SOFITEL: SPIRAL’s Ultimate Sunday Champagne Brunch! @SofitelManila

UPDATE: SPIRAL BUFFET: Our Top 10 Favorites in SPIRAL Sunday Brunch, BEST Buffet in Town!

SPIRAL recently upgraded and launched their Ultimate Sunday Champagne Brunch. The Sunday Brunch incorporates the best of the Spiral Buffet (like the Cheese Room) with drink-all-you-can Champagne and Mojitos served at your table, along with foodie favorites like Caviar, Foie Gras, and Roast Beef of Lamb. They also added fun elements for the kids to entertain themselves throughout the brunch.

Check out our Ultimate Sunday Champagne Brunch experience at Spiral in Sofitel…

2013 Luxurious Sofitel Escape Series:

• SPIRAL: Guide to Asia’s Most Dynamic Interactive Dining Experience @ Sofitel Manila!
• LE SPA “Duo” Couples Romantic Ritual @ Sofitel
• SOFITEL Overnight & SPIRALS’ Champagne Breakfast!
• SOFITEL: SPIRAL’s Ultimate Sunday Champagne Brunch!?

Best Sunday Brunch Series 2013:

• SOFITEL: SPIRAL’s Ultimate Sunday Champagne Brunch!?
• IMPRESSIONS Sunday Brunch Buffet – A Foodie’s Buffet Favorite 🙂
• MARRIOTT CAFE Sunday Brunch Buffet Crossover with CRU STEAKHOUSE!
  
• RAFFLES & FAIRMONT SPECTRUM Luxe Sunday Brunch!
• DUSIT THANI: Sunday Family Brunch Buffet (Umu and Basix Crossover)

This post is a Sunday Brunch update on the recently launched SPIRAL Buffet at Sofitel.

Please read this blog post first: SPIRAL BUFFET: Guide to Asia’s Most Dynamic Interactive Dining @ Sofitel Manila!, which is an overall guide on how best to experience the Spiral buffet.

 

CHAMPAGNE & MOJITOS

The Brunch includes an unlimited serving of Champagne. They usually serve Billecart-Salmon Champagne or, alternatively, Moët & Chandon Champagne.

I prefer the Rose Champagne version.

Since Manila is crazy about Mojitos, they made unlimited Mojitos part of the Sunday Brunch. I personally like the Pineapple Ginger or Strawberry Mojitos.

(Note: Orange juice and other drinks are charged separately.)

 

APPETIZERS

Spiral’s Signature Bread never fails to please — crusty on the outside, very soft inside, and thankfully not too heavy on the stomach.

You can choose from different types of caviar — Ikura (salmon eggs), Tobiko (flying fish eggs), Black and Red Lumpfish caviar.

You can put it on top of Buckwheat/Plain with spring onion Crepe, or Germanic/Rye Bread with cream cheese, egg white, egg yolks, onions, with a dash of lemon.

Many foodies are raving about the extensive selection of cheeses and cold cuts in the Cheese Room.

I like trying the various hard cheeses, but once in a while, I go for the unique ones too. Sometimes, we get the cheese of our choice and request to have it cooked with pasta or other dishes.

The amazing array of cold cuts and preserved fruits adds multiple dimensions to your dining experience.

I love the different cold cuts like Jamon Serrano.

Best to combine the cheese and cold cuts with your choice of salads.

There’s a vegetarian selection in the Indian section, too.

This is also the best time to indulge in Eat-all-you-can Foie Gras.

(Note: It used to be that the Foie Gras was served only during dinnertime.)

One of the things we love about the Spiral brunch is the Eat-all-you-can Hakaw (prawn dumpling)! 

 

SEAFOOD MAIN DISHES

At buffets, we eat from light to heavy, beginning with Seafood before the Meats.

We would usually start with a Sushi and Sashimi platter.

Then, get a fresh serving of Prawns with sweet tomato sauce.

My wife loves these fresh oysters from France, which you can eat raw or baked with cheese.

