Dinner at the top

By Joseph L. Garcia, Senior Reporter

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oven-roasted Patagonian toothfish with raisin and almond mole

Tasmanian salmon with sour cream, green apple and lemon

Australian rock lobster.

CHEF GREGOR STREUN

IT’S not every day that one gets to have dinner at the top of the highest building in the city right now (the Metrobank Center where the Grand Hyatt Manila is housed in at 318 meters, with more than 60 stories). A progressive dinner on Oct. 23 took us to The Peak, the Grand Hyatt’s top-floor bar and restaurant, but with a few extras.

For one thing, we didn’t dine with the rest of The Peak’s patrons, we were taken to its biggest private room, The Speakeasy. Seating between 16 to 30 guests, it is luxurious, with wood paneling, a marble-topped table, and, of course, a view of the city. The private rooms vary in size, with one seating 10, and another seating 15. The 10-seater room, called the Whisky Room, happens to have a collection of whiskies from around the world. Engaging the rooms cost between P50,000 to P100,000, all consumable.

The dinner provided a way for us to meet Gregor Streun, Grand Hyatt Manila’s new executive chef. Hailing from Buchen Odenwald, Germany, Mr. Streun’s journey began at Hotelfachschule Heidelberg, where he earned a Bachelor’s de-gree in Professional Cookery and Kitchen Management, complemented by a German Culinary Degree. His path took him to esteemed kitchens in Germany and Switzerland before embarking on a dynamic career with Hyatt, including lead-ership roles at the Park Hyatt Shanghai, Andaz Tokyo, the Grand Hyatt Singapore, and, most recently, as Executive Chef at Carlyle & Co., Hong Kong.

Mr. Streun unveiled a menu of new à la carte creations, to be found in the future at the dining outlets at The Grand Hyatt, which include The Grand Kitchen, The Peak Grill, Le Petit Chef, Pool House, and No. 8 China House.

The dinner opened with a series of appetizers served with Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc: Italian burrata with spiced tomato sugo and basil; Taramasalata with salmon roe, grilled sourdough, and dill; Tasmanian salmon with sour cream, green apple and lemon; and a Grilled broccolini and endive salad with smoked duck breast, spiced tamarind dressing, charred grapes, and hazelnut.

The salmon on our plate took on the eternal preppy colors of pink and green and looked very attractive. It was quite delightfully juicy, though the next course, the Taramasalata, was too heavy for us and could use a little levity. The broccolini and endive salad provided a nice contrast.

Next came an oven-roasted Patagonian toothfish with raisin and almond mole. It had an excellent texture, while the mole sauce was strangely familiar (taking on the notes of our local adobo). Despite its Mexican origin, Mr. Streun tweaked it here and there (using almonds and plantains, for example) resulting in something sexily gritty, with a nice charred edge. The wine pairing, which tasted quite peachy, gave some sophistication to the dish.

The main course was a surf-and-turf platter featuring grain-fed Mulwarra bone-in striploin, Mulwarra grass-fed ribeye, and Australian rock lobster, complemented by Terrazas Reserve Malbec. The mains were complemented by The Peak’s signature dirty fries, seasonal vegetables, and a trio of sauces including beef jus, béarnaise, and chimichurri. The lobster had an enjoyable fluffy texture, but the beef! Well, appropriately heavy but given some zing with the sauces, we were satisfied that evening. Mr. Streun even took the time to explain to us the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed cuts (the grain-fed one would be fattier, lending better texture; the grass-fed one was leaner, but to us had a stronger, more pronounced flavor).

We were bidden to rise for the final course, dessert, served by Le Petit Chef himself at the Veranda. The Grand Dessert featured strawberry shortcake, Italian meringue, red fruit coulis, chocolate pearls, and fresh strawberries, all in the shape of a fly agaric. We were provided with a large syringe of cream, a torch for caramelizing, and extra chocolate pearls.

Mr. Streun talked about his palate with BusinessWorld, evident for example in his appetizers and the fish: “Very Germanic, or French-based. Obviously, living 15 years in Asia, a lot of influences.”

He began working in Manila just six months ago. “I think Manila has such a vibrant dining scene, that I think we can do a lot better,” he said, hence he’s introducing these new dishes at The Peak Grill and their other dining out-lets.