MARCO POLO ORTIGAS: CUCINA's Flavours of Thailand

Traffic has been horrible. Seriously. I haven't been stuck in traffic like that in a long time. It took me almost 2 hours to get to Ortigas. One step into MARCO POLO HOTEL ORTIGAS and I guess it was all worth it. Genuine smiles and warm greetings. That is how the staff at Marco Polo treat their guests.   

 It has been a few months since I last went to MARCO POLO in ORTIGAS.(You could check out my VDAY 2015 here.) This time around, I was invited to try out CUCINA'S Flavours of Thailand. Running from November 9-15th, this week long celebration brought in a few Thai Chefs and pushed dishes from Thailand.

ENTER CUCINA.

 Cucina is the all day buffet dining option in MARCO POLO ORTIGAS. 

One look in and I noticed that there was actually a crowd. The whole placed was packed on a Wednesday Lunch. Incredible. 

What greeted me first was their Seafood bar.

 Different crustacians, from crabs to shrimps, oysters,

 and Clams.

 Another thing that surprised me was that they cook paella on the spot. 

I mean, on one big Paella Pan.

 Here, they used imported ingredients. Everything from the rice to the different elements. All flown in from Spain. After a few minutes of waiting, Tada.

 Their version is a soupy kind. Moist and made with fresh components. Delicious.

 To Start the meal, they have a appetizer section. Filled with bread, meat and different cheese.

 and different nuts and dried fruits to partner with the cheese.

 Aside from that, you could also go for different sashimi, sushi and rolls.

 Aside from that, you could have gone to a make your own noodle soup dish to a cook your own pasta dishes. Also, they have selected Filipino, Indian, Chinese and other Western dishes.

 You also can also be assured that they stock up on their roast section. Here you could choose from the the crunchy belly, tenderloin, roast chicken and other meats to enjoy.

Since this week is CUCINA'S presentation of FLAVOURS of THAILAND, they had a couple of Thai Chefs that are staying in the hotel and cooks for the guests. Chefs Sunisa Nualthongkaew and Watcharavee Rujechotiphat flew in and prepared some of the dishes. They even handle the SOM TAM and the PAD THAI station.

Here is the SOM TAM or Green Papaya Salad station.

 Basically a mixture of different "veggies" with a sauce of lime and fish sauce. Sort of your salad from Bangkok. It's sour and a little spicy with a hint of citrus. If you can't handle the heat, ask that the peppers be removed.  

 I had mine with a piece of pepper and I was able to tolerate it. It's something that could give additional flavor to other dishes as a side salad or you could have it on your own.

 Another section on the buffet spread is the PAD THAI station. Another Thai Chef handles this too.

 You wait for your own pad thai to be cooked.

 You could ask for more ingredients to be added if you want it to be more flavorful but for me it was just right.

 Aside from these cooking stations, they also have a range of Thai Soups like the TOM YAM GOONG and a few more dishes like this KIEW WAAN GAI. It's basically their version of Chicken Curry.

 Another dish that may also be your fancy is the MASSAMAN NUE. It's curry that used duck. Pretty neutral. It was all right to try.

 For drinks, you could add some to your buffet from fruit juices to soft drinks and even wine.

 One drink that I enjoyed though was their Thai Iced Tea. Not too sweet and just right. This milk beverage is a nice touch when eating spicy dishes. Also, it's perfect for the weather.

 For dessert, they had a lot to offer.

 Different pies and cakes are also present for dessert. If you must, go and try this pecan pie. It was divine.

 Or maybe their version of a black forrest.

 They also offered Thai dessert like this sticky rice reminisce of my visit to BKK.

 I just had to share some of my plates as a proof that I don't eat a lot.

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MARCO POLO ORTIGAS' CUCINA has definitely brought in the big guns. Aside from offering an impressive buffet setup with all the essential needs, they also brought out a THAI inspired spread. The number of dishes may not be able to compete with other buffets in the metro but the quality of each one is superb and is worth the price. I believe it goes back to the way they handle their guests. MARCO POLO ORTIGAS make sure each and everyone is happy and delighted with their stay. In this case, it was my tummy. Cheers.

FLAVOURS of THAILAND runs from November 9-15, 2015.

My Valentine Stay in Marco Polo Hotel

MARCO POLO HOTEL ORTIGAS
Marco Polo Hotel, Sapphire Street Corner Meralco Avenue,
Ortigas, Pasig City
Metro Manila
FACEBOOK
(632)720-7720

Disclaimer: Was invited to try out their fare. Wrote this based on my experience.