The ‘sutukil’ experience at Mabuhay Manor

In only a couple of years, Mabuhay Manor has managed to become the kind of place known for its colorful Pinoy spirit and genuinely warm service. Foreigners come here because it’s a slice of the Filipino life conveniently situated minutes away from all the major tourist attractions, malls and airports — and balikbayans and OFWs love how they can hold family reunions right in their very own large and spacious guestrooms.

Enhancing the ever-present Filipino ambience is the hotel’s very own dining specialty, sutukil. A Cebu-inspired cooking concept, sutukil is a mixture of Cebuano cooking terms: sugba (grilled over charcoal), tula (stew or soup), and kilaw (food marinated in vinegar and seasonings).

The sutukil way of cooking can be traced to Mactan Island in Cebu where clusters of eateries, situated along the beaches, offer seafood galore laid out and ready to be cooked in any way the customer prefers. The place is so prominent and well-known that it has become a magnet for tourism.

Inspired by this, the Mabuhay Manor brought sutukil right on Manila’s doorstep in 2005 in one of its food outlets. Situated midway between the hotel lobby and the pool area, you won’t miss the Sutukil Pool Bar and Restaurant. Here, you will be greeted by the restaurant’s many chefs behind a clear glass counter where a wonderful array of fresh seafood, chicken and pork is displayed. It’s here that you get to choose the food you like and how you want it done, sutukil style, and see it being cooked and prepared right before your very eyes.

After your food is done and ready to serve, dine al fresco underneath the stars by the hotel’s relaxing pool. The evening air, great food, and distinctly Filipino ambience promise to be a dining experience quite unlike anything in the big city.

In charge of the food is Mabuhay Manor’s Chef Joseph Magpoc. Some of Sutukil’s house specialties are sinigang na salmon head sa miso, tinolang manok, sinampalukang manok, ensaladang lato, lumot, inihaw na liempo, pork and chicken barbecue, chicken inasal, grilled squid, and garlic prawns in lemon butter sauce.

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The Sutukil Bar and Restaurant is open nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. and is located inside the Mabuhay Manor at 2933 Ortigas st., Pasay City. For inquiries or reservations, call (632) (02) 8314641 to 44 or log on to www.mabuhaymanor.com.ph.