It is always a joy dining in Marco Polo Ortigas. Its distance from our place notwithstanding, I always look forward to civilized lunches here amid their high ceilings and sumptuous buffet that is one of the best values in Manila. We expect the quality to level up even further with the assumption of the young Giuseppe Rivoli as the hotel’s new Chef De Cuisine.
The 32-year old chef is a veteran of the Asian culinary scene. He was executive chef of the Trattoria Italia Restaurant group in Singapore and was also based for five years in Bali where he was at the Bulgari hotel. Prior to all these, he was chef de partie at the grill section of the Nobu restaurant in London.
Guests can sample a taste of Chef Giuseppe’s cooking at the daily spread of Marco Polo’s all-day restaurant Cucina. The roast turkey I had was unforgettable in its juiciness, and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet…
The chef’s gourmet mastery shines though in whipping up well-loved specialties from his native Italy, such as this osso bucco a la Milanese with soft yellow polenta –
Or how about these melt-in-the-mouth beef cheeks on a bed of healthy couscous with roasted vegetables….
The wild mushroom risotto flavored with truffle oil and parmesan cheese was divine.
There are a lot of other mouthwatering treats in the Cucina buffet, of course. Weekends are looked forward to with the addition of US prime rib and grilled sustainable tuna. There’s also the all-time favorite paella.
The Cucina buffet is priced for only P1,500 net for lunch and P1,800 for dinner on weekdays. On weekends, it varies between P2,300 and P2,650. Children aged 6 and below get to eat for free while those aged 7 to 12 are charged half the price.
For reservations, call (02) 720 7720
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