Written by Kristina Suñer Tabon
Word count: 1595
Once in a while one comes across a truly special place. One where
happy memories are always evoked. It's an emotional connection that
may not necessarily be a boon to the establishment as the bar is set
high for the repeat visits. Alegre Beach Resort in Sogod, Cebu, is
such a place. I spent a weekend in the seven-hectare resort as an
impressionable teenager where everything from the custom soap bars,
the local flora, the inexhaustible breakfast, and the endless fun
that I had with family and friends completely enthralled me.
My subsequent visits were never replicas of that first time although
they were as enjoyable. Sitting at the porch to my cabana with a view
of the blue sea, birds chirping in the background, waves crashing on
the shore, while closer by one hears the rustle of thousands of leaves
from the shrubs and trees planted around the cabanas. Despite being a
duplex type where two rooms are connected by a door and may be
occupied by a big family or two separate guests, the clever shrubbery
lends your room a very special exclusivity. You have your own entry
through a raised porch and sliding doors welcome you into a room and
an ample bath and closet area. As a teenager, that bath defined my
concept of a "comfort room," and I spent a considerable amount of
time in there. There are lots to do in Alegre. The resort is seventy-
five (75) kilometers away from Mactan Island where the international
airport is located. Aside from three (3) natural private coves, white
sand, and spectacular diving destinations, they have a lovely swimming
pool and interminable lush gardens of local flora. This last factor
is just one of the inherent charm that works in Alegre's favor. They
use everything available locally. Every species of plant in the
resort is endemic to Cebu. They even grow some of the herbs they use
for the kitchen and an orchid farm now thrives adjacent to the hotel.
These same orchids adorn every centre piece in the resort, from lobby
to dining and even on guest-room tabletops.
Getting there is another story. It is highly recommended to leave
Cebu City no later than midmorning so that you'll arrive in time for
their superb lunch buffet. An hour's drive north of Cebu province,
and you leave the city bustle behind, traversing through sinuous the
foothills along the main supply route (MSR). You'll ponder the sudden
shift from tall gray structures to mere ground-level establishments
where oddly enough, the sputtering from the tricycles and the
thundering of big buses are your only hints to the city life you left
behind. Remember to sit at the van's right side if you want to enjoy
the coastal views. What you'll see is miles and miles of azul waters
stretching into a rain-promised horizon. The panorama unfolding on
portside would be of sporadically sparse hills, lots of nipa
shrubbery, and coconut trees peppered with a variety of other tropical
species. Bananas abound. You will cross the towns of Consolacion,
Liloan, Danao, Carmen, Catmon, and then Sogod. Be sure to make last-
minute important calls and SMS before reaching Catmon as the MSR is
carved along a hillside of sedementary rock (which makes up the entire
island, actually) and will definitely cut off all communication
devices. Reception comes back on upon reaching Sogod. But who will
you want to be texting anyway? The ride is like the cleansing ritual
for Alegre. While one sits in a comfortable shuttle provided by the
resort, one leaves behind the physical and psychological noise until
one becomes aware of the present. Oh sure, your companions will be
chatting away and you'll probably have your iPods with you, but trust
me, a 2-hour bus ride with a view of the sea can be spiritual if you
let it. By this time, you and your companions will be sitting in
comfortable silence. After crossing Sogod town lines, it's only a
minute before signboards to Alegre become common. You can't miss the
chapel the huge signboard sits on. Here we see a subtle shift in flora
as small corn fields come into view as well as occasional bamboo.
Bananas are ubiquitous and so are the coconuts. The road goes winding
up a hill. The van will descend into a goat trail and you'll start
rethinking about the kind of amenities to expect from the resort, but
you'll heave a sigh of relief when the manicured lawns and the orchid
farm come into view.
