Bearing the DNA of its A-lister owners, the restaurant entertains the senses and impresses Rosa Ocampo

I settled on Nobu Manila for a night out with a visiting Singaporean friend. A well-travelled bon vivant, the lady’s not so easy to please.

But she was delighted with my choice. More than fine dining, Nobu is fun dining: good food in a relaxing ambience, luxurious indulgence that’s neither staid nor stuffy.

MICE application

Nobu Manila has imprints of its A-lister owners: Multi-awarded actor Robert de Niro, Hollywood producer Meir Teper, and culinary genius chef Nobu Matsuhisa who lends his name to the eponymous restaurant.

A dramatic flair and artistry pervade the Zen-chic interiors, the dinnerware, the way food is served and presented. Even the cut and colour of staff “kimonos” add to the theatrical quality.

This dramatic allure is best experienced at night when ceiling lamps catch curves and crests, floor lights beam on footpaths, and mood lighting subdues and highlights corners here and there.

The view wows, a fitting theatrical backdrop of the City of Dreams Manila’s Fortune Egg (where Pangea and Chaos nightclubs are), whose entire dome is gilded by golden lights.

Nobu Manila has 335 seats including indoor at the Chef’s table, sushi bar, two teppanyaki tables, two private dining rooms, and tables encased in eye-catching wood panels. The outdoor terrace has floating cabanas that lend a luxury resort feel.

Since lunch is not served, private business gatherings can be arranged at the restaurant then. Dinner functions are welcome too.

F&B concept

Nobu is known for Japanese fusion food, inspired by chef Nobu’s stay in Peru where he substituted local ingredients for Japanese ones that were not available. At Nobu Manila, there is an eight-course degustation menu that comprises mainly of beef and seafood, and another featuring Japanese hot and cold dishes. The well-curated wine list includes Nobu sake and Matsuhisa wine.

I opted for some of the signature dishes. Black cod den miso is sweet and flavourful, the result of marinating the special fillet overnight in a sauce of miso, sugar and sake. Each is topped by red ginger and served on a leaf. Rock shrimp is fried to just the right crunch and dipped in a special sauce. Yellowtail fish is cooked with jalapeño for some Latino flavour, giving it a bit of a kick.

For dessert, we shared the chocolate bento box which is green ice cream and chocolate fondant lava cake served in what else but bento box. Ice cream is velvety and the lava cake is gloriously rich.

Service

The young staff are attentive yet discreet, friendly but not overly so. They helped us with our orders. They know their stuff.

We wanted to look around as it’s our first visit. A passing waitress guided us towards the al fresco terrace and patiently answered our questions.

The friendly service extends to the hotel general manager, Marlon Hirsh, who I chanced upon at the lift lobby shepherding people into and out of the lift which was unfortunately small and slow. I lapped at the chance to ask him several questions. He gave me his attention and shook my hand afterwards, never mind that it was an ambush interview.

Contacts
Level 1, Tower 3, Nobu Hotel
City of Dreams Manila,
Aseana Avenue corner Roxas Boulevard,
Entertainment City, Parañaque 1701, Manila, Philippines
Telephone: (632) 691-2882, 691-2885;
Email: NobuRestaurant@cod-manila.com

Opening hours
Breakfast, 06.00-10.00; dinner: 17.30 to 23.00

Five-star resort Indigo Pearl in Phuket has introduced Green Season Meetings, a unique art-themed interpretation of business events that removes delegates from the boardroom and immerses them in lush tropical landscapes and settings.

Green Season Meetings gives delegates the chance to hold their meetings in an exclusive and tailored setting such as going barefooted in the “boardroom” and discussing business ideas with their toes in the sand.

“It’s about leaving the business clothes at home and picking up a paint brush in a tropical paradise, which will appeal to many executives and MICE planners looking for a refreshing change of direction,” said Chris Oakes, general manager of Indigo Pearl.

Delegates are also offered interesting teambuilding exercises such as Thai boxing lessons, cooking competition and mixology classes.

The Green Season Meetings package is priced at 1,350 baht (US$38.70) net per day for the half-day package and 1,550 baht net per day for a full day, with a minimum of 15 pax.

US-based Lanyon, which specialises in cloud-based software for managing business events and travel programmes, has released an enhanced version of its Smart Events Cloud.