You can also feast on the fresh Crabs,

Mussels, and these lobster-like crustaceans.

My personal favorite is the dish with teppan-cooked Shrimps,

… with Salmon, Scallops, and meat.

They also serve baked Lobsters in the French section.

For pasta, we like the one with truffle cream sauce or tomato sauce, and…

…pair it with a slice of pizza to complete our first round.

 

FAMILY FUN ENTERTAINMENT

In between bites, the balloon-making clown can entertain your kids.

In La Veranda, there’s an artist who can paint tattoos on your kid’s arm.

Raphael still loves Ka-Chow.

Aidan is still in his “Dragon” phase, and Joshua loves Avatar.

 

MEAT MAIN COURSES

If you have room for more, check out the meat selections:

Roasted Lechon in the Filipino section.

Roast Duck in the Chinese Section.

Roast Leg of Beef in the Churrasco section.

 

DESSERTS!

For dessert, we often start with the Buchi.

Then move on to the Halo-Halo or Homemade Ice Cream.

They also have Puto Bumbong and Bibingka if you want a more traditional Filipino dessert.

The kids love the marshmallows and chocolates.

Our favorite is Sofitel’s freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookie with Pistachio.

I also like the Vanilla Caramel Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Berries on top.

Sometimes, we even hoard these rock-like chocolates!

You can also take home some of the dessert goodies as pasalubong for your loved ones.

You can buy the Macarons or their signature Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Overall, I think SPIRAL’s Sunday Brunch is the BEST Sunday Brunch in Manila in terms of offering the finest, yummy selections and extensive variety. It’s great that they incorporated their learnings from the time they relaunched Spiral last November, and took cues from their competitors (like the Caviar from Impressions and family fun elements from the Dusit Crossover).

Nothing can compare indeed, but it is also one of the most expensive Sunday Brunches in Manila. It’s good to indulge here when celebrating a special occasion, going on a date with a foodie, or treating a Balikbayan to the best of what Manila can offer. 🙂

 

SPIRAL
Plaza Level, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard Pasay City, 1300, Metro Manila, Philippines
Official Website: www.SpiralManila.com 
SPIRAL’s Facebook: SPIRAL MANILA
SPIRAL’s Twitter: @SpiralManila
Email: FBReservations@SofitelManila.com
Telephone: +632 832-6988 or 551-555 Loc. 6988

Sunday Champagne Brunch 
Operating Hours: 12.00 noon – 3:00 pm 
Sunday: P3,623.33 net (Adult), P1,842.38 net (Kids rate: 5 to 11 years old) 

SOFITEL Staycation Series 2014

• SOFITEL: Ultimate Foodie Staycation Experience!
• LE BAR: Romantic French Wine Pairing Dinner
• LE SPA: Secret Wine Lover’s Treatment at Jardin d Eden
• SPIRAL BUFFET: 10 Reasons Why We Love SPIRAL!

2013 Luxurious Sofitel Escape Series

• SPIRAL: Guide to Asia’s Most Dynamic Interactive Dining Experience @ Sofitel Manila!
• LE SPA “Duo” Couples Romantic Ritual @ Sofitel
• SOFITEL Overnight & SPIRALS’ Champagne Breakfast!
• SOFITEL: SPIRAL’s Ultimate Sunday Champagne Brunch!?

2007-2009 SOFITEL Blog Posts

• A Suite Romance Anniversary
• Best Buffets in Manila: Spiral, Sofitel
• Planning Your Awesome Sofitel Escape
• Spending the Night at The Imperial Suite, Sofitel

Live an Awesome Life, 

 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Follow @antondiaz in Twitter and @OurAwesomePlanet in Instagram.
Like our Official Facebook Page: Our Awesome Planet 🙂 

If you have tips on awesome food and travel destinations, please email me at anton@diaz.ph.

Full Disclosure: Our Spiral Sunday Buffet was courtesy of our friends from Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel Manila. I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I don’t accept advertising from food and travel places we feature in the blog. 

