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I’m a huge carnivore, and as much as I respect the advocacies promoting vegetarianism, I just cannot give up meat or seafood. I love prawns and crabs just as much as I love steak, baby back ribs, and lechon—and I’m sure a lot of Filipinos can declare the same thing. Good thing there’s a way to enjoy seafood, at least, that doesn’t impact the environment as negatively as usual: by eating only sustainable seafood.

Good thing the Love Month also happens to coincide with the nationwide Sustainable Seafood Awareness campaign. Some of the best hotels, resorts, and restaurants around the country are supporting this advocacy, so it’s much, much easier to do our part—especially as we all plan out our fancy Valentine’s dates and getaways.

Marriott Manila’s Cru Steakhouse’s Tuna Nicoise. The appetizer of their four-course set menu is made of line-caught Palawan tuna tartare, baby romaine, French beans, olive oil, quail egg, potato, and tomato confit.

Marriott Manila and the hotels and resorts of the Discovery Leisure Company, among many others around the Philippines, are helping raise awareness for this environmental campaign. Read on for each of their delicious, sustainable seafood offers for the entire month.

Marriott Manila’s Cru Steakhouse’s Seafood Consomme. The soup included in their four-course set menu is made of cuttlefish linguini, butter-poached Selva shrimp, coconut-lime custard, and spicy ginger relish.

Dine to sustain at Marriott Manila

Marriott Manila has long been actively supporting responsible seafood sourcing, and is now more driven to place upfront special seafood dishes across its restaurants.

Live Abalone station is added to the fresh seafood selection.

Ocean’s Harvest at Marriott Café‘s seafood on ice selections are even bigger this February, with choices of Whole Tiger Prawns, New Zealand Mussels, White Shell Clams, Curacha, and Slipper Lobsters. Hand-pick your crustaceans and have it cooked quickly your way. Sailing through the Asian corner are the rare Live Mud Crabs and Abalone that are best eaten with their home-made sauces, such as salted egg, X.O., and Singaporean chili. You get more selections at the same price of P2,500 net every Friday and Saturday evening.

Barbecue Wahoo Mackerel made of Asian barbecue-glazed Wahoo, baby corn tempura, pineapple salsa, brown butter-popcorn puree.

Make this advocacy part of your Valentine’s date, too, when you indulge in top-notch dishes at Cru Steakhouse—one of my favorite steakhouses in Manila. They offer a four-course dinner that includes Barbecue Wahoo Mackerel, which is reportedly the most sustainable fish. The set dinner is P2,300 net, but you can order the Barbecue Wahoo Mackerel a la carte for P990 net.

Kataifi Wrapped Selva Shrimps with Asian slaw and Sriracha aioli

For quick eats during a meeting or while waiting up for friends, grab from their “Sea Bites” menu at the Greatroom, which includes easy-to-eat snacks like House-smoked Wahoo Mackerel Sandwich, Spicy Yellow Fin Tuna Tartare, and Kataifi Wrapped Selva Shrimps.

Dine for a cause at Discovery Hotels and Resorts

The homegrown group of hotels and resorts, the Discovery Leisure Company, participates in Sustainable Seafood 2017 by supporting artisanal fishing. Artisanal fisheries are small-scale fisheries that use traditional techniques and small boats, which are vital to livelihoods and food security. High catch selectivity and low impact on aquatic habitats are important merits of artisanal fishing. Since 2016, the hospitality group has promoted sustainable sourcing of its yellow fin tuna and shrimp through their partnership with Philippine-based fishing firm Meliomar.

Discovery Suites’ Texas Shrimp Straw Hats. This dish uses Selva shrimps, along with Chippy, red onions, fresh cilantro, sour cream, tomato soffritto, beer cheddar emulsion, and aromatic oil.

The Group’s three signature restaurants are launching sustainable seafood dishes in its menu in February and March 2017. Discovery Shores Boracay’s Indigo, Discovery Primea Makati’s Flame, and Discovery Suites Ortigas’ 22 Prime are serving Coriander-Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna, Spice Roasted Prawns, and Texas Shrimp Straw Hats, respectively. I had the chance to try 22 Prime’s Texas Shrimp Straw Hats, and I really enjoyed the fresh, sweet taste of the shrimps in contrast with the other savory ingredients that include, of all things, Chippy! It’s definitely comfort food and bar chow material.

Discovery Shores Boracay’s Coriander Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna. This dish uses both sustainable yellow fin tuna and Selva shrimp (black tiger prawns), along with roasted squash puree, wilted spinach, toasted pumpkin seeds, and basil-brown butter.

Not only will you enjoy the freshness and distinct flavor of yellow fin tuna and Selva Shrimp from Vietnam when you order these featured dishes, you also get to play a significant role in taking care of our environment and supporting local fishermen.

Using single-hook handline gear, Filipino tuna fishermen usually start fishing after sunset, traditionally done in small wooden outrigger boats, and involves the use of the drop-stone technique. The fishermen spend two to three days at sea, working the coastal waters of the Philippine archipelago. The catch method used is the most sustainable and responsible means for catching adult tuna, and is recognized by leading environmental NGOs worldwide as a better seafood choice.

Discovery Primea’s Spice Roasted Prawns. This dish uses Selva shrimp, along with grilled Australian fennel, tomato ravioli, and saffron bouillabaisse.

Meanwhile, Selva Shrimps are premium-quality black tiger prawns naturally raised in Vietnam’s mangrove forests. In this habitat, shrimps are raised with no feed or chemicals. The ecosystem fully relies on its own natural productivity, which creates incentives for farmers to maintain mangroves. The forest not only provides the shrimp with natural food, it also provides a better and more stable income for families and communities, making it a truly sustainable choice. Because of its freshness, Selva Shrimps are known to be extremely sweet, making them a favorite ingredient among chefs across the group.

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