The solution, which helps business event planners through the entire lifecycle of their events, now offers a new navigation and user interface that simplifies the meeting and event process into logically ordered key components.

The attendee management module for meetings and events is also completely redesigned, making it easier for the user to plan, design and manage tasks such as theme builder, registration and reporting.

Event theme are also now configurable and business event planners can choose from an existing library of themes or edit a template to create a customised version. A preview feature is also available.

David Bonnette, CEO of Lanyon, said in a press statement: “We have put a particular focus on the user experience for meeting planners, and designed tools to be easy to use and mobile friendly. This is vital as we help companies consolidate their programmes and drive adoption around the globe.”

Additionally, with the increased usage of mobile devices, Lanyon has released a new mobile app, Lanyon Mobile, which aims to improve attendee experience and deepen engagement between the organiser and attendee.

The existing Mount Faber cable car line has been extended to offer a fun new way to get on Sentosa island.

The new Sentosa Line, now part of the Singapore Cable Car Sky Network, is one of several infrastructural enhancements that Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has embarked on to improve connectivity and accessibility on the island.

“It (the new cable car ride) offers a serene ride over our beautiful island, while also greatly improving access between Merlion Plaza, Mount Imbiah and Siloso Point,” said Mike Barclay, CEO of SDC. “We expect it will become the preferred mode of transport for our guests wishing to access the western tip of Siloso Beach, as well as the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Hotel, Underwater World Singapore and Fort Siloso,” he added.

Guests who wish to ride on both lines are able to buy a Cable Car Sky Pass with an option to top up for unlimited rides. Overseas guests will enjoy a bonus as the new Sentosa Line will be included in the new Standard Sky Pass with no increase from the current price of S$29 (US$21.20).

Luxury hotel, The Reverie Saigon, opens this month in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, bringing with it 286 guestrooms and 15 function venues that are all beautifully furnished to invoke memories of resplendent palaces and chateaus.

Occupying the 27^th to 39^th floors of Times Square, the property offers clear city views and places guests within a five-minute walking distance from Lam Son Square, City Hall and the Notre Dame Cathedral, while the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City and Reunification Palace are within a kilometre away.

Guestrooms’ interior draws on the design genius of four leading Italian furniture designers – Provasi, Colombostile, Giorgetti and Visionnaire – and all feature walls of textured Italian silk, luxury bed linen, and delicate chandeliers and lamps. These rooms are also said to be the city’s largest, with regular rooms ranging from 43-53m² in size and suites from 63-313m².

There are 15 versatile venues for corporate meetings and private events, including the La Scala Grand Ballroom, an ornate room with Swarovski crystal chandeliers and walls lined with silk and onyx. Premium drinks, crystal glassware, carefully chosen scents and top-of-the-line stationery are part of every meeting at The Reverie Saigon.

F&B options include The Royal Pavilion, serving Chinese cuisine; R&J, offering Italian cuisine; Café Cardinal, serving French cuisine; and The Long@Times Square café and bar.

Other facilities include a gym, swimming pool, outdoor jacuzzis, steam rooms, saunas and a spa.

Also located within Times Square is The Reverie Residence with 89 one- and two-bedroom full-service apartments.

Luxury boutique hotel The Club, which drew much attention from travellers and the design community with its bold black and white interior when it first opened in 2010 in Singapore’s heritage enclave, has completed an extensive renovation to give it refreshed guestrooms and new dining destinations.

Located on Ann Siang Hill in a colonial building built in the 1900s, The Club’s guestrooms now feature soothing earth tones, eclectic art accessories and bespoke furniture. Its popular B28 underground whisky bar is now joined by a lounge café and bar, a champagne yard, a rooftop bar and the second restaurant by The Disgruntled Chef.

Open for private event hire are Tiger’s Milk and The Champagne Yard.

Tiger’s Milk on level four is said to be the first Peruvian themed rooftop bar in Singapore. It is able to accommodate private gatherings of 110 guests, and charms with a Parilla grill area.

The Champagne Yard on the ground floor makes a splendid venue for celebrations and high-level networking functions, with space for 24 guests, cocktail style. It offers an extensive selection of premium champagnes and wines. – Karen Yue