Feeding Your Mood in Five Acts: Shangri-La's The Table by Golden Circle

Shangri-La offers loyal diners culinary experiences worth savouring in what may be the year's most memorable launch...

Shangri-La recently launched their new Global Restaurant and Bar Loyalty program, The Table by Golden Circle, transforming the usual functional benefits of discounts and points with a more relevant and meaningful experience. Shangri-La's new food and beverage programme offers unparalleled benefits to members who dine at Shangri-La properties both locally and abroad, setting it apart from the usual hotel loyalty offers. Read on and experience Shangri-La's The Table by Golden Circle...

The Hong Kong-based hotel group, which operates 98 properties and over 500 restaurants and bars worldwide, draws key consumer insights from a commissioned research study among Golden Circle members, hotel guests, and local residents on their attitudes toward dining, restaurant preferences, and loyalty. Based on the study, members and diners validated the fact that emotion attached to a dining experience is far more appealing than the functional benefit of discounts and points. The on-going transformation of the fully integrated Golden Circle loyalty programme includes achievable redemptions and access to signature food experiences, exclusive events, unique surprises, and special offers.  Among the Golden Circle's industry-leading differentiators that set Shangri-La's dining loyalty programme above the rest are:

• More Rewards: Members can now earn Golden Circle Award Points by dining and drinking at the more than 500 restaurants and bars found in Shangri-La, Hotel Jen, Kerry, and Traders properties globally when they are non-staying guests.
• Instant Indulgence: Instant Dining Rewards allows members to earn and redeem Golden Circle award points on the spot with no pre-planning or vouchers required.
• Elite Rewards: Jade and Diamond level members receive bonus earnings and more value on redemptions for dining transactions.
• Sweeter Deals: Members receive Golden Circle Award Points on all qualifying transactions, including discounts.

At the exclusive launch held at the new Shangri-La at The Fort, guests were given a preview and a taste of Shangri-La's The Table by Golden Circle with an impressive culinary experience set in five sumptuous acts, each one with its own theme and curated menu. Shangri-La takes hotel dining to new heights with its innovative mobile-friendly digital platform, http://www.golden-circle.com/thetable/, with dining options categorized under five moods, Refreshing, Elegant, Chill, Adventurous and Upbeat. The site gives members access to special offers and features immersive stories and videos featuring the artisans behind the culinary creations. You can also view mouthwatering dishes through The Table's IG account, @TheTable, which captures the essence of Shangri-La's rich culinary journeys. Hotel dining is no longer uniform, with just one perspective or one approach. It becomes a total experience, with Shangri-La's The Table by Golden Circle. In a brilliantly executed concept, The Table by Golden Circle's launch recreates all five moods in five distinct acts, definitely one of the most impressive launches I've attended this year.

The sleek, elegant and fluid lines of the new Shangri-La at The Fort was the perfect setting for the launch of Shangri-La's The Table by Golden Circle. The dramatic glass-lined panoramic floor-to-ceiling walls of the bridgeway leading to the hotel's Grand Ballroom is decked out in fresh flowers, all set for The Table by Golden Circle's Act 1... 

On the bridgeway, Shangri-La's top management welcomed guests to The Table by Golden Circle's exclusive launch, replicating each of the five moods for their culinary creations in different sections of the Grand Ballroom. Guests were served the refreshing Hugo Cocktail (R), and my culinary experience began...

ACT 1: REFRESHING. The first act at The Table by Golden Circle's launch was kicked off by a brief welcome by Shangri-La's General Manager, Alain Borgers (L), followed by the first courses created by the top chefs of Makati Shangri-La Manila, Edsa Shangri-La Manila, Shangri-La at The Fort, Traders, and Hotel Jen Manila for the evening...

Elegant tasty bites were served for the first act, starting with the Basil Espuma Beetroot Cured Salmon Cubes with Wasabi Cream. The clean and fresh sweetness of the beetroot cured salmon is perfectly tempered by the subtle sharpness from the wasabi cream for balanced flavors, and capped by the sweet basil espuma. Each distinct note comes through in a seamless blend, with the cured salmon melting in your mouth releasing even more flavors.

The Confit Guinea Fowl with Pear Chips and Garden Greens is a play on delicate notes, elegantly and masterfully executed. The tender Guinea fowl's mild flavors are punctuated by the sweetness of the crisp pear chips, adding texture to the tasty dish.

The impressive Yellow Fin Tuna Tataki with White Tea Jelly and Micro Greens capped our experience for the first act of the evening. The briny sweetness of the fresh tuna is enhanced by the white tea jelly and a dab of wasabi, bringing out the flavors of the Yellow Fin Tuna Tataki. One more round of the Hugo Cocktail, and we were on our way to the Grand Ballroom for the second act...

ACT 2: ELEGANT. Candles, spotlights, and art installations set the tone for the second act at the launch of The Table by Golden Circle, completing the sensory experience. Food is, after all, a total sensory experience, highlighted in all five acts at the launch. Each Act, each mood, has its own set of curated dishes paired with a special handcrafted cocktail.

Guests were served the Maple & Bacon Manhattan prepared by master mixologists, and a few sips of the bacon-infused bourbon is all you need to get in that elegant groove in no time. 

