Pope once again in damage control mode

Take that magic carpet ride and explore the richness of exotic Middle Eastern cuisine at the Mandarin Oriental, Manila. I just did, a few weeks ago, and now I can say I’ve experienced dining like a royal sheik. Held at the poolside of the plush hotel, it was a romantic change of scene to dine underneath tents blanketed by shimmering stars.

Arabic cuisine actually had its roots in tent cookery. Nomadic tribes could use only transportable foods, such as rice and dates, or ambulatory stock, like sheep and camels in their recipes. As the caravans journeyed throughout the Middle East, new seasonings and vegetables were discovered and added to the existing repertoire. Each new discovery was incorporated into the diet in quantities palatable to a particular tribe, a fact that many cooks believe is responsible for the anomalies found in some Arabic dishes today. Thus, the evolution of a cuisine that has been likened to a desert palm, rooted in Africa, watered by Islam, and rustled by the winds of Europe. And the Mandarin takes this opportunity to give its patrons the opportunity of experiencing the flavors, sounds, and colors of that exotic corner of the world, a magical, mysterious land of snake charmers and seductive belly dancers.

That night, the weather was cool, but the food was definitely hot. I enjoyed moving from one tent to the other, sampling a wide spread of hot and cold mezze. From the cold mezze, my favorites are moutabbal and eggplant moussaka; from the hot items, I like the fried liver with pomegranate syrup. In the center tent, there was a band weaving seductive Arabian tunes as a traditional belly dancer would shake, rattle and roll in time to the music. For a moment, I was hypnotized by her undulations. She was certainly skillful with what she does as she teased the audience with her smooth gyrations — a born natural.

Of course, the talented tummy twister was no scene stealer to the main stars of the night, and that was the lavish feast set before us: irresistible selections, such as chicken with bourghol and tomato, Lebanese mix grill, fish harra, and rice vermicelli, filled my plate. I had mouloukhieh, a spicy chicken stew. A lamb was being grilled in the pit, and the bar was overflowing with the famous Lebanese wine known as arrack.

Another tent was set up with comfy pillows, where guests can smoke a hookah or shisha. Totally clueless, I thought that water pipe smoking ventured towards illegal territory. What shisha actually is is a traditional mixture of tobacco and fruit pulp, with molasses and honey. It comes in a surprisingly G-rated range of flavors, from apple and mango to cola and cappuccino. Aficionados and first-timers alike say it’s much milder and sweeter than cigarette, cigar and, uh, other kinds of smoke. Considered a hot trend among the younger set of night crawlers, this had its origin way back in the 1600s. By then, the pipes had blazed a path from India to the Middle East and Turkey, where smoking flavored tobacco became infused with the culture. I watched in curiosity as one releases a cloud of jasmine hookah smoke in the air from the curvy glass contraption, and for a moment, I thought a genie would magically appear from the smoke. Of course, my night would not have been complete without satisfying my craving for sugar. So, I headed to the dessert bar and filled my plate with a sampling of Middle Eastern sweets. And of course, being the nutty person that I am, I just had to partake of baklava, this honey-glazed dream of layered pastry filled with walnuts or pistachios. It did not let me down. One bite was enough to put stars in your eyes.

Lebanese guest chef Rgheb bou Dargham of Moevenpick Hotel Beirut did such a good job and is to be commended for his delightful selection of Arabic food, which is up to par with the world’s best international gastronomy for originality and good taste. I even heard that Middle Eastern cuisine ranks high in nutritional value with today’s fitness-conscious society, because it basically is comprised of simple, natural and easily digested foodstuff. Well, that’s certainly appetizing news.

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The Mandarin Oriental, Manila’s “Arabian Night” is served at Paseo Uno and The Tivoli until May 26.