Canada’s Four Seasons Featured at Sage Bespoke Grill in Makati Shangri-La
Makati Shangri-La puts Canadian Beef on the spotlight from February to March 2020 as Sage Bespoke Grill, in partnership with Canada Beef International Institute and the Canadian Embassy, invites everyone to explore Canada’s 4 Seasons on their exclusive limited-time menu.
The Hungry Kat was invited to a special 5-course dinner last February 26, 2020 at Sage Bespoke Grill highlighting the four seasons of Canada and the delicious dishes that can be incorporated using Canadian Beef. I’m definitely no stranger to this premium high-quality beef. I have always been on the lookout for establishments which serve this exclusive item ever since I first tasted it two years ago (Read: Canadian Beef For The Filipino Palate Fusion Dinner.) It’s always exciting to see how different chefs apply their own styles to present this wonderful gift of nature.
Guests from the media, academe, and the diplomatic community were treated to a lovely evening filled with steaks and wine - the perfect combination! Accompanying our Canadian Beef dishes were glasses of Pillitteri Wines, an award-winning, family-owned winery in one of Canada’s popular wine region, Niagara Peninsula.
This was our first media event together since my fiancé surprised me with an engagement party with our friends last weekend. So yes, you will probably be seeing more of him on the blog in the future. The second largest country in the world places the star of this dinner in a perfect scene – cattle running free across vast landscapes, fit with Canada’s climate, pasture and prairie ecosystems. The institute believes that keeping cattle on the grass helped shaped a healthy environment, which in turn makes great beef.
Through the Canadian Embassy, this beef can now be savoured in Manila right inside Sage Bespoke Grill. Chef de Cuisine Sebastian Barcudes presented a curated five-course meal that evening which took diners on an expedition across the culture and stories of Canada. This was through the different recipes he devised in partnership with Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence Executive Director Chef Matthieu Paré. Paré’s focus on classic technique and execution, paired with Barcudes’ interweaved culinary experience, bring together an exceptional and captivating dining experience.
The dinner is aptly named after the four seasons of Canada. It begins in Spring with the Le Bouilli de Grand Maman, a Canadian beef consommé with young vegetables and truffle celestine. This clear soup is inspired by the dishes Canadians make each spring as a restorative food from a long, cold winter using the first vegetables to appear in their gardens.
The warm broth was light and tasty and serves as a good starter to our Canadian adventure. This was served with a glass of Pillitteri Cabernet Merlot VQA 2013.
Pillitteri Estates Winery is a family-owned and operated producer of premium VQA red and white wines. They are also the world’s largest estate producer of icewine and have won over 1,000 international wine awards. The thing that sets Pillitteri Wines apart is the fusion between old world and new world production styles. Gary Pillitteri moved from Sicily to Canada in 1948 and brought multiple generations of winemaking knowledge with him. Today, there are three generations active in the day to day operations of their winery.
Next comes the Summer dish called Reef and Range on the Three Summer Sisters. This features an appetizing combination of seafood and meat with Confit Canadian Spot Prawn and Beef Cheeks Tortellini coupled with the use of what is fascinatingly called “The Three Sisters.” During summer, Canadians turn to carb-rich dishes to fuel their bodies for outdoor activities. The use of beans, squash, and corn, otherwise known as the three sisters, is highly associated with summer as they are often grown and harvested together.
This dish was paired with the Pillitteri VQA Gewurztraminer Reisling 2017, a sweet and refreshing white wine that goes well with seafood or any other dish actually.
Fall finally arrives in Canada with a mouthwatering preparation of chuck and ribeye cuts of Canadian beef. This season is highlighted with cold weather and the hunting season, so locals traditionally start storing preserved meats, fruits, and vegetables during fall. This is also a great time to enjoy barbecue cooked over charcoal with salt-enriched sauces. So our third course is the Beef Chucks 2 Ways which has this delicious beef cooked in two contrasting ways. First is the braised version with its very fork-tender and flavorful meat.
The other is the grilled version which has a meatier and juicer texture. For me, I prefer the grilled Canadian beef because I can taste much more of its meaty flavors. Both versions are served with baked cauliflower, beef fat rosemary, and potatoes. A glass of Pillitteri Exclamation Merlot VQA 2015 also went along with our steaks.
Now here comes the highlight of our dinner. The fourth course is the Wood Grilled Prime Ribeye which perfectly shows off the exquisite flavors of Canadian beef. This thick and meaty ribeye is cooked medium so that it retains its natural juices and color.
Just look at that steak! This excellent beef is served with charred cabbage, honey glazed turnips and mustard jus, together with a glass of Pillitteri Riserva Cabernet Franc Appassimento VQA 2012.
Winter is coming, so the Pumpkin Spice Sticky Toffee Pudding with dark beer sorbet and dried fruits and nut caps off our whole Canadian journey. These delightful desserts are paired with the PIllitteri Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 2013.
I would like to thank Mr. Greg Findlay, General Manager of Makati Shangri-La for inviting me to join this exclusive dinner. Canada’s 4 Seasons will be available on the menu at Sage Bespoke Grill until the March 28, 2020. For reservations and inquiries, please call 8814 2580 or e-mail [email protected]. For more updates, follow Makati Shangri-La, Manila on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @MakatiShangriLa.
SAGE BESPOKE GRILL
Level 2, Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