At the lobby, we were met by Alegre's general manager, Fritz Kahler,
and the lovely women and men who help run the resort. Welcome drinks
were served and each of us were offered refreshing cold towels. One
whiff and nostalgic memories come back. Hints of rosemary and mint
(incidentally two of this author's favorite herbs ever) infuse more
than just the towels. Alegre's bath essentials were specially
concocted by perfumer Gemma Suzara. Whilst at the resort, every post-
swimming shower will be graced with a bar of castile soap with a touch
of rosemary and mint, plus raw oats as an exfoliant. Alegre's PR,
April Tudtud Ramos, wrote in a press release that, "The shampoo has
pure ion-free water, coconut oil base foaming agent, sea salt, wheat
protein, fruit base citric acid, plant preservatives, moringa seed
extract (known as Malungay) and a natural hair protector against
environmental stress and pollution with UV protection. The
conditioner is the same with the shampoo without the coconut oil base
foaming agent but with an extra virgin coconut oil instead.
The bathroom gel has the same ingredients as the shampoo without the
moringa seed extract but with an added amount of coconut oil to
moisturize the skin. For the bath salt, ingredients include salt,
coconut oil scented with Mimosa and the body scrub scented with
Vanilla Oil. These ingredients are environment friendly as they
biodegrade in the water and/or soil. Perfumer Gemma Suzara is an
activist for Peace and Non Violence. She works contemporaneously with
many others all over the planet to conquer all forms of violence
consisting of the respect and care for the environment we live in for
both human and natural. She studied Natural Perfumery and
conceptualized a business that gives her an opportunity to apply her
vast knowledge of fragrances." Everything from soap to gels and bath
salts use natural ingredients and are kept in specially designed
ceramic bottles. This environmentally conscious approach to
housekeeping is another notch on the charms of Alegre.
DINNER AT TALISAY BEACH
The Amihan was blowing in like it does every evening according to Mr,
Kahler, bringing in some light drizzling, yet this teeny detail wasn't
going to hamper dinner out on Talisay beach, so named because of the
Talisay trees decking the shoreline. White dinner plates, formal
silverware, and red napkins adorned a long table illuminated by
lamplights. It was a moonlit night and if this were a dinner for two,
it would have been utterly utterly romantic.
Chef Martin Przewodnik had "slaved" all day to make us (media men) a
special dinner. First, an introduction is in order. Chef Przewodnik
has lived in the Philippines for seventeen years (and counting). With
a wife and three kids, he has been with the Pathfinder Holdings group
(PHPI), having previously been with the Cebu Plaza Hotel. His being a
German national doesn't stop him from experimenting with local
ingredients---voraciously, I might add, that at one point in the 6-
course dinner, we food writers wondered if we were ingesting some
fancily prepared grass growing on the gardens around our cabanas. The
plant species in question was osiman, reincarnated as fritters for
that particular plate, sweated out between seared peppery duck breasts
and proved divine with the caramelized onions and ube mash. The
grainy ube mash provided contrast to the duck meat's lingering peppery
finish. Downed with sparkling white and the buttery notes manifest
just at the back of the tongue. Later quizzed about the sequence of
his entrees, Chef Przewodnik explained that the sea bass would've made
a stronger impression if served before the duck. And he was right,
the sea bass was the winner of winners on that table as it was
beautiful with the sharply orang-ey banana blossom and coconut rice.
It was no simple coconut rice either. The rice was cooked inside the
husk and steeped---completely---in its water. To reveal its precious
insides, Chef Przewodnik brandished a short sword and cracked the nuts
open one by one. Talk about drama. Every bite was a sticky sweet
velvety sensation, then followed by a sip of citrusy Monkey Bay to
cleanse the palate for the next sinful mouthful. It's no wonder the
restaurants overseen by Chef Przewodnik have the stamp of approval
from the Chaine des Rotisseurs.
THE MENU
Green jackfruit mousseline and rock lobster spring roll served with
Balsamic reduction
Truffle and Boletus essence
Grilled duck breast with tisa lemon grass sauce on ube puree and
osiman leaves
Green mango granita with coconut punch
Calamansi-scented Chilean sea bass on spicy banana blossom served with
coconut rice and orange jasmine sauce
Red wine and Bailey ice cream in chocolate syrup
Tea or coffee
THE WINE LIST
Pol Clement Brut
Blanc de Blanc, Vin mousseaux
or Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough, New Zealand
2006 Bernkasteler Lay
Riesling, Kabinett
Weingul Dr. Loosen
Cognac/Liqueurs
