A suite discovery for Valentine's Day
MANILA, Philippines - So, the restaurants, hotels, motels, movie houses, parks, and all the dating places you can imagine are packed solid on Valentine’s Day (which this year happens to be a double red-letter day, being Chinese New Year, too)? Lovers, take heart! Wanna hie off with your amore to a place that’s far from the madding crowd but not too far from the crowded city? Say yes to Discovery Country Suites in Tagaytay City, where the air is cool and the oh-so-romantic scenery is enough to warm your loving heart.
Getting there is a breeze. Enjoy the one hour and 15 minutes’ scenic drive from Manila via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) or the Coastal Road Expressway and the Aguinaldo Highway. From the SLEX, take the Carmona exit and drive through Governor’s Drive and Silang until you reach Tagaytay City. From Laguna, you can enter Tagaytay via the Carmona exit.
There’s no way you’ll ever get lost — just follow your heart and it will lead you right to the beaten path of Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay. As for us, our hearts — and stomachs — led us to discover suite Valentine and other hearty treats at Discovery Country Suits one loverly day.
While romance is on the menu (yes, the breathtaking ambience that can sweep your lady love off her feet comes free), David Pardo de Ayala, Discovery Group corporate chef, who started his sizzling love affair with the kitchen in the ’90s, has dished up two sets of menu — one for her and one for him — for Valentine. Truly, the way to a man’s — and a woman’s — heart is through his — and her — stomach.
His And Hers
Why a his and a her menu?
“It encourages romance,” says Chef David with a mischievous smile on his face. “Maybe the girl would tell the boy, ‘My food is delicious! Would you like to share?’ It’s more fun, even for my staff, and we’ve been doing this for five years now. It’s a tradition at Discovery Country Suites.”
The truth is, Chef David has his own heartwarming love story to share. Fifteen years ago, he came to the Philippines from his native Bogota, Colombia because of a Filipina, Janelle Rodriguez. You can say that theirs was a steaming love affair. The two met in the kitchen, being both students at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. Needless to say, it was love at first sight (or was it bite?) for these food lovers.
And for all ye lovers, Chef David has cooked up a romantic feast (yes, inclusive of wine pairings). What’s on the His and Her menus?
Before that, Chef David warns couples availing themselves of the Valentine menu, “Every single course has an aphrodisiac — the oyster, shrimp, asparagus, and the chocolate. That’s why we put this disclaimer: ‘The aphrodisiac effects of the chef’s cooking have been known to lead to many a second date or an engagement ring. Should that happen, the dessert is on the house.’”
Noontime on a balmy Monday, we discover how hot Chef David’s cooking is at Restaurant Verbena, listed in the prestigious Miele Guide as one of the most notable restaurants in the Philippines. The girls tried the “For Her” menu while the boys, the “For Him” menu. To start our romantic tryst with food, we’re served Her Oysters (crispy fried, caviar remoulade, paired with chilled Frizzante Rosso). Oyster is believed to be an aphrodisiac, but the loveless ladies at our table are more engrossed looking for that elusive pearl that just might materialize in their oyster plates than looking around the room for Mr. Right who just might appear right out of the blue. The men also have their oysters, but the “his” version was in fricassee, maitre d’butter with chilled Frizzante Bianco. Robust oohs and ahhs echo across the room as the ladies and gents quickly demolish the last mouthfuls of these succulent delights.
Splendor In The Gras
The oysters having aroused our lethargic taste buds, we attack the next item on the menu: Her foie gras (with grapes, almonds, washed down with the sweet, dark Pedro Ximenez). On the other hand, his foie gras has figs and cognac sauce. Indeed, everyone discovers splendor in the gras!
For Her Demi-tasse, the ladies have a really soup-er minestrone, basil ricotta, Parmesan “fricco.” His Demi-Tasse is a medley of mushroom veloute, asparagus “sformato,” proscuitto crisps.
And now, do we smell something fishy? Yes, it’s Her Barramundi and His Barramundi (seabass)! Hers is laced with roasted bell peppers, chorizo Pamplona, potatoes, and herbs. His came in a hefty plate with artichokes, lemon & chive capellini, and caviar cream sauce.
