Father’s Day might still be two weeks away but it’s never too early to plan a lunch or dinner date with Dad.
As Philippine Sports Commission chairman and father of three Patrick Gregorio told this writer recently, “The best thing you can do is spend time with him over a good meal.”
Gregorio who also oversees several Quezon City-based food businesses narrated that since his children are all adults now with their own lives, it’s harder to match schedules. Still, the Gregorios find ways and it’s often over a shared meal.
Newport World Resorts has several options including Shanghainese cuisine at Hua Yuan (09178514044) where diners can opt for a short tea ceremony before they sit down to their meal.
On the left as one enters the restaurant is a table designed to look like a miniature Chinese garden complete with gurgling ponds, an old man who’s just hooked a fish, and three tiny swans. This is where the tea ceremony takes place which starts with the prepping of the teapot to be used.
Before tea leaves — a choice of jasmine-scented or green — are steeped, a small amount of hot water is first poured inside the pot, swirled and then poured out.
Next, the pot’s exterior is conditioned with a pouring of hot water, a move that is said to prevent it from cracking.
The tea is then served with the meal. During a recent visit, we also sampled a number of dishes including crystal shrimp dumplings, so named because of its translucent wrapper, beef with asparagus, and a surprisingly good shrimp panipuri curry.
Panipuri is more closely linked with Indian cuisine but at Hua Yuan, the chefs are allowed to experiment with the result being a tasty mouthful of mild shrimp curry combined with the crunch of crisp panipuri.
The beef with asparagus was tender and made with uniformly sliced meat and vegetables. It was obvious that care and attention were placed in the preparation of the dish.
If Dad is a steak lover, then you might want to consider splurging at Yawaragi, the all-day dining restaurant at Hotel Okura Manila (09178429067). Over a stone slab kept consistently hot with Binchotan charcoal, he can grill slices of Wagyu A5 sirloin to his preferred doneness.
This type of cut is prized for its intricate marbling and silken texture. Each order comes with three dipping sauces — steak sauce, peppercorn and ponzu oroshi.
When we tried it a few weeks ago, we enjoyed our medium rare steak first without any of the sauces. Don’t be shy and order a serving of steamed rice. You won’t regret it.
To cap your meal with some whimsy, ask about their dessert designed to look like a terrarium.
What arrives at the table is a tiny flowering cactus inside a clear glass container, around it is placed crumbly “earth” and gravel. Dig in and what you get is a not-too-sweet cake, sugar paste flowers, and chocolate earth; all of it edible.
Yawaragi’s new grill menu is available for lunch Mondays and Tuesdays, and dinner Mondays to Thursdays.