Prince Albert & Citi: A royal engagement

MANILA, Philippines - The air is laced with the scent of romance as we welcome with a glow in our eyes this royal announcement: Prince Albert of InterContinental Manila and Citi are now officially engaged (the juicy details a bit later).

To celebrate this royal engagement, Intercon spreads out a feast fit for a king at the Salon Carlos P. Romulo. First comes the Classic Caesar Salad with only the freshest romaine lettuce with bits of bacon and croutons drizzled with Parmesan cheese and a creamy Caesar salad dressing. Coming right up next is a soup-er delicious, smooth, and rich lobster bisque, that’s enough to warm the heart and the belly on a rainy day.

Now comes the main course — a choice of roast US Aberdeen Angus prime beef rib with Yorkshire pudding, oven baked potato, marinated vegetables, and red wine jus or parsley and lemon crusted Atlantic salmon on grilled marinated eggplant with warm tomato vinaigrette. It’s not an easy decision to make as both dishes are well-loved Prince Albert classics. The guys go for the prime rib (they sure know how to rib it up!) while most of the girls opt for the salmon (let’s give fish a chance, shall we?).

For dessert, everybody’s having a most exquisite five spice chocolate mousse with orange gelee and Mandarin sauce. The amazing mousse, meticulously crafted by Intercon’s pastry team, looks so good nobody wants to touch it. But who could resist this sinful temptation?  Soon, it disappears from our plates into our waists. Having just polished off our last mousse morsel, in comes Crepe Suzette, a timeless favorite at Prince Albert.

You will also love Prince Albert’s other royal offerings, its pastas and risottos (like the forest mushroom risotto with white truffle oil), the grilled delights, and assorted appetizers.

So, let’s give a toast to fine dining and wining as Citi Philippines, the country’s leading foreign bank,  partners with InterContinental Manila. From now until July 2015, Citi Platinum, Citi PremierMiles Platinum, and Citi Rustan’s Platinum cardholders as well as Citigold clients can enjoy a complimentary two-hour wine buffet with one companion at Gambrinus Bar with a qualifying spend of at least P5,000 at Prince Albert Rotisserie.

Visibly delighted over this royal affair, Citi Philippines CEO Batara Sianturi says, “We understand our clients want the best in life, whether it’s the best deal or the best products or the best service. At Citi, we strive every day to design the most rewarding experiences for our clients on a global platform and we are pleased to say this latest offer certainly meets that grade.”

Citi Philippines consumer business manager Bea Tan couldn’t hide her excitement as she shares, “With this partnership, we are introducing our clients to a unique experience that they can treasure with a family member or a close friend. In this one offer, they can take advantage of great food, fine ambiance, and a special privilege they cannot find anywhere else.”

Then and now, there’s nowhere else to go but Prince Albert for the best prime ribs (200 g. of premium succulent beef with perfectly puffy Yorkshire pudding and homebaked potatoes with sour cream, chives, and bacon bits; crisp roasted veggies, and red wine sauce) and the finest wines. Prince Albert rolls out its red carpet for gourmets with its food offerings that range from French to Continental, its tradition of excellence, its classy ambience, and its first-class personalized service. You feel like royalty as food is served in true old world, fine dining fashion — with the dishes covered in sterling silver Christofle de Paris cloches.

“We offer a lifestyle, that’s why we know our clients enjoy a good meal with wine,” says Aneth Lim, Citi Philippines director for public affairs and corporate citizenship. “If you actually prefer a good meal separate from the wine, you can also do that. There’s an opportunity for you to have the wine outside of your meal at Prince Albert. You can redeem it 30 days from the date of your bill. Every month, there’s a different wine selection. And you can bring a spouse (or a friend) because every P5K spending is good for two persons.”

“I think it’s the history and culture that draw people to Prince Albert,” says Christopher Wichlan, InterContinental Manila hotel manager. “But most of all, it’s the people who provide the service here. And the food, of course! The prime rib is the signature, but for me, I really love the seabass and we have a great selection of light fare, pastas, and al fresco dishes. We give our guests what they expect. We have the same local chefs, led by our executive chef, who have been trained and have been here for long time so they’re very loyal and dedicated.”

Surely, it’s the staff who gives their impeccable service that sets Prince Albert apart. For instance, there’s Francis Felipe who started working at Prince Albert as a waiter more than 30 years and is now a restaurant director. He’s served Manila’s rich and famous. Like, here at the Salon Carlos P. Romulo (which can seat 16 guests and has its own entrance and anteroom for pre-dinner drinks), he once served foremost diplomat/journalist Carlos P. Romulo (after whom the salon was named). “He would dine with diplomats and ambassadors and his wife Beth Day,” Francis relates. “If his reservation was for 7 p.m., he’d come as early as 6 p.m. And he likes synchronized service — yung sabay-sabay, every waiter would be holding two plates and he would normally request me to ring the bell. He would announce the dinner in French and I’d say it in English.”

Francis has served President Noynoy Aquino at least twice. “The first time, he just ordered a burger sandwich with his favorite Coke Zero. The second time, he ordered the prime rib. No, he didn’t have dessert or even coffee. He just had his favorite Coke.”

Gretchen Barretto frequents Prince Albert, usually taking a private room if she’s in a group, either Salon Carlos P. Romulo or Salon Leopold (which can accommodate a maximum of 20 persons). “She’d order the oysters, panfried duck liver, seabass or prime rib,” says Francis.

Another big fan of Prince Albert’s duck liver is Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan, who also often orders the prime rib and Caesar’s salad.

“We give our valued guests their favorite food, their favorite drinks, and their favorite table,” Francis asserts. “We give them the ambience and the privacy.”

Prince Albert has also been the venue of many a marriage proposal that Francis has not only witnessed but played a part in as well. “We organize it in a private room,” Francis tells us. “I sprinkle rose petals on the floor and I dim the lights. I give the guy the box (for the ring), but I tell him let’s organize it, like as if it’s the dessert. So, it’s hidden under the food plate cover and I say to the lady, ‘Ma’am, here’s your surprise dessert.’ And the guy goes down on one knee, gets the box and opens it. Around the plate are written these words in chocolate:  ‘Will you marry me? I love you.’ And then the violin starts to play and she’s presented with a bouquet of flowers.”

Ah, isn’t that the most romantic — and delicious — marriage proposal!

Francis adds with a twinkle in his eyes, “There was one foreigner who proposed to his Filipino girlfriend on their way out of the resto, in front of our guitarist. All the other guests were clapping in glee. It was like they were watching a show!”

Francis says he just wants to make the guests happy and feel like family. And they’re surely happy with Francis, too. Guests who have not visited for a while would tell Francis like a long-lost friend, “O, Francis, nandito ka pa pala.”

Truth is, the couples who had proposed here and had married now have their children and grandchildren coming to Prince Albert. “We have generations of mothers, grandmothers, and grandchildren coming here now and telling stories of family gatherings here,” recounts Teri Flores, InterContinental Manila director of public relations.

Prince Albert is alive and well. Long live the Prince!

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To know more about this fine dining and wining offer from Citi, log on to www.citibank.com.ph or call the 24-hour Platinum Priority hotline at 995-9888.