SEAFOOD FOR LENT

The Lenten season, known locally as kwaresma, is a spiritual celebration. It’s that time of the year when the Christian world slows down — some even coming to a temporary halt — to honor the great sacrifice that the Lord has made to save mankind from eternal damnation. So much for work. So much for school activities. Set them aside for the moment, because the time has come to once again remember the passion and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God the Father has sent to go through human suffering and die on the cross so that we may live.

To die so that we may live. It is a beautiful thing, an ultimate sacrifice, and a powerful display of God’s great love for us. That is why we must not forget. We must spend some time pondering on it even as we try to squeeze rest and recreation in to our Holy Week schedule. No judgment. Just a reminder that we must allot precious time to the true meaning of Lent, even as it winds down to Holy Week.

This is why one of the little sacrifices that we do during Lent, and particularly during Holy Week, is fasting. Going meatless. To meat lovers, it can be quite difficult, but these days, with so many seafood and vegetable options (or a combination of both), and with such creative ways by which chefs now prepare such meatless dishes, still going seafood and vegetables after the 40 days of Lent can be quite an attractive option.

One of the restaurants that pay much attention to the fish and seafood options that they offer diners is Vikings, The Alley. Each branch of the buffet restaurant has a station dedicated solely to seafood. It is called O’sean Eleven and, at any given time, this station will have seven to eight seafood dishes. This is in addition to the eight or so seafood dishes available at the Chinese, Japanese and street wok stations. During the Lenten season, the buffet spread features even more seafood dishes to cater to the needs of diners.

“We develop new dishes every so often, depending on the season, festival or celebration upcoming. After that, we do food tastings among us and see if what we have come up with is viable to serve on the buffet. We make sure we are ready for every occasion that is fast approaching,” explains corporate chef Michael Santos.

Seafood dishes are very popular among Vikings, The Alley, diners, not just among adults but also among the young ones, too, so the kitchen team really pays attention to the seafood offerings on its buffet spread. Especially during times like Lent, when the demand for it is high.

“And we make sure that the seafood we get are as fresh as they can be,” says chef Michael, who joins everyone in observance of the Lenten Season this year.