The Ultimate Food Experience at Crimson Resort and Spa

It was a short trip from the Cebu airport to Crimson Resort and Spa on Mactan Island, Cebu. Upon arrival, the asianTraveler team was presented with a seamless experience including cold drinks, fresh face towels, and the sonorous welcome of an efficient team.

We were ushered to breakfast at Saffron Café, where we wandered the food buffets, spoilt for choice. We quickly ate a mélange of Indian, Japanese, Chinese, and international cuisine, hungry from our journey from Manila. The café was well-lit and cozy, its air conditioner blasting away to combat the summer heat. This is where we ate every morning for the next few days of our trip, and we were always ready to discover each buffet station amongst a multitude. The coffee made us alert after a heavy breakfast and we planned out the day's to-do's, which involved either snorkeling, kayaking, or simply sunning on the private beach.

Crimson's architecture is inspired by Balinese design. Upon entering the lobby, you are greeted by a view of the infinity pool and, beyond it, the ocean and the sky. Left and right wings lead to restaurants and staircases to the pool and sea. Off the lobby, there were individual rooms that looked like little rows of houses, and we slept in understated bedrooms with bathrooms that lined small roads that we traversed by golf carts.

"We are renovating the resort, and we keep the same feel: the Balinese resort feeling and, of course, the warm Filipino hospitality that we are known to offer. But we wanted to bring a few new touches, especially in the food and beverage options. We want to bring a modern touch to the resort," explains Crimson's French General Manager Didier Belmonte.

Adds Sy, "Having solid food and beverage offering is at the core of the Crimson experience and to be able to deliver this, we collaborated with two very talented consultant chefs. We cater to different nationalities and it’s important to have products and services appreciated across different culture. The locals now are well traveled, giving them a better understanding of different cuisines and the quality of food and service, and in return expect more from restaurants they go to. We are, of course, happy to share that our guests really appreciate the variety and quality of food and beverage offerings at the resort.”

We were in for a gastronomic feat, something few resorts and hotels in the country can claim.

Top: Bar at the Azure Beach Club. Bottom: Head Chef of Azure Beach Club

Azure Beach Club

Daniel Johnston is the Head Chef at Azure Beach Club, known on the island of Mactan as one of the premier beach clubs. Besides being a go-to hangout when the infinity pool has foam parties every weekend, the club, which opened last October, has a 180-degree view of the ocean. With an open layout that maximizes the use of space, Azure is the resort's crowning glory.

Johnston, who has been in the food and beverage industry for almost two decades, says that he eats, breathes, and sleeps cooking.

"I fell in love with Asian cuisine because it was just totally different to what we had in Europe. I ended up working in Thailand for eight and a half years. I would always keep traveling and discovering food was the main part of my travels," he explains.

The Azure menu is inspired by Johnston's travels and the ocean. There aren't many beautiful views like this while you're eating. Sitting next to the ocean, you immediately think of seafood. “We have a big seafood showcase. We also want to make a modern version of Southeast Asian dishes, whether Thai or Vietnamese; I've made versions of it.”

One of Johnston's sous-chefs is Indian, and the samosas we tried were excellent. Johnston states that he will adjust the menu in time; he is just starting to see crowd favorites.

The pad Thai was delicious, and indeed we were told that it was considered by many foreigners who’ve traveled the country that it was outstanding. The seafood was fresh and the skewered meats and vegetables were perfect under the blazing sun.

Top: Omakse's Consultant Chef Naoki Eguchi and Crimson's Executive Japanese Chef Masahiro Kinushuta. Bottom: The interiors of Aka.

Omakase by Naoki Eguchi Restaurant

The resort has a new traditional Japanese restaurant, called Aka. “Aka means red in Japanese. Although it’s called Aka, the sign that marks the restaurant says ‘Omakase by Naoki Eguchi,’ the name of the consultant chef. Aka sits serendipitously in the word ‘omAKAse,’ which is the highlight of the experience.”

Aka has a traditional Japanese menu. Its consultant, Eguchi, says, "It's the same quality you would get in Japan, the same ingredients, the same Japanese technique. If you go to Japan, you’d need to find the best ramen noodles place. You'd need to go to a ramen shop or a tempura shop for tempura. Not everything is all together. It's the same here; we do not mix the kinds of food and stick to tradition."

Masahiro Kinushuta, the resort’s Executive Japanese Chef who manages Aka’s daily operations, says, "You need to look at our omakase counter, which has an interesting menu based on the seasonality of ingredients. Station-wise, we have a tempura station near the sake bar, which Chef Naoki says is one of the restaurant's specialties. Naoki comes every two months for promotions and to ensure quality of food as well as reviewing menu to ensure guest satisfaction."

Ninety percent of the ingredients used in Aka are from Japan, down to the sugar and other condiments. The restaurant had been open for less than a week when we visited.

We were treated to extremely fresh fish and delicious noodles, and left the restaurant satisfied.

Enye by Chele Gonzalez restaurant

Chef Chele Gonzalez, who visits Enye every three months, is the consultant of Enye, and has let Enye Chef de Cuisine Javier Garcia Amador lead the restaurant. Amador, from Andalucia, Spain, says, "We have a mixture of traditional and modern Spanish cuisine. We may try to mix dishes from other cultures, but Spanish cuisine is always the base. The way we cook the pork at Enye is the same as in Cebu because we have a lot of seasonings, too. Maybe some fish have the same way of cooking; we deep-fry them, too. And then there's the rice; you love rice here. And we have the paella. I think it's our most common thing.”

The best bet at Enye is the modern cuisine. They have a glazed tuna dish that combines Asian culture with Spanish culture. Amador says that his favorite dish to cook in Enye is the squid with callos, which is delicious. Squid filled with ox tripe stew is finished with ink sauce, and Amador says it reminds him of his childhood.

Another dish to try is the seafood paella, which left us satiated. The menu at Enye changes twice a year or so, but special promotions are always available.

Crimson's Executive Chef Andrew Simpson

A Final Word with Andrew Simpson, Crimson's Executive Chef

"At Crimson, we want a culinary feast for our guests. We want guests to have an option dining at Azure Beach Club, for its Southeast Asian slant, or in Saffron, where it's always a feast of flavors and where they can experience the taste of local, authentic food. They can come to Enye for either modern or traditional Spanish cuisine. Our new addition is Aka, our Japanese restaurant. We have an excellent reputation for our food and beverage offerings; I prefer to avoid pinpointing any particular dishes. I'd like to invite people to come and experience our culinary offerings in all our outlets.”

No doubt about it–we'd be back to visit Crimson Resort and Spa in no time.