Feast, chill & celebrate this weekend at Sofitel

Celebrities Lotlot de Leon and Marjorie Barretto wonder out loud if they ever bumped into each other as children at Sofitel Philippine Plaza but never knew it.

Two of the featured celebrities at Spiral restaurant’s Mother’s Day brunch on May 8, they recall having staycations at Sofitel with their own parents, saying they loved hanging out by the iconic swimming pool, eating in the outlets and just enjoying family time together. 

On Sunday, this tradition continues for the two celebrities — but this time, they are the mothers being paid tribute to by their own children in collaboration with Spiral’s outstanding culinary team.

Spiral’s special Mother’s Day brunch features household favorites from the kitchens of Janice de Belen, Lotlot de Leon and Marjorie Barretto; and chef Rob Pengson for Father’s Day on June 19.

Children of the three actresses did a cooking demonstration of some of their fave dishes cooked by their mothers last week.

Of all the things that she cooks, Lotlot’s daughters swear by her four-cheese lasagna with cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar; grilled chicken breast with seven spices (cumin, nutmeg, garlic, cinnamon, sage, paprika, cloves), gyudon and sukiyaki. Her youngest daughter Max, also an avid cook, helps her mom in the kitchen.

If you grew up in the 1980s, you’d have grown up with Lotlot, who was a member of the variety show That’s Entertainment, the biggest star maker of the decade. Today, Lotlot has made a business of her love of cooking with her bottled Lotlot’s Homemade bopis, Bicol Express and dulong in olive oil.

For Marjorie Barretto, the middle sibling of the famous Barretto sisters Gretchen and Claudine, being a hands-on mom pretty much means being a hands-on cook. She often interprets recipes she learned from her own mother, Estrella Castelo Barretto, as her kids watch and learn from her.

“I want each of my children to learn a specific specialty so that whenever we have a family get-together, they would have their own dishes to contribute,” she says.

Marjorie’s featured dishes are her own mom’s recipes of bread pudding, Russian salad, and chili con carne.

Janice de Belen took her love of cooking a little further by studying Culinary Arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies, which also inspired her son Luigi to become a chef. Her Food Biz homemade dishes features callos, roasted chicken and cheese cupcakes.

For her collaboration with Sofitel, she chose to highlight what she and her kids enjoy cooking together, which are tuna carpaccio, paella with squid ink, callos and truffle, and arugula and mushroom pasta.

On June 19, Sofitel’s Spiral shifts its attention to the man of the house with restaurateur and chef Rob Pengson leading the tribute to fathers. A father to two sons, Rob honed his kitchen chops at the California Culinary Academy and Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco. He is the co-founder and CEO of the culinary school Global Academy and co-owns The Hungry Hound gastro pub and cocktail bar Niner Ichi Nana.

Rob describes himself s “father first and chef second.” With his wife and pastry chef Sunshine Pengson, they bake sweet treats for their sons. But his

favorite thing to make for them is grilled cheese sandwich and with a laugh he adds that it’s probably not the kind of food for Spiral.

Out of 52 weekends in a year, this weekend is the best time to chill out with mom and treat her to a Spiral buffet she’ll never forget. Or even better, a whole weekend of stress-free staycation— maybe even a massage at Le Spa after a sumptuous buffet lunch while dad gets his fix of drinks at Snaps Sports Bar.

It’s not surprising that all featured chefs hold fond memories of staycations at Sofitel, whether for long weekends or special occasions. Looking down last Sunday from the balcony of my own room at the swimming pool teeming with children and adults soaking the sun, the picture is one of happiness and families.

One of the most beloved designs of architect Lindy Locsin, Sofitel is perfectly located facing Manila Bay and near enough malls but far enough from the madding weekend crowd. 

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For reservations, call Sofitel Philippine Plaza at 551-5555. Mother’s Day weekend at Spiral starts on May 6 with lunch buffet priced at P2,579, dinner P3,378; May 7 lunch at P3,361, dinner P3,378; May 8 lunch at P4,655, dinner P3,225. The same prices apply for Father’s Day weekend from June 17 to 19. Log on to www.sofitelmanila.com.

Follow the author on Twitter and Instagram @iamtanyalara. Check out her travel blog at www.findingmyway.net.