Our Alert Level 4 has thankfully led to restaurants reopening—but with 30 percent capacity for outdoor dining facilities, and a paltry 10 percent allowable seating capacity for indoor dining. Honestly, while it may be a start, it’s not going to be enough for these eating establishments to survive. When you factor in how many new COVID cases there still are, it’s apparent that a good number of the populace will still want to play safe and stay home. Thankfully, the hotels and restaurants have continued to improve their home delivery options and services. And when I tried the ones coming from Dusit Thani Manila, I was truly impressed and hence, my tongue-in-cheek title.
The sets and platters one orders from the Dusit Thani arrive in really attractive boxes, and if they’re hot dishes, at the bottom of the boxes, you’ll find those HotBox contraptions that allow you to heat the food right there on the dinner table. You time the arrival of the food you’ve ordered, but if you start late, you can use these HotBoxes to make the dishes piping hot, without transferring the food. It’s a really thoughtful way to make the Dusit service different, and my sons loved the novelty of it.
There are several options to choose from, and when you think of the food and beverage outlets at Dusit Thani Manila—Benjarong, UMU, The Pantry, and so on—you know you’re in for a delicious treat no matter what your choice. The Dusit has a rich history as far as my boys and I are concerned. We’d take them to dine at Benjarong as far back as 1999, when it was still the Dusit Thani Nikko Hotel. My middle son, Matteo, then only five, will never hear the end of our storytelling that involves him falling asleep during dinner, and dropping face first onto the plate in front of him.
The following are the special dining sets one can choose from; and they all easily feed four to five persons. The first three are the ones we road-tested last Sunday and they were all excellent.
1. The UMU Sushi and Sashimi Set comes with edamame, your salmon and tuna sashimi, and some excellent sushi choices.
2. Indonesian Beef Rendang: coconut milk-braised US beef (500g), turmeric, lemongrass, bokchoy, and toasted coconut steamed rice. Loved this one as on the spicy side, but just right!
3. Singaporean-Style Chili Crab: one kilo of mud crab in sweet and savory tomato-chili sauce with stir-fried broccoli leaves and steamed rice and rolls. My boys loved this one, saying the sauce was the best! Not to mention the crab fat!
4. Malaysian Nasi Lemak Set: coconut rice, marinated fried chicken, sambal, and fried peanuts.
5. Benjarong Ka Moo Pa Lo: braised pork knuckle and egg served with pickled cabbage and coriander.
6. UMU Sukiyaki at Home: with free of charge leased equipment of portable stove, pots, etc.
7. The Pantry Black Angus Rib Eye: three-course steak dinner at home with Caesar salad, mushroom cream soup, and sidings of stuffed Jacket potatoes and buttered herb vegetables.
What also impressed us was how the pricing, when you consider that this is coming from a hotel, was packaged smartly and included those contraptions to heat the food, which was quite reasonable.
If you’re interested to order from Dusit Thani Manila’s F&B outlets, head to their Facebook and Instagram pages, and call 7238-8888. Their only request is you place order 24 hours before delivery to your home. You won’t be sorry, as the Dusit Thani Manila has really found a way to make your home dining feel like you’re at the hotel.