P.S. If this is the first time you will try Spiral, I would suggest the Sunday Brunch where you get the Best of the Best selections in the buffet.  If you tried Spiral’s Sunday Brunch before, 80% is still the same and the other 20% are added yummy tweaks to make the experience truly memorable.

P.P.S. Sofitel Press Release: Spiral Master Chefs homage to Moms on Mother’s Day

(Manila, April 15, 2013) –  Sofitel Philippine Plaza pays tribute to Moms this Mother’s Day, 12^th of May, 2013  with a fabulous fashion show featuring top celebrity mothers as well as Spiral’s Master Chefs paying homage to their mother’s cooking.  The Chefs will be featuring their personal favorites of their mother’s signature dishes.   

A special fashion show featuring the summer holiday collections of Pia Gladys Perey fresh from the L.A. Fashion week and international Formula racer driver and designer Mark Bumgarner. It  will highlight celebrity mother – daughters and sons namely actress Rhian Ramos and Mom Lay Ramos, Tacloban councillor Cristina Gonzales – Romualdez,  actress Giselle Toengi – Walters and daughter Sakura, model and beauty queen Maggie Wilson – Consunji, model and journalist Georgia Schulze Del Rosario and daughters, actress Gwen Zamora and Mom Therese Agnese, beauty queen Patty Betita and son Emilio Ejercito, Patricia Bermudez – Hizon,    

Executive Chef Eric Costille is presenting his Mom Claudine’s best dish a fusion of French and Italian cooking, “Rabbit cocotte with rosemary and olives, gratinated parmesan polenta.”  He explains, “My ancestors came from Italy and migrated to France early 1900s.  My mom was born in France but at home, the food was Italian.  Rabbit is almost as popular as chicken in Italy and France.  My Mom serves it with polenta and I have fond memories of her cooking it for us during our family reunion on Sundays. 

Chef de Cuisine – Western Anne Cecile Degenne, will prepare her mother’s version of “Paella”, a traditional rice dish from Spain. Having been raised in Bordeaux, near the Spanish border, she used to spend all her summer holidays in Spain where many of her mother’s familly lived.  To relive their fond memories of the country, her Mom cooks paella when she misses Spain. Chef Cecile says, “She taught me all the secrets in making a good paella at our outdoor kitchen during the summer.  It is the same paella that I’m making now in Spiral.” 

Executive Chinese Chef Mok Chee Wah is presenting his mother’s signature dish “slow cooked chicken with Chinese herbs wrapped in lotus leaf” which is part of her family’s tradition growing up in Guangdong.  Chef Mok says, “As Mother’s Day is fast approaching, I would like to thank my Mom, San-Ahnooi,  for her kind and caring heart.  Every time when I’m sad my mother would cook her signature dish, also one of my favourite dish to cheer me up.  Today I also prepare it for my children.” Chef Mok explains that his Mom believes that Chinese herbs are good for growing children since it is healthy. This dish is special because it takes 3 to 4 hours to make.   

Indian Chef Halim Ali Khan is presenting his childhood’s  favourite dish, “Egg Biryani”.  Biryani  is a typical rice dish from  India and most of the varieties come from Hyddrabad where he comes from. Chef Halim relates, “As per the tradition of a Muslim family, my mother, Habetun, always emphasized on the food prepared on special occasions like Eid, Ramadan, weddings etc.  and for our family she used to cook this regularly on weekends especially on my school holidays.   She makes this dish unique by her masterful use of garam masala with basmati rice, egg and ghee which also makes it very nutritious and flavourful rather than heavy or rich.  I have fond memories of my Mom preparing this for our extended family gatherings.”

Japanese Chef Hiroaki Yamaguchi is preparing “Nikujaga” a Japanese beef stew considered by the Japanese as comfort food.  This is because it evokes a strong feeling of nostalgia with memories of their mothers making it for them.  Nikujaga is a dish that has potatoes, thin beef slices, onions, ginger, dashi soup stock, sugar, sake and sesame oil. As the saying goes “ofukuro no aji” meaning “mothers flavor”. 

