I’m
not familiar with the taste and how the halal food is being prepared and serve,
and this is my first time to eat halal food in a buffet style serving at the
Café Ilang-Ilang of Manila Hotel, and I didn’t expected that all my favorite
food are prepared and cooked in a halal way. The big news here is that they got
a Halal certification from the Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board,
Incorporated (MMHCB, Inc.) last August 1, 2012. And starting September 2012,
they will offer halal certified food in the buffet of Café Ilang-Ilang and also
to room service menu. Manila Hotel can now offer halal food and meals to Muslim
and Middle Eastern guests, this is the 1st hotel and commercial dining in the
Philippines to receive a halal certification.
I learned some info from
Chef Hanna Usman (photo above), who is the supervising chef for Manila Hotel’s
halal kitchen and stand beside Manila Hotel’s Indian Head Chef Kiran Singh, they
are the one incharge of making sure that all products prepared are halal. Manila
Hotel prepares a new section of kitchen that is exclusively for cooking halal
food.
The taste of halal is very special for me, I discovered that
eating halal food is healthy, because animals are also taken care of and
slaughtered properly and unlike those in a poultry or farm which is very
unlawful to our Muslim friends to eat it, the preparation is different and it’s
a must for a Muslim person to follow these guidelines based on
Qur'an.
It’s a special food adventure for me to try halal food and it was
my best meal ever! I can’t believed that I already forgot my diet and finish my
food with 3 plates on the table. All meaty and tasty halal food, I just can’t
let go my favorite – kambing caldereta, lamb roganjosh and beef
rendang.
If you are curious on halal food, I super recommend that you try
the halal food buffet in Café Ilang-Ilang in Manila Hotel, you can also try
their other cuisine, they have a wide selection of food.
For inquiries,
please call 527 0011 local 1260 to 62 or visit
www.manila-hotel.com.ph.
Cafe Ilang Ilang - Buffet Price
Breakfast - Php 1,200 ++
Lunch - Mon to Sat - Php 1,800 net
Sunday Brunch - Php 2,000 net
Dinner - Sat to Wed - Php 2,100 net
Steak Night Thursday - Php 2,500 net
Children age four and below eat for free.
Presenting
the Manila Hotel’s Halal Kitchen and Menu, this is now offered forever and it
will be available everyday in Manila Hotel.
The
Halal Certificate, this will prove that the halal food are authentic
My
quick view of the buffet area at the halal section of Café Ilang-Ilang, the hala
food are located at the far right corner of the restaurant.
You
can spot the mosque mini building at the halal buffet area, I think the set up
is made of sand sculpted into a mini mosque.
Chicken
Biriyani rice
- best rice for your halal food, the rice contains some chucks
of chicken meat, you can get the rice only.
|
Roganjosh
lamb
- my favorite halal food (and also Indian food), very tasty and I love
any food with tomato sauce on it, when I eat this, I feel like that I’m in
heaven.
Fried
Prawn
Samosa
Kambing
Caldereta
- another favorite that I can eat it forever
Beef
Rendang
- I also love this, not that spicy, but you can tell the exoticness
of the spice flavor – tomatoey salty sweet feeling in your taste buds. I super
love the sauces.
Chicken
Pastil
Here’s
the other side of the halal food buffet
Vegetable
Cutlet
- I also like this veggie cutlet, it’s a veggie patty that was deep
fried, crunchy and softy in inside
Plain Basmati Rice
- also known as
long rice, I didn’t eat this because it will be heavy inside my
stomach
Mixed
Vegetable Curry
- I love the taste and concept of this curry veggies, I can
try it at home, with a simple veggie cuts and curry sauce, a must try too here
in Café Ilang Ilang
Paneer Butter Masala
- Its an Indian cottage
cheese in tomato sauce with buttery creamy taste.
King
Kebab
- hmm its like your ordinary kebab but the meat is different, I’m
expecting a roast beef, but looks like the beef is grinded and filled in a long
sausage like bread and cut it into pieces after baking.
Fish
Metti Curry
- fish in curry sauce, very tasty and spicy taste (not chili
ha)
and
here are from their salad section
Shrimp
Salad
Mixed
Veggies
Taboulle
Vine
leaves
All
salad veggies are best served with Babaghanuj and also Humus
My
wife pours some salad vinegar oil to her veggies
Olives
Another
look of the halal kitchen and menu of Manila Hotel
The
certificate
Okay,
so I roamed around the Café Ilang Ilang, I got informed that we can cross over
to some of the cuisine, but that day I dedicated myself only to halal food. Its
my first time here in Café Ilang Ilang and I ‘ amazed on the set up of their
buffet and also cozy ambiance.
Dessert
area are so lovely. I’m going back here next week.
more
sweets and chill food
cakes
and pastries
Another
way to the other buffet area
Italian
style is here
Yup,
this is a cheese
Pizza
mania is non stop
customized
pizza for you
Leaning
tower of Pisa is made of pasta
Let
the sunshine in, this section of Café Ilang Ilang is for people who love to eat
with natural light, and also a good spot for food photography
The
chef that can assist you for your Italian food needs
Café
Ilang Ilang dining area
sofe
style chair for guests, perfect for young and old people
my
first plate for lunch
my
lovely wife with sparkling eyes…because its lunch time hahhah
my
2nd plate, with all meat and sauces
President
and Director of Manila Hotel – Mr. Joey Lina
A
rep. from Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Incorporated (MMHCB, Inc.)
speaks about the halal food for Muslims and non-Muslims.
Manila Hotel Indian Head Chef Kiran Singh
Manila Hotel gets Halal Certification from the Muslim
Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Inc. (MMHCBI)
In photo:Manila Hotel
F&B Manager Anthony Panganiban, Manila Hotel Human Resources Director Aurora
Caday, Manila Hotel Resident Manager Raniel Vicarez, Manila Hotel Senior Vice
President Georgina Banaag, Manila Hotel President Atty. Joey Lina, MMHCBI
Chairman and Mufti of the Assembly of the Darul Ifta of the Philippines Sheikh
Abdul Wahid Inju, Manila Hotel Executive Chef Konrad Walter, and MMHCBI Exec.
Director Mariam Pasigan Daud, Chef Nazruel Sekh, Chef Hanna Usman
Manila Hotel gets Halal Certification from the Muslim
Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Inc. (MMHCBI)
In photo: MMHCBI Exec.
Director Mariam Pasigan Daud, Chef Nazruel Sekh, Chef Hanna Usman, MH Indian
Head Chef Kiran Singh, MH Executive Chef Konrad Walter, MMHCBI Chairman and
Mufti of the Assembly of the Darul Ifta of the Philippines Sheikh Abdul Wahid
Inju and MH President Atty. Joey Lina
After
the launching event I went back to the halal buffet and grab my 3rd
plate
Round
table talk with the head chef
The
Café Ilang Ilang
my
Wife’s salad plate
4th
plate hahaha
Me
and Lace – yup, the food monsters are back again
Self
portrait time, this photo didn’t make it in my Instagram
The
vintage feeling of Manila Hotel lobby
Me
and Lace infront of the giant café of Manila Hotel’s 100th
anniversary