Sixteen in-house cooks submitted a total of 23 entrees in yesterday’s Cook Culinary Creation 2010 displayed at the hotel lobby for judging and food tasting yesterday afternoon.
Chef Arnel Marquez said the culinary creation challenge was held to bring out the best in the hotel’s cooks and inspire them to come out with their own culinary creations to be added in the regular menu.
“We know there are a lot of talents out there because our cooks are not new to culinary competitions,” Marquez said.
He said the new additions to the buffet meals and ala carte menu give their diners something new to look forward to.
Marquez said it was an open theme for the cooks who were given free rein on what to prepare as long as it’s original.
Aqua Resort Club restaurant manager Rom Manzon said they have been planning the Cook Culinary Creation for sometime but only got into it yesterday.
He said the cooks started their creations at 10 a.m. yesterday morning. The showcase and food sampling started at 1 p.m. where judges composed of all department heads of the hotel and some guests tasted the different culinary creations.
Jamerito Casama’s Fish Papillote entrée got the nod of the judges for the first place. Casama can choose between a free seafood night dinner or a Sunday Brunch for two at the Aqua Resort, and his winning recipe will be included in the restaurant buffet meals.
The team of Emma Antonio and Alex Pellara won second and third places. Fourth to sixth placers were Jonathan Sablan, Nilo Diño, and Nestor Mosquito.
Manzon said the cooks came up with a wide assortment of soups, salads, appetizers and main entrées for the competition.
“It was a great friendly competition because we were able to bring out the best in imagination, taste, and presentation from each cook,” he said.
Manzon and Marquez along with the entire Aqua Resort Club family are inviting the community to visit its restaurants for a complete culinary experience. Diners can also look forward to tasting the new dishes the cooks whipped up very soon.
Among the entrées are fish cakes with shrimp and smoked salmon, pork and chicken roulade with prosciutto and green peppercorn, Churrasquiaho Grego or Greek steak, Pasta Freska a la surf and turf estilo Italiano, seafood combo salad, New York strip steak with mushroom cream and steamed vegetables, Basa donburi, chicken with bamboo shoots, chicken with oyster sauce, pan bagnat sandwich, acorn squash over scallop, catfish wrapped in potato crust with cheese, slippers lobster rolled in top sirloin blueberry sauce, shrimp stuffed with poke, and brochette.
Drop by the Costa Terrace Restaurant and try its international buffet breakfast served daily, the seafood night on Fridays and the Brunch Buffet on Sundays; the Raraina Fine Dining which is the resort’s main dining, and the Sunset Beach Barbeque which specializes in barbecuing Maine lobster right in front of the diners as they watch a magnificent sunset.
For more information, check out www.aquaresortsaipan.com or call 322-1234.
