The hustle and bustle of the metropolis have kept people from going home to the province and inhale the relaxation the rural ambiance can offer. Professionals have been stuck inside the professional realm. Also, this doesn’t exempt the tourists from experiencing a new cultural or adventure treat Cebu is having. Tourists as well as long for home and somewhat is feeling nostalgic.
“What we serve in Diamond are comfort food and if we think about comfort food, we think about home. We think about our mothers and lolas cooking our favorite dish that if we get to taste them, we want to hug them. That’s why the food here feels like a warm hug.”, Diamond Suites and Residences General Manager Katherine Angala explains.
With all of this nostalgia in mind, Diamond Suites and Residences has something to offer to satiate everyone’s longing for home. Filipinos and Cebuanos particularly are really into food. Food is at the center of interaction everytime there is a gathering such as a family reunion, baptism, birthday parties, and even fiestas. Food is always part of the celebration and the staple and favorite dishes are always there.
The new menu delights its diners to feel the ambient home-away-from-home. The comfort food feels like a warm hug because everytime one thinks about a particular food, he or she thinks about a home or thinks about the mother’s or lola’s dish. Remembering the food and the family that is being closely associated with, one would like to hug mama or lola thus, if there is food, it’s a form of love.
Diamond thought of bridging the gap by offering a variety of food that is also distinctive on its own. Its restaurant has made sure that they have typical comfort food while infusing some features that make it different than the others.
Here are the bestseller dishes the restaurant is serving to its diners and food-lovers:
Ginataang Monggo with Itlog na Maalat
It’s a combination of the sweet and savory dish since the gata (coconut milk) is used as the base of the monggo soup hence, making it sweet. Savory as well because it is topped with itlog na maalat. The opposing flavors make a lot of things going on in the palates of everyone.
Pinakbet served with Lechon Kawali
This is a usual favorite Filipino dish which is a combination of vegetables and stir-fried in a pan. Instead of incorporating the meat inside, this dish is a combination of soft and crunchy for it has Lechon Kawali which gives a crunch in it.
The classic Chicken Adobo with a twist.
Chicken Adobo
The restaurant has a signature style which is a food fusion. Chicken adobo is not a typical adobo but rather a different one. The dish still has the usual marinate then dried up before deep-frying it. Sweet and savory is still the catch of this food because the adobo is something salty from being marinated then partnered with a sweet sauce. The sweet sauce is a concoction of marmalade and some spices to give a slightly spicy kick.
Beef Roulades, also a best-seller at the Diamond Suites and Residences
A lot of restaurants are offering the same dish but Diamond Suites and Residences want to make a difference by serving still popular but with a different experience at the same time. It is like a fiesta in the mouth that has enough saltiness, texture, and savory taste. There is always an adventure in eating and there’s a lot to talk about. So, what else could connect each other than comfort food by the way?
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Diamond Suites & Residences, No. 8 Apitong cor. Escario Streets, Cebu City, 6000
Tel. No. (032) 402 9800
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It isn’t a surprise, then, that she’s the general manager of Diamond Suites and Residences. In fact, Katherine—Kathy, as she prefers to be called—has been with the hotel for three years and a half now.
“And forever to go,” Kathy adds. “The best is yet to come.”
As part of the roster of recommended hotels in the city, Diamond Suites and Residences is one of the few establishments that have a female general manager. The shift in leadership is interesting, especially since we get to see what these women bring to the table.
On Kathy’s part, she’s keen to utilize her passion for excellent customer service in providing the best possible experience for their hotel guests.
“They call me jack of all trades,” she shares over a sumptuous lunch at the hotel. We had just finished taking her portraits in the lobby. The meal starts off with a creamy, decadent bowl of pumpkin soup, drizzled with olive oil. “I make decisions on a lot of things, from technical and engineering stuff, to financial and hotel operations.”
Dressed in a beige linen dress, which she laughingly shares was quickly altered by hand to better fit her frame, Kathy is a bright ball of energy, sharing stories and her experience over the years. One thing she loves talking about though, is food. In fact, she works closely with the hotel’s executive chef, Wally Feltavero, to create a menu that will appeal to even the most discerning of guests.
After an appetizing starter, the mains come pouring out of the kitchen and onto our table. There’s the crowd-favourite ginataang monggo soup, topped with slices of lechon kawali and itlog maalat; breaded bone-in pork chops; vongole pasta; and buffalo chicken wings with a blue cheese dip. We cap off the meal with their specialty desserts: slices of the (sinful!) cheesecake and tiramisu.
On a daily basis, Kathy is usually found doing administrative work, but she emphasizes, “The most likeable part of my job is making creative business and marketing strategies for the hotel.”
She shares that she doesn’t often get any downtime, which prompts me to ask her what she does in between breaks, to which she replies, “I don’t normally do breaks, because I like working during them. No disturbance, and [I get] peace and quiet.”
“I can’t say it’s downtime, but I do go out of my office every now and then for ten minutes, visit some departments to make friendly chats, and engage and bon with the staff, talking about anything under the sun,” she expounds. “It’s about as original as talking about the weather, but you’re also the only people in the world who get the hilarious—and frustrating—ins and outs of working at your company.”
With how amiable Kathy is, it’s no wonder that her relationship with the rest of the staff is harmonious. Her knowledge about a vast number of topics make it so that she never runs out of anything to talk about, and she easily relates to people because of it.
Like many women in society, Kathy has several roles to fulfill. Aside from the role of general manager of Diamond Suites and Residences, Kathy is also a mother to three children; two girls, 22-year-old Patricia and 8-year-old Gabrielle and one boy, 19-year-old Enzo.
A very supportive mother, she ensures to give the best opportunities for her children, such as letting them choose their career paths by themselves—with one daughter in medicine school, and her son in flying school), and supporting them with their love for football.
“Lately, I spend time listening to my 8-year-old daughter reading a children’s novel, Diary of the Wimpy Kid,” Kathy says. “It’s a great way to bond.”
On her days off, she can usually be found at home, decluttering. It reduces her anxiety, and gives her peace and fulfilment. Sometimes, she goes shopping with her children, or on a roadtrip to the beach.
“We love to explore when it comes to food, so we dine out at restaurants. If I like the menu, I try to make it at home, because I love to cook and explore.” She adds.
According to Kathy, there are many things that she needs to have on her at all times, especially in her bag. ATM cards, health insurance cards, and cash are a must onhand.
“A shopping bag—my environmentalist daughter would hate me if I don’t have it,” she goes on, “Basic essentials like tissues, hand sanitizer, zinc oxide—which is very useful especially if you have kids, it’s a first-aid for cuts, burns and insect bites—mouthwash, which I can’t live without; lip balm, cologne, over-the-counter medicines, and a sewing kit.”
What else is in store for Kathy? Upcoming projects, like hotel renovations, expansion and the pre-opening initiatives of AppleOne Inc.’s local hotel chains in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.
To know more about Diamond Suites and Residences, you may check out their Facebook page, or visit their official website at http://www.diamondsuitescebu.com.
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