The surf’s up! Her Surf and Turf is a palate-tickling plateful of US steak solomillo + gambas marinated Spanish style with tomato condiment and paella risotto. His Surf and Turf is a humongous serving of seared US steak + lobster, creamy spinach, tomato-tarragon béarnaise, and potato puree.
To cap a sweet culinary affair, there are the Her and His Chocolate Marquise. Yes, even the men surrender to chocolate’s sweet seduction! Hers has got baby black pepper panna cotta with balsamic strawberries and basil. Really berry yummy! “His” features caramel drizzles and roasted señorita bananas.
According to Chef David, the chocolate dessert is a triple whammy. “Chocolate is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Strawberry is an aphrodisiac, too, Then there’s panna cotta flavored with black pepper which gyrates around the strawberry,” the good chef teases our already excited taste buds. “It gets the conversation going. But what happens after dinner is still up to the couple.”
But fret not, guys! Chef David is your partner in crime. To let you in on a little secret, he purposely made the Her menu spicier than the His menu. “Because maybe I’m trying to make the guy’s conquest easier,” says this naughty chef who’s got a lot of delicious surprises stashed away under his toque.
His secret ingredient? “I use harissa,” he confesses with nary a trace of guilt. “It’s a Moroccan spice mix. It’s not dominant, but it warms things up.”
This hot chef also uses a variety of chili pepper called espelette, which traces its roots to the French commune of Espelette, the northern territory of the Basque. Not that hot, it’s dried, ground, pureed or pickled. “But I use it very sparingly, only for special occasions.”
Chef David has also purposely made the Her menu lighter, healthier, with less fat and less cream. Certainly, this incurably romantic chef has his female customers’ best interests at heart. He wants the ladies to keep their figure to keep their men interested.
It’s also interesting to note that a lot of the vegetables and herbs Chef David uses are picked fresh from Discovery Suites’ garden.
Fresh air, fresh food, great service, great rooms with a great view, what more can you ask for? “Discovery properties have a strong sense of place, they belong where they are,” asserts Chef David. “Here, I get the opportunity to do my best cuisine — contemporary French cuisine. I get the ultimate compliment when people say they come all the way here to eat my food. But it’s not just the food, it’s the overall experience.”
After that romantic fling with food, glorious food, we embrace the tender loving warmth of the Aromatic Tagaytay herbal infusion. Love can’t get any more soothing than this.
Love Is In The Air
At Discovery Country Suites, love is in the air. “Yes, Discovery Country Suites has been the scene of many a wedding proposal,” says resident manager and gracious host JR Cacho with a twinkle in his eyes. “It happens mostly in the garden. Sometimes, the prospective groom would ask us to hide the engagement ring in the crème brulee. Or inside the champagne glass. Or in the flower arrangement. Normally, the bride discovers it on her own, with no help from our staff. And when she finds it, she cries. And we all cry, too.”
Nope, there’s never been a case where the future bride accidentally swallowed the ring hidden in the dessert, for instance. Otherwise, it’s not a thousand violins playing she’ll probably hear but an ambulance siren wailing.
“We’ve had 100-percent success,” says JR who loves love stories. “None of the brides has said no.”
JR loves to repeat this Discovery Country Suites love story: A Filipina in her early 30s came to Discovery Suites to meet her boyfriend, a European guy in his 40s. The two met via e-mail. The guy stayed for 10 days in the hotel to get to know the girl better. They took separate rooms.
Ah, love sweet love!
If it’s romance (tons and tons of it ) and a lot more you’re looking for, Discovery Suites Tagaytay is the place to V!
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On Valentine’s Day, enjoy the Country Romance package from Feb. 12 to 15, inclusive of an overnight stay, country breakfast for two, wine and cheese cocktails, milk and cookies at bedtime, and a special gift from L’Oreal Paris when you stay at the Country Suites starting at P10,000++ for a deluxe suite to P11,000++ for a premier suite to P14,000++ for the Oxford Suite. Celebrate romantic moments at Restaurant Verbena while savoring exquisite dishes from the Valentine set menu at only P1,500+ per person.
For inquiries, call (63 46) 413-4567 in Tagaytay City or call the Manila office at (632) 719-6999. E-mail dcsrsvn@discovery.com.ph.
