Food language from all walks of life

FOR a limited promotional period until mid-March, the lunch and dinner buffet of Marcelino Street Café at Manila Prince Hotel is available for only P899 per diner; down from the usual rate of P1,500 per diner wherein lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. while dinner is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Adjacent to Manila Prince Hotel’s renowned Chinese restaurant, Dragon Court, and across the hotel lobby, the newly extended dining area of Marcelino Street Café is expansive and inviting, made more enticing for feasts with its Piet Mondrian-like walls of red, yellow and orange rectangles, delineated with black borders and white panels. The tables, chairs and booths in the extended area are notable for being a tad more contemporary and a smidgen more youthful than the furniture in the interior dining hall.

Despite its casual vibe, Marcelino Street Café still discourages diners from walk in wearing swimwear or gym clothes such as muscle shirts. Hotel guests are asked not to appear wearing their in-room slippers while walk-in folk can only wear flip-flops during lunchtime. In fact, men are urged to wear closed-toe shoes for dinner.

Delicious curation

Speaking of dining, at the far end of the extended area is the Korean station, which curates the best-selling dishes of the cuisine. While the kimchi soup does not disappoint, the artfully bunched kimchi rolls are what awakens the palate. The japchae is well represented, especially for those with a penchant for spicy sweetness in their noodles. The Seewoo Bokkeum will keep the vegetarians happy with its baby corn, button champignons, carrots and broad beans with only a hint of the shrimp, white onion and sesame seeds, traditionally sauteed in soy sauce, sugar, and vegetable and sesame oil. Even those trying to avoid carbs would be hard put to resist the steaming, pristine white rice right beside the mixed vegetables mentioned. Nonfans of Korean culture might be able to come away with just a sampling of the assorted Korean salad ingredients, but Hallyu fans are unlikely to leave with just one serving of the uniquely grilled taste of the bulgogi beef. Mashitda (delicious)!

Great surprises

Right before the far end of the extension, the characteristically tiny sashimi and sushi station holds big revelations. Aside from the expected and welcome futomaki, California maki, and kani or crabstick maki, Japanophiles or weeaboo would be pleasantly surprised to see the aptly named tempura maki and the crazy maki. The kani salad is particularly pleasing. But instead of having a twist on raw salmon or tuna, the big reveal is really the tanigue (mackerel) and the lapulapu (grouper) sashimi. These alone are worth the trip to Marcelino Street Café. Sugoi (great)!

Worthwhile delights

Another worthwhile delight at the culinary destination is the smoked salmon and caper crostini at the hors d’oeuvres and salad station in the middle of the extension. While the expression, “It is what it is,” comes to mind when sampling the deviled eggs and the deli ham, Manilaphiles are likely to wonder if the MH cold cuts refer to the beloved meat recipe of The Manila Hotel, which has the same owners as that of Manila Prince Hotel. Coleslaw, macaroni and other types of salad fare aside, it is recommended to take the seafood on ice such as the ready-to-eat salted shrimps and mussels — with or without soy sauce — and mix these with the Thai glass noodles. These starters are a true blend of Filipino and American, of Asian and Western appetizers.

Dessert detour

At this point, diners from all points of the compass and guests from all parts of the world might want to go the unorthodox route and take a detour toward the dessert station. At the extension area nearest the entrance to the main hall of Marcelino Street Café, gourmands with a sweet tooth can consume to their heart’s content a variety of sweet bread, including ube rolls and banana bread; fresh fruit such as pineapple, melon and watermelon; rich, creamy flan; assorted cookies; chocolate fondue with fresh strawberries and toppings such as candy sprinkles, marshmallows and candy-coated chocolate buttons; tiramisu squares; various kakanin or rice cakes; waffles with chocolate, strawberry or maple syrup; and ginataang bilo-bilo at langka or sticky rice balls with jackfruit in coco milk. But the proof is in the pudding, literally truly yummy pudding.

Vibrant dining

Now, upon entering the main dining hall of Marcelino Street Café, diners can detect the more distinguished upholstery and the more vibrant energy evident among the waitstaff and the chefs de partie. Even the light shines differently in these interiors as on one side of the room, the floor-to-ceiling, plate-glass windows shimmer the glow of the outside lights with the aid of water flowing down the outer panes while on the other side of the room, the outdoor pool refracts stray rays of light through the glass and onto the ceiling.

After being greeted by an extension of the dessert station with a small counter topped with beloved Filipino baked goods such as tasty ensaymada and cinnamon rolls in the lee of overhanging orchid stems standing in tasteful vase, diners can survey the Chinese, Filipino, Indian, beverage, katsu, tempura and Italian stations forming an L-shaped continuity of counters against the left side and the back end of the hall.

It is at this point that gourmands of all persuasions are encouraged to consider carefully their sampling strategy. One reason for this is that in a few rare cases, the dish one wishes to try next on the following plating gets ravished by others and then is replaced with a different dish rather than replenished. Another reason is that the unusually high number of must-try dishes in each station is simply too much for the average diner to stomach.

Delectable Chinese

So, in the Chinese station, the first one on the right upon walking in, average folk are advised to skip the pumpkin soup, the garlic kailan and the yang chow fried rice unless folk are fond of such; in which case, these are fine examples of each. Otherwise, go straight to the Schezwan tofu fish fillet, get as much sweet and sour pork, add a spring roll or two, and top up with the delectable vegetable dumplings. Wo men qu chifan ba (Let’s go eat something)!

Food language from all walks of life

Unusual Filipino

In the Filipino station, the second one on the right, diners could forego the plain rice, chicken barbecue and pork sisig unless they rarely have these meals at home. What may be more unusual fare in Filipino households are the beef stroganoff and the mahi fish in calamansi. Kain na (It’s time to eat)!

Indian fusion

Moving on to the third station, folk will find the Indian fare in fusion with other Asian and Persian fare. Thus, on the plate goes papadum and parotta with some hummus. Also plated are breaded cuts of Pedas Ayam Goreng, which is just a fancy way of calling spicy fried chicken. Some might find the Dal Makhni akin to an oily but tasty version of the monggo or mung bean preparation usually reserved for Fridays in Christian households, and some might consider the Bean Ki Sabzi to be a love child of chicken curry and chop suey with the chicken replaced with broccoli. But there is no mistaking the origins of the creamy Balinese fish curry. Whether folk say swaadisht or lezat, they all mean delicious.

Street food

Making a beeline past the beverage station on the back end of the room and heading to the katsu and tempura station to the left of it, diners can imagine the Japanese adapting the street food culture of Filipinos with pork katsu as well as shrimp, potato and eggplant tempura fried right beside squid balls, chicken balls, okoy and even French fries all dipped in a multitude of sauces.

House specialties

As the sixth station showcases only two types of grilled meat, namely pork belly and roast chicken, folk can assume that these must be house specialties.

At the seventh station, diners can no longer avoid carbohydrates as the penne, spaghetti and tagliatelle with alfredo, tomato or amatriciana sauce and a choice of bacon, mushroom or parmesan toppings and a side of garlic batard are all specialties, too. They are a feast for the eyes to begin with and a salve for the hungry soul to finish off the plate.

If the hearts of gourmand folk are not full at this point, then their stomachs would be in the end at least. As they say in Italy, buon appetito (enjoy your meal)!