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
Sage Bespoke Grill is heating up the weekends with their new gourmet Sunday Barbecue Brunch. Sundays are usually reserved for families and special reunions, so many hotels are now offering their own special Sunday brunch. Makati Shangri-La presents its own unique and elegant brunch alternative as it prepares a meaty, barbecue-filled afternoon for families to enjoy.
The Sunday BBQ at Sage is a premium buffet experience featuring a variety of steaks and carvings in a more relaxed and charming environment. This limited time promotion is available every Sunday from 11:30am to 3:00pm until March 31, 2018 for only P2,000 nett per person. Instead of the usual buffet restaurants where you have to jostle with hundreds of other guests for space, Sage Bespoke Grill lets its diners focus on the important stuff, namely, family, friends, plus sizzling steaks and meats hot off the barbecue grill.
Sage Bespoke Grill is a classy and exclusive steakhouse located on the second floor of Makati Shangri-la, Manila. Inside their double oak doors is a more reserved and private dining area for those who want to be a step above the crowds. While I do enjoy the extensive buffet selections at Circles Event Cafe downstairs, there are also times I prefer the exclusivity and higher quality steak options at Sage Bespoke Grill.
Creative artwork and paintings accentuate the overall charm and taste of this stylish restaurant. Warm tones of wood and leather give it that homey feel that is conducive for those much awaited family gatherings. The best seats at Sage Bespoke Grill are probably the ones near the floor-to-ceiling windows with a great view of the hotel’s lush gardens below.
Sage Bespoke Grill aims to break away from the usual Sunday brunch as it lets diners experience a luscious barbecue buffet with plenty of live-action stations.
First up is the Salad Station where guests can ask the chef to prepare a customized Caesar Salad on the spot. Sage Bespoke Grill Chef de Cuisine Eric Weidmann (left) has created a festive brunch buffet where diners will be interacting regularly with the chefs for their personalized appetizers, barbecues, steaks, cocktails, and more.
An array of delectable appetizers are spread on the buffet table including freshly-baked breads and a cheese board full of cheeses like Emmental, Blue Cheese, Edam, Cheddar, Cottage Cheese and Goat Cheese.
They also have the Smoked Salmon with Rum which has just a slight taste of alcohol. Cured meats can also be found like cured turkey ham, smoked pork ham, and pastrami.
Other appetizers to tickle the taste buds include Crab Cakes, Shrimp Cocktail, Buffalo-Sriracha Chicken Wing Skewers, and Tex-Mex Ceviche.
Kids are more than welcome to spend their Sundays with the family and they have plenty of space to move around and socialize. They might even meet new friends and playmates.
For an additional P800 nett, diners can also get unlimited beverages including house wine, beer and soft drinks. They also get access to the cocktail station where they can ask the server to prepare a fresh glass of Bloody Mary garnished with whatever ingredients they fancy. Yes, you can even have it topped with bacon!
Another option is the Sparkling Apple with its combination of Sparkling wine and apple juice. This is a lighter but more refreshing beverage.
The Sunday BBQ at Sage feels like an actual backyard barbecue as the chefs fire up the grills and cook all these meats and steaks a la minute. Head over to the burger station and choose how you want your burger done.
You can add cheese, caramelized onions, and bacon to your burger to make it a sumptuous Bacon Cheeseburger. If you are really hungry, make it a Double Patty Bacon Cheeseburger for double the fun.
But the main attraction at Sage Bespoke Grill has always been their premium steaks, so that is also the highlight of the Sunday BBQ at Sage. This huge Wagyu Beef Skirt “Churrasco Style” is just waiting to be sliced up at the carving station and served to all the hungry carnivores.
There are many other cuts available like the Marinated London Beef Broil, Smoked Beef Brisket, Flank, and Skillet. You can ask the chef to cook your steaks according to your preferred doneness, so watch them sizzle at the grill before they land on your plate.
