Sights and Flavors at the New Marriott Grand Ballroom

Refreshing new flavors and an impressive space await visitors to Marriott Manila. A massive four-storey structure housing the country's largest hotel grand ballroom is all set to make Marriott Manila the premier meeting destination in the Philippines...

Marriott Manila opens its massive new Marriott Grand Ballroom, with over ten thousand square meters of function space and three new dining outlets, adding yet another milestone to the ongoing projects at the growing resort property.

Entering the lobby of the new Marriott Grand Ballroom, one immediately notices the grand scale and luxury of the impressive facility, billed as the Philippines' largest hotel grand ballroom. And size does matter, with the new Marriott Grand Ballroom adding a whole new dimension to the country's pioneer integrated resort.

At the media launch, top Marriott and Resorts World Manila executives welcomed guests, including (L-R) Ralph Frehner, Marriott VP for Asia Pacific Food & Beverage Operations; Bruce Winton, Marriott Manila General Manager; and Stephen Reilly, Resorts World Manila's Chief Operating Officer.   

Guests were treated to an elegant four course lunch prepared by Marriott's Executive Chef Meik Brammer and his culinary team during the launch. The first course, an appetizer of Norwegian Salmon Tartar Lemon Mustard with brioche crisp and garden greens, was then served. The buttery and creamy salmon just melts in your mouth, followed by the mild sharpness of the lemon mustard. Pure and clean flavors you can expect only from the freshest and finest ingredients.

For the second course, a delicately plated deep dish with tender beef and crispy potato hash topped with a poached egg was served. Minutes later, a server poured a thick and creamy broth to complete the dish. Wait a while then gently break the yolk and mix with the creamy broth.

A hearty and comforting Velvet Potato Cream Soup with beef brisket, potato hash, and poached egg yolk delivered an extra punch in flavor as the yolk slowly blended with the broth. Strands of tender beef brisket complemented the broth with its own rich and distinct notes.

For the main course, Executive Chef Meik Brammer served his Sous Vide Australian Veal Tenderloin with Organic Vegetable Ragout on green pea puree with truffle veal jus. The sous vide method makes the veal so tender and soft while retaining the juices for bold flavors. The contrasting notes from the vegetable ragout and the mildly sweet green pea puree add even more layers of flavor to the dish. From appetizer to main course, Executive Chef Meik Brammer's dishes delivered rich yet balanced flavors.

But Executive Chef Meik Brammer had one more dish. For dessert, an elegantly plated Coconut SemiFredo Popsicle Mango Lychee Compote with coconut malto and mango rum lime gel was served. Velvety smooth and not too sweet, it was the perfect ending to an elegant lunch at the new Marriott Grand Ballroom.

After a perfect lunch, it was time to walk and explore the new Marriott Grand Ballroom. Located at the second floor, the sheer size just takes your breath away, with its dramatic high ceiling adding to the enormous width and depth of the venue. From whatever angle you look at, the massive scale of the venue is just overwhelming.

The expansive 3,000 square meter pillarless venue can accommodate up to 4,000 guests with room to spare. the venue can be be subdivided into four sections with its state-of-the-art Skyfold Technology. At a push of a button, the vertical folding partitions drop down slowly from the ceiling to adjust to any specification or requirement. High above, one can marvel at the innovative Programmable Pillow Ceiling Lights, all 176 units that can change to 360 colors at a push of a button to suit any mood or requirement (for more on the impressive Marriott Grand Ballroom, check out my post on my other travel blog here at http://soloexpeditions.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-new-marriott-grand-ballroom-luxury.html).

At the ballroom, you can also find 6 VIP Sky Boxes with a bird's eye view above the venue for that private and exclusive gathering. Further down the long hallway, you can find one of 28 versatile meeting spaces that can be arranged and configured to fit your theme or requirement. 

As we continued our tour along the massive hallways, we encounter one of Marriott's culinary teams applying the finishing touches on a chocolate sculpture of the new Marriott Grand Ballroom structure.

In addition to the ballroom and function spaces, the new facilities also boast of three new dining outlets offering modern Asian cuisine, an innovative deli and an upscale gourmet cafe to suit any appetite. And after the walking tour, a quick bite sounds like a pretty good idea...

First Stop, Allegro, with its line of fresh and premium deli items for something quick, light yet satisfying, including an assortment of maki sushi rolls, cheese tarts, dessert jars, gourmet salads, and chilled sandwiches.

That day, we were served open faced sandwiches with smoked tenderloin and a refreshing salad. And if you're still up to it, go for the Mississippi Mud Pie Dessert Jar...

At Mian, the modern Asian noodle bar offers refined and unique dishes fired in an elegant open kitchen. Traditional or with an inventive modern spin, Mian is definitely the place for stir-fried dishes, soups, rice bowls, desserts and dumplings, like the crisp and savory Pork Jiaozi (R) stuffed with Chinese Chorizo...

...or the comforting Chicken Guinataan, with tender chicken cooked in coconut lime sauce topped with crisp egg and bean sprout salad on steamed white rice.

The walking tour ends at Crema, the new Marriott Grand Ballroom's modern coffee shop, with its premium coffee creations or Felchin's hot chocolate. Pair your beverage with some of Crema's freshly baked treats...

....like muffins, or their signature Macapuno Egg Tarts.

And the Homemade Yogurt is definitely a must-try at Crema. Fresh, new flavors, and an impressive new ballroom. Things are definitely looking good at Marriott Manila.

The new Marriott Grand Ballroom is located at Newport Boulevard, Newport City Complex, Pasay City or call 988-9999 for inquiries and more information.

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