Goat Caldereta  is what Chef de Partie and Filipino Chef Jojo Babierra recalls as one of the signature dishes that is passed to him by her mother, Consuelo.  At a very young age, Chef Jojo was already exposed in the kitchen with his mother who used to own a small restaurant in Lucban that serves authentic Filipino dishes.  Goat Caldereta reminds him a lot of his childhood and is one of his comfort food. The dish according to him also reflects her mother’s dedication and precision in cooking. 

Chef Tweet Obsequio, our Master Chocolatier fresh from winning the Gold medal and Lássiette Dór Trophy for pralines during the recently concluded Chefs on Parade will be preparing Jasmin praline which is a dark chocolate infused with jasmine tea.   Jasmin tea has always been served to Chef Tweet growing up with her Mom Rose, who is Filipino – Chinese.   Her Mom always told her that drinking Jasmin tea is a beauty secret in her family passed on from China because it makes the ladies beautiful – as it is a good anti-oxidant, good for slimming, reduces fat and cholesterol absorption. Chef Tweet loved the lingering fragrant smell of jasmine from her Mom’s perfume and reminds her of her home and that’s why for Mother’s Day, she is making a jasmine praline.  

Manila based Designer Pia Gladys Perey recently showcased her first solo show at the Style Fashion Week at The Vibiana in Los Angeles, California.  The woman behind the PGP label was born and raised in the country town of Tagaytay in the Philippines. As a child, Pia was exposed to fashion, sewing and pattern making through her grandmother. Pia would spend her school breaks not playing with her friends but watching her grandmother make clothing patterns. 

The PGP label debuted at the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in 2007 followed by a participation in the New Generation Shows in 2008 and Ladies’ Ready To Wear Show in 2009.  In 2010, PGP launched in the USA at the Miami International Fashion Week and an off-site show at the New York Fashion Week.  The limited ready-to-wear line was founded by designer Pia Gladys Perey who’s design aesthetics are highly influenced by the classic Grecian drapes mixed with romantic glamour that captures the spirit of the modern woman. Synonymous to sexy elegance for the modern goddess, PGP is the go-to label for glamorous frocks with a romantic flair. Sensual folds and dramatic drapes define the PGP woman, where curves of every kind are celebrated and made beautiful where its needed. 

PGP has been worn by Hollywood A-lists like Angelina Jolie, Gabrielle Union, The Office’s Kate Flannery, and Nadine Ellis.  It is also favoured by stars like Kim Kardashian, Carrie Underwood, Eva Longoria, and Camilla Belle.  The line is currently being sold in Sydney, Queensland, Perth, Adelaide, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, New York, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and California. 

Pia’s main inspiration for her Homage to Mom Holiday – Summer collection is ageless fashion : embracing the elegance and shape of a woman at any age, whether your a young or matured mom you will feel confident in PGP.

Mark Bumgarner, born and raised in the Philippines, started making a name for himself as a professional racer in the local and international scene by winning titles and trophies. A transition started, from racetrack to the runway, when he was given the opportunity to style for a major Philippine denim brand show. And with the continuous exposure from the newfound creative culture, Mark then explored the possibility of starting his own line. Three successful capsule collection showings followed.

Mark Bumgarner’s Homage to Mom Holiday-Summer collection is designed for Modern moms and women who are fearless and elegant featuring sporty , flowy fabrics gold,silver, black and white. 

The show presented by Shu Uemura and Kiehls.  Mothers can have chance to win gifts from Lancôme, Shu Uemura, Kiehl’s, Swarovski perfume, CMG, Maidenform  and Tefal.   

The Mother’s Day Brunch on May 12., 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm  is at  Php3,250++ for adults including free flowing champagne and mojitos (12:00 noon – 2:00pm) and for children 5 years old to 11 years old at Php 1,600++, kids 4 years and below free.    

For reservations, please call Spiral at +632 832 6988 or email at  H6308-FB12@sofitel.com.