When in Manila, you will find several restaurants that offer fine dishes from the best of Eastern and Western cuisine. Last Saturday, when Francis and I visited Hyatt Hotel’s Market Café, this fine dining restaurant offered a fusion of the best oriental, exotic and western flavors.
But at the heart of this grand feast, surrounded by dishes and selections from different cultures, was an appetizing display of the best of Balinese cooking, from the volcanic island of Bali, Indonesia, revered as the Island of the Gods.
The best Balinese flavors.
Hyatt Hotel is proud to present, for a limited time only, Sedap Indonesia: Balinese Delights! Bloggers and contributors from well-known websites, such as ourselves, were invited to their Bloggers’ Night to experience this world-class food gala and to spread the word of their Balinese offerings.
Aside from the Balinese main display of dishes, the Market Café waiters were also clad in Balinese costumes. There were sculptures and art works displayed and a large gong in the middle of the restaurant. Incense and instrumental Balinese music resounding around the restaurant gave the place a relaxed and tranquil ambiance.
Upon arriving at the Market Café, we were greeted and toured around the restaurant by Rachel Yam, Administrative Assistant for Hyatt Hotel and Casino. While waiting for the other bloggers to arrive, we ogled and took photos of the many mouth-watering displays of food. It’s interesting to see a fused blend of cuisine from our Asian brothers and Western comrades.
Salad bar
Fresh seafood
Checking out the grilled offerings.
Make your own halo-halo bar!
Being happy eaters with unrelenting appetites, Francis and I came back to our table with platefuls of Balinese fare and some from the best of Western grilled specialties, freshly tossed salad, a variety of other Asian savors and some lip smacking desserts from the sweet-tooth table.
My plate
My favorite was certainly the lamb stew. It was a bit spicy so I requested for some plain yogurt–a trick I learned from my host family on a recent trip to India. The meat was very rich, flavorful and tender. Another favorite of mine were the lamb and fish skewers.
Francis’ plate
