Three's chic

MANILA, Philippines – Oui, monsieur, it’s tres chic to be three. Of course, you know we’re talking about Spiral, Sofitel Philippine Plaza’s much-talked-about interactive multi-cuisine main dining outlet which opened three years ago. Imagine 200 dishes for breakfast, 300 for lunch, 400 for dinner, and 450 for Sunday brunch with free-flowing champagne and wines. Surely, the metro’s sizzling buffet scene has never been the same again.

And now, Spiral toasts three years of food performance that’s been simply magnifique by bringing the lucky winner (and three companions) of its grand anniversary raffle to where it all began — Paris, the City of Lights. From now until May 30, guests availing themselves of the lunch or dinner buffet get a chance to join the raffle and vie for the grand prize of a trip for four (take double note) to Paris on Air France/KLM Business Class (yes, business class). There’s a lot more icing on the cake: a five-night accommodation at a Sofitel hotel in Paris and a trip to the enchanting city of Versailles courtesy of the Department of Tourism. Is your pulse already racing or are you thinking of dashing to Spiral just about now?

Because who knows, after savoring the new escargot soup at the vibrant Mediterranean station of Spiral, you could be winging your way to Paris and dining on the fattest escargot in fragrant garlic butter sauce and other French delectables at some cozy bistro.

While there’s Paris on the our minds, there’s Spiral on our lips and taste buds. There’s no way we’ll forget Paris or pass up Spiral’s mother of all buffets. Certainly no flash in the pan, Spiral has been drawing hordes of guests who keep coming back for more.

And now, there are more reasons to come to Spiral: the exciting new dishes that have been added to its ever-expanding buffet list.

“Our GM Bernd Schneider being a health buff, we’ve added healthy, organic offerings,” says the newly arrived, multi-awarded executive chef Marko Rankel.

Naturally, there’s the free-range Pamora chicken that’s truly tasty.

“We also have a lot of fish offerings sourced from local suppliers,” says chef de partie Pipo Aluming.

Added fresh news is that Spiral’s chefs use a lot of fresh herbs for cooking. “To minimize the use of salt,” explains Marko, who loves life and cooking in equal measure.

More heartwarming news await diners with the healthy Cuisine Vitale dishes. “We have hearty herbal soups, like the very refreshing cream of ginger soup and cream of spinach soup, plus a wide assortment of salads,” Pipo points out.

“We have sugar-free desserts and fresh juices, too,” Marko, who confesses he’s a “sweets” person, is happy to share.

For diabetics and those on a diet, that’s a sweet gesture as only we can expect from a hotel with a French joie de vivre and a Filipino spirit.

For its daily breads, Spiral offers freshly baked healthy breads that are low in carbohydrates and fat but high in enjoyment. “We use honey for our pastries,” Pipo reveals. “Eighty percent of the pastries at Spiral are sugar-free.”

The best things in life may as well be free — make that sugar-free. New on Spiral’s pastry menu are these sugar-free items: apricot yogurt mousse with rosemary, pistachio roll, strawberry mille feuille, salabat creme brulee, fraisette of Baguio strawberries (truly berry good), light muesli, and Tagaytay honey mousse. 

The sous chefs have their own sweet surprises in their popular stations. At the Western/Indian station, chef Om Prakash Giri awakens lethargic palates with his goose liver pate with warm tandoori naan bread, whole baked goat meat stuffed with rice, lamb biryani, tandoori quail, and roasted whole stuffed ouzi. 

At the Chinese station, chef Peter Yeung has created such fancy Chinese delicacies as the steamed sea bass fillet with glutinous rice, steamed crystal fresh ginseng roll, and baked walnut puff.

Hai, at the Japanese station, chef Noboru Ozeki is like a cocky rooster showing off his knockout chicken kimini (simmered chicken breast coated with egg yolk). If you ask us, it’s the breast chicken we’ve ever tasted. 

Hot new faves at the ever-popular Mediterranean station are the roast lamb of Paulliac, moules mariniere (no need to flex a muscle, simply dig your way into the mussels perfectly cooked in white wine), the escargot soup (really soup-er good!), and the coq au vin (classic French chicken stew flavored with red wine).

“And we’ll have more Filipino dishes,” says Pipo. “We’ll have our own version of the famous Bicol Express and bagnet.”

Behind Spiral’s impeccable food performance are some 100 cooks. “Every day after lunch, I sit with my chefs and we eat and talk about what transpired during the day,” Marko relates.

But their real meal, says Marko, comes after work, around 10 p.m., when the chefs can just relax and savor the fruits of their labor.

Visite Paris? Oui, but first, visite Spiral — maintenant!

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For dining reservations or inquiries, call Spiral at 832-6988 or e-mail fbreservations@sofitelmanila.com.