The second act featured several live stations, including one where El Toro Loco Bellota Iberico Ham was carved and served on crisp slices of Farmer's Baguette, pairing well the House-Barrel Aged Sherry from Gil Luque Leyenda Oloroso Bodega. 

Another live station featured a unique foie gras dish, the Sandwich of Foie Gras Terrine with Confit Apple and Candied Nuts. And this is where you'll experience the creativity of the master chefs behind many of The Table's culinary creations. The sandwich has no bread, the foie gras terrine is laid on soft apple confit... 

...adding a sweet tartness to temper the richness of the foie gras. The rich and sweet notes of the Sandwich of Foie Gras Terrine with Confit Apple and Candied Nuts pair well with the bold and smoky Maple and Bacon Manhattan for another impressive act.

Other dishes served at the live stations included the Textured Hokkaido Scallops with Pumpkin and Summer Truffle (L), with the succulent scallop's mild flavors kicked up by the sweet pumpkin and nutty truffle; and the Mushrooms, Goat Cheese Sphere, and Baby Leaves (R), a refreshing salad.   

ACT 3: CHILL. Impressed with the earlier two acts, I couldn't wait to see and taste what the third act had in store for us. As we moved to another portion of the Grand Ballroom, this breathtaking sight greeted us...

A massive long table was set up in the middle of another portion of the Grand Ballroom for the third course of the evening. And just like they promised, each act progressively levels up recreating the mood and sensory experience of dining at The Table by Golden Circle.

And just like the third act's theme, the formal and stately setting exuded a cool and casual vibe, draped in a dazzling array of colorful lights. With clockwork precision, the servers marched onto the stage to serve the third course for the evening's much anticipated third act...

...Monk Fish Fillet in Cara Fata, Octopus, Chorizo, and Saffron Orzo with Pernod-Infused White Wine Sauce, a rustic yet elegant Mediterranean-inspired dish paired with a glass of wine from Bodega O. Fournier Urban Oco. Cooked in a bag, the servers then cut open the bag releasing a fresh and intense aroma. The gentle notes of the monk fish are punctuated by the upfront flavors of the chorizo, rounded out by the soft saffron orzo and creamy white wine sauce for yet another expertly composed dish. One more glass of wine, and it was time for the evening's fourth act.

ACT 4: ADVENTUROUS. On another part of the Grand Ballroom, the stage was set for The Table by Golden Circle's fourth act. The top chefs from all Shangri-La properties in the metro marched in carrying a massive wooden board for the grand carving...

What made this launch even more memorable was seeing all the top executive chefs of the different Shangri-La properties in the metro, all in one place, for one marvelous evening. With the carving table at the center surrounded by guests all around, the fourth act captures that sense of adventure, mimicking a celebration after a successful hunt.  

For the fourth act, the massive wooden board featured a savory selection of grilled meats, including the 48-Hour Smoked Prime US Beef Brisket, the Chapon de Bresse Braised in Champagne with Root Vegetables, the Black Angus Prime Rib Marinated with Bourbon and Muscovado, and the Iberico Pork Pressa in Bomba Rice Crust, Chili, Herbs and Rioja Sauce.

The Bloody Bull (L), a refreshing take on the Bloody Mary with rosemary-infused vodka, beef stock, barbecue sauce, and chorizo, was paired with the savory courses, along with the Copper Pan Parmentier Potatoes with Bone Marrow (R). 

A side of Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary and Garlic paired with the selection of slow-cooked meats completes my fourth act experience. And just when you think it couldn't get better than this, it does...with the fifth and final act up next.

ACT 5: UPBEAT: The evening is capped by the final act, with elegant desserts laid out on a dramatic bottom-lit table, featuring Chocolate Tulips Filled with Quick Frozen Nitro, Raspberry Mousse, Red Yellow & Green Colored Candy Floss Ball, Magnetic Floating and Spinning Chocolate Balls filled with Mousse and Crumbles, Lime Tartlet with Crispy Meringue Crumble & Lime Chips, Chilled Pressed Fruits, and Dulce De Leche. Sweet indulgence on a table. It just doesn't get better than that...

The chefs then offer one of their Chocolate Balls by smashing it right on the table (R), adding a celebratory vibe to the presentation, revealing its precious contents. On one side of the table, the chefs pour hot chocolate on another dessert... 

...exposing yet another hidden gem inside. It's delightful surprises like these that made The Table by Golden Circle so memorable. And fun. Like a kid let loose inside a toy store, everything on the table was up for grabs.

And the guests seemed to enjoy the impressive display of sinful treats. It was that kind of evening, as guests savored the experiential dining experience at The Table by Golden Circle's launch.

Guests were also treated to a live ice cream making demo by the pastry chefs with Nitro, or created their own ice cream bar with a variety of toppings.

Hotel dining has never been more rewarding. A brilliant concept perfectly executed, and one of the best launches yet this year. Shangri-La's The Table by Golden Circle offers loyal diners a new dining experience, elevating it to match your emotion and mood. Feed your mood, with The Table by Golden Circle...

For more on Shangri-La's The Table by Golden Circle, visit their site at http://www.golden-circle.com/thetable/. You can also follow the hashtag #FromTheTable in social media for updates. 

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