A BMW for Spiral’s birthday

For a certain generation of Filipinos, the old Philippine Plaza Hotel was the setting of many happy memories. For us who lived in the province, the hotel was a hands-down favorite place to stay during visits to Manila. It was a happy compromise for the adults who wanted to enjoy the sea breeze without having to brave sunburn and forgo comfort, and the children who preferred soaking in the swimming pool from sun-up until sundown. Certainly, my brothers still have vivid recollections of playing in the pool, and when my youngest brother visited the hotel recently, he took time to visit this — one of his all-time favorite childhood spots.

For many gourmands, however, the lure of the current Sofitel Philippine Plaza is the buffet at the hotel’s main dining outlet Spiral. The $3 million project opened in March 2006 and now enjoys patronage as one of the hottest restaurants in town. It offers state-of-art interactive dining experience, integrating both the indoor and outdoor environments. Its multi-cuisine open plan cooking stations offer seating for 480 guests and position it as one of Manila’s most fashionable dining destinations.

The buffet is a kaleidoscope of colors, flavors and aromas, so that one finds it difficult to decide on a favorite section of the spread. On one end, orange steamed prawns and fresh, sweet oysters rest on a mound of smoking-cold chips of ice, while on another, chefs are busy at work to replenish the heaps of shrimp tempura that the diners constantly diminish. There are a variety of meats and poultry — roasted, baked, cured, delicious and succulent; and the faint whiffs of curries and other spices will tempt and tantalize. There are dumplings, dim sum, and sushi. There are breads of different shapes and sizes, risottos and noodles. The bright greens, reds, yellows, and oranges of the fresh fruits and vegetables will convince you to eat healthy, while the assortment of rich cheeses will convince you to indulge. There is Western, Asian, traditional, and contemporary cuisine. The light and dark chocolate twirls, the carved fruit, the colors and textures in the dessert station are both a gustatory and an aesthetic delight. Altogether, the Spiral buffet is deliciously dizzying. Small wonder then, that since it opened last year, it has become a favorite dining destination — winning the hearts and tummies of both the discerning and adventurous dining public. As Spiral celebrates its first anniversary this year, guests will be treated to new dishes created by the team of Asian chefs led by Swiss executive chef Christian Werdenberg.

But dining at Spiral can even get better. From March 8 to May 8, every receipt entitles guests to one raffle coupon. This will give them an opportunity to win Sony flat screen TV sets, IBM’s Lenovo Notebook computers, Apple iPods, and Sony digital cameras. First prize, however, is a cool BMW hatchback sports car — the BMW 116i. Indeed, it would be hard to conceive how dining at Spiral can be more delicious than that.

* * *

The promotion is open to all diners except staff of Sofitel Philippine Plaza. For reservations, call Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila at 551-5555, Spiral at local 1086 or 6988.