An oasis for rejuvination: Mogambo springs

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Located at the Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, Marigondon, Mactan Island (www.plantationbay.com), it was launched last September 14. Mogambo is the latest addition to the 5-star facilities of resort with “18 new massage rooms, four suite rooms, 10 standard massage rooms, two Vichy shower rooms, two Pagoda rooms and three Spa indulgence rooms.” Whew! So many rooms!

After a very short break last Tuesday, your favorite food columnist is back to what he does best, performing the most difficult job of tasting all that delicious food and drinking all those alcoholic beverages in the OKB (Openings, Kasal, Bunyag) arena and render a culinary account to his ever loyal followers. Never mind if the collateral damage is an inch or two to the waist line!

The name “Mogambo” draws its inspiration from a movie about white explorers in Africa (http://www.imdb.com), Mogambo (1953), starring Clark Gable, Ava Garner and Grace Kelly. Unfortunately, none of those ubiquitous optical media pirates have it in stock and the original costs about $15 (ouch!). Back to the pirate…I mean the inauguration, driving to Plantation from Cebu City during rush hours can really make you an ideal candidate to the spa, with nerves really ruffled and muscles strained on the car pedals. Only the thought of all the delicious food soothed the nerves of your food columnist.

Food stations were evenly distributed all over the spa grounds and after the obligatory food photo shots, I began on the appetizers: conveniently placed in small glasses, like the pepper-fried cubes of tuna with wasabi and red beet, salmon with spinach cream , manchego with chilli and my favorite, green asparagus wrapped with Parma ham.

Eyeing for the food fibres, I moved to the stir-fry section for organic vegetables, then onwards to the shrimp tempuras (off course, plural!) for texture. A sip of white wine (or was it two?) then to the Japanese food display where I parked for several minutes, tasting the freshest sea produce Plantation can offer, so fresh that the fish seemed ready to jump out of the table.

Almost satiated, I switched to a red wine and began moving to the direction of the US Rib-eye roast with Porcini sauce and began feasting on the most succulent meat. So good that I said goodbye to main dishes: the tofu teriyaki, Pommes croquette and the rest.

Intimate Organic was the highlight of the evening, featuring creations from the Fashion Council of Cebu:  Albert Arriba, Jun Escario, Arcy Gayatin, OJ Hofer, Ditas Rodriguez, Philip Rodriguez, Felix Yu and Minnie Yuvienco. I was eyeing that white tuxedo suit (Philip Rodriguez) for the International Convention of La Chaine des Rotisseurs next year.

Switching to beer, I joined the company of an Australian gentleman, Geoff McLehann, who hails from a dairy farming community and also dabbles in the production of opium (all legal, off course). By-product of such farming are opium seeds which are commonly used in bakery produce.  Now, where do I get a license to produce those very tasty seeds?

It was raining every day last week and then the rains stopped on this festive day. Perhaps, some nuns were persuaded by cholesterol offerings and the heavens cooperated. Congratulations to the management and staff of Plantation Bay Resort and Spa headed by my friends, GM Efren Belarmino, PR Dianne Gandionco and Executive Chef Vinz Karlsen for a very successful launching of Mogambo Springs.