You can also choose from a variety of sauces to put on your meats like barbecue sauce, chimichurri, or gravy.
Other items on display at the carving station are the grilled salmon, grilled pork, and the Grilled Cajun Style Chicken Drumstick.
The Beer-Simmered Grilled Sausage is also a juicy option to pair up with the steaks and meats. On the other hand, the Miami-Style Beef Short Ribs also gives another flavorful alternative.
Side dishes are also included with the steaks so diners can get unlimited servings of garlic rice, roasted marble potatoes, grilled corn on the cob, grilled vegetables, and mashed potatoes.
In case there is still room after all those indulgent steaks and barbecues, the Dessert Station will happily provide a splendid ending. These colorful brownies and cupcakes are a sweet option together with the apple and cinnamon crumble and the fresh fruits.
A special Key Lime Tart is also on hand plus a whole Red Velvet Cake that is almost too good-looking to slice up.
There are plenty of other dessert items like flavored donuts, churro pops, cookies, and four different ice cream flavors to choose from. Josper Grilled Bananas are also available and you can top it off with strawberry syrup if you prefer.
My favorite Chocolate Mousse is also here so that really makes this a complete afternoon barbecue buffet. The Sunday BBQ at Sage is a unique dining experience that is quite different from just the usual hotel buffets. So invite the whole family and make sure to book your tables now because this will only be available until the end of March.
SAGE BESPOKE GRILL
Level 2, Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Sage Bespoke Grill Upgrades Its Sunday Brunch Offering
Sage Bespoke Grill, Makati Shangri-la’s dynamic steakhouse, is upgrading its Sunday brunch buffet by offering a wider and more premium range of selections featuring steaks, seafood and so much more. Branded as the Sunday Grill Buffet, this new setup gives families and diners another place to spend their precious Sunday family bonding moments and gives them a more elegant and upscale dining experience compared to other hotel buffets.
The Hungry Kat was invited to try the new Sunday Grill Buffet created by Sage Bespoke Grill’s new Chef de Cuisine Eric Weidmann. I was able to experience Chef Weidmann’s new dishes a few months ago (Read about it here) so I’m happy to be back again to try his revamped and upgraded buffet setup.
Sage Bespoke Grill offers an exclusive venue for executive lunches or romantic dinner dates during weekdays, but on Sunday it transforms into a friendly family dining atmosphere with the Sunday Grill Buffet. The lineup may not be as extensive as the international selection found in sister restaurant Circles Event Cafe but its premium items are definitely of higher quality amidst a more private and elegant setting.
A wide selection of appetizers are laid out on the buffet table including a variety of Cured Hams offering salty and smoky flavors. The buffet also comes with bottomless iced tea to wash down everything you will be eating.
Assorted Cheese and breads are also on display so you can start your Sunday Grill Buffet with these light tidbits.
For salad lovers, they also have a station offering salads like the Prawn Salad (above), Brocolli Salad with Quinoa (right) and Watermelon Salad with Feta (left). The prawn salad was my choice here because I love eating shrimp and prawns.
If you want to try something more exotic then go for the Steak Tartare prepared with onions, capers and egg. I love raw fish but raw beef is still a taste I have yet to acquire.
What I did like is the Ceviche Scallops which I first had during my previous meeting with Chef Weidmann. These soft thinly sliced scallops come with lemon and sundry tomatoes then doused in basil oil. You can taste the sourness of the ceviche with the soft delightful texture of the scallops and this is one sure way to get the taste buds flowing.
On the other hand, the Lobster Bisque with Truffle is a warm and hearty broth with the rich flavors of lobster and a subtle taste of truffle.
One of my favorite appetizers that day was the Gravlax Salmon with its fresh and fatty slices of salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill. It doesn’t even need any sauce at all and I must have had a couple of plates of this sweet and sumptuous dish.
The seafood station is one of the highlights of the Sunday Grill Buffet with its beautiful ice sculptures accompanying the fresh and premium seafood selection.
