Summer paradise in Baslay

It is ironic that it will take an adopted son of Dumaguete to uncover the richness of our heritage and tourism potential.

Markus Kalberer, proprietor of Chiccos Delicatessen, and of Le Chalet at Why Not?, is one resident in our side of Negros Island who truly values the Dumaguete art and culture, works hard on discovering the local heritage, and reaffirms in so many ways the tourism potential of the University Town he has learned to love.

In fact, sometimes he acts even more Filipino than many of us here in the way he expresses his love for Dumaguete.

He is an Outstanding Dumagueteño for me, in that regard, as he has pioneered the cosmopolitan welcoming in our City. He is the game changer, especially along Dumaguete’s Rizal Boulevard.

Tokamak in Baslay in the town of Dauin is the totality of his great expression of love for Dumaguete and Negros Oriental. Take a walk around Tokamak with him, and you will celebrate the Filipino heart of this very creative man from Switzerland.

Tokamak is Russian for the device which uses a powerful magnetic field to confine plasma in the shape of a torus. And this is not to be taken literally, as it is just a representation of how this torus of a paradise in Baslay has evolved to become like a rare plasma within a vision of Markus.

His mind is filled with brilliant ideas, and Tokamak is a collection of many of these brilliant ideas realized in this place he considers his retirement home.

The newly-created paradise is a haven for everything organic: from food to bamboo architecture, with natural landscapes where all living elements are freely growing, flowing, running and reproducing.

It is here were the unique expressions of the potential of the Philippine bamboo are soaring, and this is marked by the sculpture (that I named)Anitun Tabu — the goddess of the wind and rain in Philippine mythology.

Beyond these impressive moments in your arrival tour are stairways that will help the visitors conquer this mountain slope in Baslay.

The welcoming white spaces will lead you to your own corner of the paradise that would feel like you are in a secret room somewhere in Portofino.

Unfolded within this secret abode is your own private honeymoon suite that would bring back images of an Italian Riviera poolside elegance.

The experience is complete as it comes with music submerged into your own private pool that would become louder as you go under the water. Truly romantic with the endless view of the starry night sky.

Tokamak is also an organic food paradise. My vivid memory of how good the food is here includes: the Bone Hole which is a generous share of a beef shank from Holland made wonderful by pork and beef demiglace, tomato sauce and red wine.

There’s a major tweaking  in the Filipino favorites: kinilaw which is usually made with the best fish that the Dumaguete can offer like tanigue or tarugho. The Tokamak kitchen is using our island’s cane vinegar for this seaside delight, added with coconut cream, cucumber, radish, tomato and then, your ordered kinilaw is served like a garden in a fisherman’s layag. This is just one of the many Instagrammable presentations on your table.

Karekare in Tokamak comes with triple meat delights: oxtail, beef shank, and pork pata. All demiglaced, and added with tomato sauce, shrimps paste, and peanut butter.

My favorite is the Goat Biryani. The chevon is marinated with milk, and the rest of the process is a Tokamak Kitchen secret. It is served hanging from another souring sculptural design on a plate landscape, with basmati rice looking like yellow pebbles in a garden complete with steamed aromatics – simply amazing and a totally delightful dish!

Wine is good, too! Desserts like the mushroom chocolate and super-premium turon with ice cream – all these will cap your dinner perfectly.

And when the cold wind kisses your skin, you will definitely decide to stay longer unto the even more dramatic Tokamak evening.

There are more to discover at Tokamak in Baslay. And I am so sure it will become our island’s No. 1 summer destination soon.

Markus’ shining secrets are revealed in Tokamak!

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