A night at Anya

For one night, two creative chefs collaborated to produce a memorable dinner to celebrate Anya Resort Tagaytay’s second anniversary. Anya’s French executive chef

Jonathan Bouthiaux and Black Pig’s Spanish chef Carlos Garcia came up with an amazing seven-course dinner held at the resort’s Samira Restaurant. Each course was paired with a selection of red and white wine from the Aboitiz Wine Company and presented by Diego Virata, who played sommelier that evening.

Cocktails started at 6 p.m. with Botanist gin cocktails paired with Fever Tree tonic. This was immediately followed by dinner.

Guests started with a local crab salad with apple, coriander and lemon purée served with Spanish Zarate Albarino 2017. It was followed by crispy organic egg yolk with grilled chorizo, green asparagus, sweet onions and smoked paprika sauce paired with French Chateau Roubine La Vie en Rose 2018.

The first main course was a duo of marinated tiger prawns and prawn ravioli with a basil and pumpkin condiment, topped with lobster sauce that went well with Ferraton Pere & Fils Cote-duRhone “Samorens.” The second main course was Iberian pork jowl with morcilla (blood sausage) with peach and carrot purée paired with Vina Pomal Reserva 2013. According to Diego, the food paired with Spanish wines were prepared by Carlos while the French-wine paired dishes were prepared by Jonathan.

Palate-cleansers and desserts followed and Anya F&B manager Alejandro Lorences prepared the resort’s famous signature drink, Café Anya (with cognac) after dinner.

Present at the full-house dinner were Roxaco president and CEO Santi Elizalde and wife Marilen, Anya’s Juan

Roca and Roxaco senior manager for marketing and communications Mylene Mendoza. Other guests spotted at the event were Linggoy and Connie Araneta, Benjie

Toda, Lino and Toni Palenzuela, Micky Fenix and her sister Cristina Abalos, Angelo Comsti and Ingrid Chua with her sons Julian and Nicolas. Anya Resort Tagaytay also announced the tie-up between Rustan’s Frequent Shopper’s Program (FSP) and its Anya Elite Club. The partnership, forged by Dina Tantoco and Roxaco’s Mylene Mendoza, gives FSP members preferential room rates, priority booking and special personalized room amenities. Anya Elite Club members will get free membership to FSP as well as inclusion in the FSP online promos. This agreement is for a three-month trial subject to extension.

Lino Palenzuela, Roxaco president and CEO Santi Elizalde and Linggoy Araneta.

(From left) Anya Hospitality Group managing director Juan Roca, Anya Resort Tagaytay F&B manager Alejandro Lorences, AWC’s Diego Virata, Black Pig chef Carlos Garcia and co-owner Tricia Villacorta-McDonald, Anya Resort Tagaytay executive chef Jonathan Bouthiaux and Santi Elizalde.

Roxaco marketing director Mylene Bautista-Mendoza, Marilen Elizalde and Mico Manalo.

(From left) Leah Caringal, Micky Fenix, Cristina Abalos, Angelo Comsti, Juan Roca and Toni Palenzuela.

(From left) Anna Angeles, Therese Yusay-Ledesma, Deanna Villacin, Chris Juan and Norma Juan.

(From left) Ronald Mabanag and Tricia Villacorta-McDonald with Ma. Cristina and Mark Zwolfer.

Samantha Lopez and Pinky Webb.

Chefs at work: Jonathan Bouthiaux, Tricia McDonald and Carlos Garcia.

Marilen Elizalde and Connie Araneta.

The resort’s L’Occitane toiletries for its guests.

CJ Juntereal and Bombom Saulo.

A welcome kit for each guest that night.

Crispy egg. Food photos by PEPPER TEEHANKEE on a Leica C Digital Camera

Prawns served two ways.

Benjie Toda.