Endless servings of prawns, oysters, scallops and mussels are all available to your heart’s delight. I do love seafood so I spent a lot of time in front of this station appreciating these wonderful items.
They even have Crab Claws and, most especially, Boston Lobsters which you can eat fresh off their shells. You also have the option of having your seafood plate cooked in garlic butter or even baked with cheese if you wish. I had my oysters and lobsters baked with lots of cheese and they were wonderful.
But the most popular items at the Sunday Grill Buffet are definitely the steaks! Sage Bespoke Grill uses its Josper Grill to cook its steak to perfection, preserving its natural juices and soft texture. The Sirloin Steak is one of the featured dishes on the buffet cooked medium rare and you can see the pinkish inner portions of the beef.
I loved how tender and juicy these Sirloin Steaks were. But the best part is that since this is a buffet, you can have as many servings as you like. One order of their steaks on the ala carte menu would probably cost just as much as the rate for the Sunday Grill Buffet so you are really getting your money’s worth with this Sunday brunch.
Another featured steak is the Tomahawk Rib Eye Steak. This one comes Bone-In and the server will cut a few slices for your hungry appetite. You can also ask them to grill the steaks further for you if you want it with a different level of doneness.
The steaks also come with sides like asparagus, onions and bell peppers so you can really get a premium high-end steakhouse quality level steak dish, but with unlimited servings. That is what separates the Sunday Grill Buffet from other international buffets.
Also included in the buffet are these skewers of pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, lamb chops and even lapu lapu that are offered by roving servers, similar to Churrasco served in Brazilian restaurants. You might even catch restaurant manager Simone Cordedda serving you a few pieces of sumptuous prawns on your plate.
But there’s still more! Each diner also gets a choice of one dish that will be served individually cocotte from the kitchen. These choices include the Mini Chicken and Truffle Pot Pie with puff pastry crust (left), Lobster Ravioli with shellfish cream and baby spinach (lower middle) and the Cooked Egg with morels and green asparagus (right).
I suggest you get the Scallop and Clam Risotto with leeks and champagne sauce which has a huge piece of juicy scallop on a bed of creamy risotto.
Your choice also comes with side dishes like the Forest Mushroom, Mac and Cheese, or the Creamed Spinach.
Once you are done with your bountiful Sunday brunch, there’s one last item that you can still enjoy, the dessert! Sage Bespoke Grill’s Crepes Flambée with Suzette Caramel and Oranges will be done at this live cooking station courtesy of Mr. Cordedda. Watch out for the huge flames once he douses the Grand Mariner onto the sizzling sugar syrup.
The Crepes Flambée is a sweet and delightful ending to your feast with luscious oranges lying on a bed of hot crepe.
If you want even more desserts, you can order from their ala carte menu and try their other offerings like the chocolate brownie, pineapple crumble, banana pudding and other sweet endings. They also serve this alcoholic Limincello cooler to all diners after their meals. It serves as a digestive and we will really need this after eating all of those steaks. Just make sure to keep it away from the kids.
The Sunday Grill Buffet at Sage Bespoke Grill is available for lunch every Sunday from 11:00am to 2:00pm at only P2,650++ per head. This is a great deal given the quality of the steaks included in the buffet and is a good alternative when you want to avoid the big crowds at Circles Event Cafe or other hotel buffets. Do remember to make reservations early because this buffet is really in demand, so book your tables online at this link (Sage Bespoke Grill reservations). Thank you to Ms. Aencille Santos and Chef Eric Weidmann for another inspiring and satisfying lunch date.
SAGE BESPOKE GRILL
Level 2, Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Thrill of the grill: Sage Bespoke Grill proves once again that its Sunday buffet is among the best for grills and thrills like fresh salads, cheeses and beautiful desserts. #sage #sagebespokegrill #makatishangrila #sundaybrunch (at Sage Restaurant and Bar, Makati Shangri-La, Manila)
