A few days ago, Tim and I went over to Cucina at Marco Polo Ortigas to celebrate All Things Swiss!
From August 19 to September 4, 2016, you can experience a piece of Switzerland as Marco Polo invites you to their celebration of Swiss chocolates, cheese, and more!
Bringing in 30 years of vast international experience, Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel Executive Chef, Rolf Jaeggi, is coming to Manila to celebrate All Things Swiss with the hotel.
Indulge in a wide selection of Swiss dishes for a food festival at the all-day dining restaurant, Cucina, in partnership with Werdenberg International. Enjoy these as if dining along the Swiss Alps. Delight in a chocolate buffet featuring only the finest pralines.
We started dinner off with Cucina's breads, cold cuts, and cheeses.
Next, we headed towards the seafood section where they offer fresh prawns, crabs, tuna, oysters, and more.
We had our oysters baked with lots of cheese on top! Yum!
The Japanese section followed soon after. It's easily my favorite section here at Cucina.
I especially loved the Spicy Maki and the Bonito Maki.
I must admit though, I skipped my salads that day. There were just so many new dishes to try, especially from the Swiss section!
They had Beef Roulade, Meat in Jelly, Sausage Salad, Wild Rice, Air Dried Meat, Spaetzle, Leek Stew, Swiss Barley Soup, Papet Vaudois, etc!
Tim really enjoyed the Veal Sausage with Onion Sauce, while I loved their Bacon and Sausage on Sauerkraut!
Of course, we couldn't say no to paella.
Or Chinese noodles.
Or some freshly cooked pasta, too. So we tried them all!
Penne in Tomato Concasse Sauce
Cucina's buffet selections may not be as broad as other buffets, but they really make sure that they focus on quality rather than quantity. Each dish is prepared and cooked fresh every single day. They do not recycle their dishes - meaning whatever is left during the lunch service doesn't get served again for dinner, and of course, none of the dinner dishes get served again the following day.
Another thing that's great about Cucina is that they have live stations so you can see the fresh ingredients used and even watch them get prepared.
Indian and Filipino cuisine are also included in the buffet, however they're not as extensive yet as the rest.
Cucina also offers fresh juices, wines, and iced teas for an additional price. But if you're looking for something different, I suggest ordering their signature iced tea instead!
Here's their Signature Earl Grape Iced Tea which first came out on National Iced Tea Day (June 10th) this year.
The amount of care and detail that goes into creating each Earl Grape Iced Tea drink can only be surpassed by its taste. Cold Earl Grey tea provides the base of the beverage and is poured over seedless green grapes and elderflower-infused ice cubes. The grapes are slightly pressed so the combination of flavours can meld together, completing the thirst-quenching drink hailed by many as the perfect summer refreshment.
Every Earl Grape Iced Tea is presented with a freshly baked lokum or Turkish delight. The sugar-based confection is the perfect accompaniment to the Earl Grape Iced Tea, as it helps to accentuate the various flavours resulting from the beverage. The refreshing beverage is available in all hotel dining experiences and through in-room dining.
I definitely took my time browsing through their marvelous pastry selections. Ube Genoise, Coffee Vanilla Mousse Cake, Banoffee, Passionfruit Cake, Pineapple Tartlet, Coffee Creme Brulee, Brazo de Mercedes, Moist Chocolate Cake, Mango Tapioca, Blueberry Mousse Cake, Chocolate Fountain - it's every dessert lovers' dream!
I ended the night with three scoops of their Strawberry Banana ice cream. Yes, three scoops. Haha!
Thanks for having us, Cucina! :)
This delicious culinary experience can be enjoyed from Monday to Thursday at Php 1,500 for lunch buffet and Php 1,800 for dinner buffet. Celebrate the festival on a weekend from Friday to Sunday at Php 2,300 for lunch buffet and Php 2,650 for dinner buffet.
Contact (02) 720-7777 or email manila@marcopolohotels.com for more information.
Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
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