Wednesday, July 09, 2008 All about abaca By Nelia G. Neri
LONG before I first set foot in Abaca, I had been hearing so much about it.
This was more than a year ago when enterprising couple Jason and Anna Hyatt along with some business partners had just opened their restaurant at Punta Engaño in Mactan.
The Abaca concept is totally different — high walls and a closed gate (yes, you have to honk your horn to enter); a romantically lit garden pathway leading to the dining gazebo; and beyond it, an outdoor living room setting overlooking the infinity pool and the vast ocean with tall, well-trimmed trees all around. The entire scene is absolutely dreamy!
Superlatives have been heaped on the food in Abaca and I found it all to be true: the best salads in town (only organic veggies are used), the tenderest rib-eye steaks (dry-aged prime Angus beef), the thinnest-crust pizzas, the tastiest pastas, the yummiest desserts. For all these, chef Jason takes the credit. And the prices? They are definitely value for money.
Recentl, completed at the premises are three spacious villas and six suites which again are totally different from the usual resort accommodations.
Spacious and luxurious, they feature a high-ceiling, one-of-a-kind Oriental accents, elegant bathrooms, and modern amenities (internet connection, flat screen TV, etc.) And yes, there is an assigned butler to take care of the guests’ needs.
The infinity pool down by the beach is surrounded by cozy cabañas. And then there is the homey spa nearby. It looks charming and quaint with its open-air ambiance and the backdrop of a huge tree in one corner. What’s more, one is made to choose the kind of music to be played while having treatment. There were four choices and I opted for classical. Very relaxing!
If you want to luxuriate and to get away from it all, try Abaca.
