Like a cellphone, “Floral Architect” Rachy Cuna updates himself and his features constantly. He retains his essence, but he never duplicates himself or his works. There was a time when bamboo was his muse, then rice stalks. Flowers remain his constant, but he finds other treasures and interesting finds that become accessories to the flowers.
For instance, during a recent silver wedding anniversary reception in Tagaytay for which he was requested to make floral arrangements, Rachy instead created pieces of sculpture of men and women in different dance positions — in tiptoe, one leg raised, feet together. Done in textured silver, the pieces also served as candelabra and were crowned with silver glazed orchids and ferns. These pieces were given away by the silver couple to their special guests. Flowers wilt, but not these Rachy centerpieces.
Which is not to say Rachy has abandoned fresh flowers in his artworks. They are still the heart of his creative expressions, but he upgrades and innovates.
At InterContinental Manila, which celebrates May, the month of flowers and fiestas from May 12 to 31, Rachy unveiled his latest floral creations, nay installations, Bloom, Bloom, Bloom. Displayed resplendently in the lobby, the floral artwork breaks boundaries and is anything but conventional.
“Naglalaro lang ako dito,” he quips, referring to the assortment of his materials and designs.
The first thing that greets you when you step into the lobby is an all-aquamarine colored arrangement of flowers made from translucent glass. He also has an arrangement of red-orange teapots almost six feet high with dainty flowers on their handles. There is also a 100-year-old wooden Buddha with fossilized pink lotus flowers flanking it. There is also an arrangement of corn cobs, with their outer layers peeled back like petals. There is nothing predictable with Rachy’s designs, and yet you know he will never lose his core.
Joining forces to make this truly an event to look forward to are the hotel’s new executive chef Anthony Page and general manager Christian Pirodon, himself a chef and restaurant proprietor in his native France early in his career.
Rachy will conduct a lecture on gift packaging with flowers on May 24, from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at the Legaspi Room. The talks will be followed by a three-course set lunch menu at the Prince Albert Rotisserie consisting of festival dishes. A different menu will be served each time. (Reservations and inquiries can be made by calling 793-7000.)
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Chefs Page and Pirodon, together with the Prince Albert culinary staff, have put together an interesting a la carte menu of flower-infused dishes that are not only delicious but refreshing as well. (Chicharon bulaklak was not part of the menu!)
I tried some of the flower-powered dishes — chamomile smoked tomato consomme with tiny yellow tarragon flowers; seared scallops, dill flower crisps, cauliflower puree and naturism salad (consisting of rose and chrysanthemum petals); sea bass in rosemary potato puree, bacon, broad beans and porcini mushrooms (my favored in the selection) and lemon tart with lime and basil ice cream with caramelized walnuts (another favorite, the ice cream reminded me of one of Jo Malone’s popular scents). It was an exotic meal, just go easy on the rose petals if you’re not used to eating flowers.
Other flower-powered items on the menu include Peking duck with lotus root and flower, hoisin pancake and mango salsa or seared scallops with bee pollen cookies, stinging nettle puree and naturism salad or salmon fillet with fennel puree, tomato borage and clam broth. For dessert, there’s also lavender meringue with rose petal parfait, white chocolate sponge and crystallized violets or jasmine custard with sesame seed tuille, strawberry and sage soup.
Thirty-five-year-old chef Page is a native New Zealander who has worked in some of the best restaurants and hotels in New Zealand and Asia. He counts modern European, French and Italian cuisines as his forte. As executive chef of InterContinental Manila, he is on top of the various food offerings in the hotel’s restaurants and catering services as well as day-to-day kitchen operations.
Christian Pirodon is not only a seasoned hotel manager but also a chef and food and beverage specialist having held various posts in the food and beverage departments of the hotels that he has worked with around the world. He was the chef-proprietor of a restaurant, L’Hirondelle, in his native Lyon in France. He takes pride in preparing classic Lyonnaise dishes as well as concocting his own. For this extraordinary food festival, he gladly takes some time off from running the hotel to don a chef’s toque and apron once more.
Chef Page and Pirodon’s flower-infused culinary creations will be offered for lunch and dinner a la carte along with other restaurant favorites until the end of May. (Reservations can be made by calling 793-7000.)
(You may e-mail me at joanneraeramirez@yahoo.com)