Movable feasts

When sisters, two gracious and refined Yet Severino and highly visible patronese of the arts Olga S. Martel visited Silay recently, Tatler's top Philippines hostess-listed Lyn Gamboa requested chef JP Anglo of Mai Pao to come up with a menu that has been on Lyn's mind for the longest time.

Although it was mostly the most common Ilonggo dishes one could think of, chef Anglo came up with a most beautifully presented list of local fare that started with shredded kansi soup followed by prosperity lumpia in square envelope wrappers. A refreshing sorbet of jalea de tomato cleaned our palate only to be awakened by crab cakes on a bed of sauteed alugbati leaves topped by a camias relish. The main dish was composed of boneless chicken inasal accompanied by fried kalo-kalo rice and atsara ended by a dessert of Guimaras mango and fried ibus laced with dulce gatas. All these were served on Lyn's 19th century bone China, making the ordinary fare taste even better.

Eating with precious German silver and drinking wine in Baccarat and Waterford crystal made it a feast for the senses. Chef JP, in the newly opened spa-resort palace of Punta Bulata in Cauayan, did another memorable banquet hosted by Bomber and Miren Zayco. After a dip in the infinity pool looking at the gorgeous sunset, we settled down to a dinner of Negros steamed oysters served in bamboo slits topped with soy sauce and Shaosing wine followed by salt and peppered tofu on a bed of eggplant relish.

An apple and pecan salad prepared us for the plate de resistance of roasted suckling pig with braised egg needles, steamed lapu-lapu fish flavored with rivulets of soy sauce accompanied by lemon grass and ginger scented rice. A climactic dessert of warm chocolate cake a la mode with fried strawberry wanton made this dinner at Punta Bulate a mouth-watering memorable moment!

JP's signature Mai Pao will reopen this weekend, in case you want your taste buds to bring you to heavenly bliss …

My Prayer: May we heed Your cry of thirst from the Cross!*