Sustainability is a come-on at New World

THE NEW World Makati Hotel is trying to entice guests with staycations and culinary treats, paired with new sustainability measures in their food and beverage outlets.

During a tour of the hotel last month, staff showed media guests that the toiletries in the room have shifted from single-use plastic to bigger, refillable containers.

Meanwhile, local ingredients have found their way into the menus of the hotel’s restaurants.

At their Jasmine restaurant, the all-you-can-eat dim sum buffet option is still available, with new tofu dishes — the steamed tofu with shrimp mousse, marinated tofu with fried shallot and coriander, braised tofu with eggplant and red dates, country style minced tofu, and tofu with tomato and egg soup.

According to Nantha Kumar, New World Makati Hotel’s General Manager, this is part of a measure to cater to plant-based eaters. Still popular are the Imperial Peking duck wrapped in a Chinese pancake, mango prawn salad, seafood taro puff, seafood cheese roll, and steamed live garoupa in soya sauce.

“It’s not only about switching from single-use plastic,” he said about their sustainability measures. “We are going beyond that. We’re looking at our carbon footprint. For example, 80% of our food products, it needs to be local.” However, they have exceeded that quota by now having 95% of the ingredients in their menu sourced locally.

This has also helped them weather out the current supply chain problems that have left grocery shelves unstocked, and some dishes going off the menu. “I will say yes,” he said when asked if they were affected by the supply chain crisis. “But again, if you use local products, to be honest, you don’t feel the impact that much. There is an impact, but (it’s) very minimal.”

The hotel’s buffet restaurant, Café 1228, is open daily, serving weekday lunch as well as weekend lunch and dinner. The venue features a cold cuts and cheese section, salad bar, a Japanese station with seven kinds of sushi, miso soup, as well as fish and vegetable tempura, an Asian section with five dimsum selections and a choice of noodles, a combination of Filipino and Southeast Asian dishes, a grilled seafood section, a Western station with European and Mediterranean cuisine, and the carving station, a crepe station, as well as treats such as halo-halo, cheesecakes, pies, cookies, and fresh fruits complete the dessert selections. Weekday buffet lunch at Café 1228 is P1,288 net with free-flowing iced tea, soda and chilled juices.

Couples are pampered with a stay that comes with a bottle of wine and a cheese platter along with a one hour in-room massage treatment for two from the hotel’s Marahai Spa with buffet breakfast for two adults, starting at P11,700 net. For families, four cake popsicles with two glasses of milk, as well as a paper rope activity set fosters quality time for kids and parents alike, starting at P9,200 net. This also comes with buffet breakfast for two adults and two kids 11 years old and below.

Lastly, friends can also bond as they share two bags of popcorn, a duo of sliders and soda, as well as a buffet breakfast for three adults, starting at P11,100 net.  At the Presidential Suite, the room is offered as an intimate events space for up to 10 guests with a grazing board of cheeses, cold cuts, and fruits starting at P30,000. If staying overnight, up to three guests are allowed and the package comes with buffet breakfast for three as well as access to the Residence Club Living Room on the 24th floor with evening cocktails. A connecting Residence Club Deluxe room can also accommodate up to three additional guests. — JLG