Garch is one of my favorite people in the world. Funny, handsome, and always fun to be with, I enjoyed the dinner we had last night at the Peninsula, along with some other food writer friends. It was the opening of the hotel’s “Hot Off the Grill” barbecue buffet, which is held every Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30-10:30pm. It’s a refreshing change, literally, from the stuffy air-conditioned dining areas we’ve grown accustomed to. The weather is cooler, signaling the imminent arrival of the holidays. The buffet includes a salad bar, grilled delights, a Mongolian grill, Indian specialties baked in a tandoori oven and desserts.

on the barbie: sausages, lamb chops, spare ribs, lobster tails,baked potatoes and tomatoes

mix-match meats and sauces at the Mongolian grill

Made of brick and clay, the tandoori oven bakes food over direct heat. So intense is the heat (up to 500°F), that half a chicken can cook in less than five minutes. Lamb, chicken, and fish tandoori are available, as well as naan bread. I highly recommend all of them.

Aside from Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream,ube-macapuno ranks right up there as well. Ube is purple yam and macapuno is a type of coconut with sticky flesh. Together, they make an explosive combination.

mango-strawberry tarts

Hot Off The Grill Poolside Barbecue
until Feb. 25, 2006
P980++ (adults) P580++ (children 12 and under)
The Peninsula Manila
Ayala and Makati Avenues
887-2888 local 2205 (Restaurant Reservations)