pass-around Chicken Relleno was one of those treasured heirloom snacks.
And then, a parade of white-gloved waiters, with all that jazz, handed all the fare in a manner reminiscent of de rigueur at affairs to remember when five-star global chain hotels were all the rage in the country.
For the appetizer, we participated in an ode to Nora Daza, an accomplished talented and more importantly charming lady, always perfectly dressed, who went to town with cooking demonstrations, hosted cooking segments on TV shows during its infancy and even authored cookbooks popular with departing Filipino students for further studies abroad, expats , and immigrants in search for greener pastures.
She successfully gave impetus to Filipino food which was more readily accepted by non-Filipinos, especially in the 60s when she introduced our menus to the world through her restaurants Maharlika in New York and Aux Iles Philippines in Paris. We had Lumpiang Sariwa with Pansit Buko, a savory crepe filled with coconut meat, cabbage, carrots, jicama, and peanut sauce, all served in a halved fresh coconut, which drew a series of wows even just from the mere presentation.
Glenda Barretto, the much-admired truly ahead-of-hertimes woman behind the ever-successful Via Mare, pioneered the transformation of excellently executed plating of our comestibles in the 70s and ushered it into corporate settings, diplomatic affairs, food festivals in foreign hotels and World Expos in capital cities.
The sad reputation of airline grub soon became a myth once Glenda catered the flight meals of several aircrafts outbound from Manila.
It was the height of glitz and glamour, flamboyance and extravagance at Malacañang Palace, with Spanish themes and lavish elements incorporated into menus. Cocido, a soup with braised beef, chicken and pork, rounded off with chickpeas, chorizo, cabbage, and eggplant was definitely the ideal instigator for what was yet to come.
Myrna Segismundo, a passionate advocate of Filipino cuisine, spearheaded regional culinary competitions for professionals, apprentices, and students, conducted food tours and seminars abroad, showcased techniques and introduced food tasting to the uninitiated.
The erstwhile Editor-in-Chief of the nowdefunct Foodie Magazine, her efforts in the 80s immersed private dining to the public which resulted in the birth and boom of the renowned Chefs on Parade. This era coincided with the rise of slow cooking that encouraged a low carbon footprint diet. We enjoyed Poached
Seabass on a bed of potato puree, zucchini and baby carrots, generously drizzled with saffron beurre blanc and saffron foam.
Power couple Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, authors of Memories of Philippine
Kitchens, championed Filipino cuisine in Manhattan and captivated the Western general public in the 90s through their use of endemic regional crops. They recently returned home and continued to cater to private dining experiences in their 60s-era residence. One of their specialties is the
Hibiscus Tarragon sorbet which served as a perfect palate cleanser. This set us up for the Sous Vide Bukidnon Wagyu Strip Steak with a side of marble potatoes and fresh mushrooms with dollops of Amadeo coffee port sauce. This was crafted with the respect for the wellness movement in Cavite in 2000 due to three major southern factors: the bed and breakfast Sonya's Garden, premier organic coffee roaster Gourmet Farm, and hotel-spa Nature Wellness Village.
Simultaneously followed was a tribute to Kulinarya, authored by our own culinary greats, namely, Chefs Claude Tayag, Glenda Barreto, Myrna Segismundo, Margarita Fores, Jessie Sincioco and Conrad Calalang.
In the ingredients-driven stage of today, with new food and revolutionary never-heard-of-before techniques, the country hosted the three-day Madrid Fusion Manila, where visiting juggernaut masters tapped their pet homegrown crops and presented eyecatching yet gastronomically explosive creations.
Not to be outdone, the Filipino counterparts worthy of their toques concocted their traditional delicacies with an appreciative twist.
The much-awaited dessert was one of Chef Jun Villanueva’s best-kept-secret, Blue Pea Coconut Cheesecake with Coco-Caramel and
Dragon Fruit Coulis, a light and delightful dance of flavors of heritage gems and indigenous plants that forewarned us of the extents—and possibilities—of the richness and excitement of Philippine cuisine.
The journey-down-memory-lane afternoon ended with a round of applause and more applause for the vision of President of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation Elizabeth Sy, orchestrated by former Cultural Center of the Philippines President Nestor Jardin, guided by General Manager Richard Gamlin and masterful skills spotlighted by Chef Natividad and to the Taal Vista Hotel, for its continued novelty in an ever-changing culinary landscape.