MANILA, Philippines?What started out as a modest catering business for Lynn Sunico 30 years ago has now become a global enterprise.

Her beginnings were modest. She was an employee at Philcomsat until she joined friends to enter the food business.

Makati Skyline started out with a restaurant, followed by a catering operation. After the revolution, she started opening cafeterias in banks and offices.

Through her self-effacing dedication, clients started spreading the good work and she got invited to serve institutions, country clubs such as the Manila Polo Club, Manila Golf and Alabang Country, and executive lounges.

In the past decade, Makati Skyline was accredited to operate the hospital dietary requirements of patients such as Makati Medical Center and Asian Hospital. It is also the largest food and beverage source of the San Lazaro Leisure Park.

Seeing the huge business potential and its catering diversity, Makati Skyline was acquired by the Danish-owned ISS Facility Services, one of the world?s largest catering groups. Hence the company is called ISS Makati Skyline.

Sunico still holds a major stake and is on top of everything. To consolidate the catering services, the central kitchen and warehouse at the FT1 Complex in Taguig were recently inaugurated.

Sunico says it was necessary to organize a larger kitchen so she could check the quality control of the food that services at least 28 outlets, including Travel Café, a restaurant done in partnership with the Department of Tourism and a Japanese company. The Greenbelt 5 outlet is a prototype for the San Francisco branch.

Executive chef Michel Le Teuff says the commissary can produce an average of 10,000 meals daily on two shifts.

The kitchen embodies the modern, utilitarian aesthetic with the clean lines, clear organization of items and sleek appliances. To break the antiseptic look, the walls are colored in light fruity shades.

Food as abstracts

During the inauguration, Rachy Cuna, design consultant and close friend of Sunico, organized a party where people were made to feel at home, literally picking foods from the trays and shelves.

The concept was to use raw produce as the main décor elements and Sunico?s personal collection of clear and red glass vases and trays.

The fruits and vegetables become abstract sculptures on the counter tops and kitchen shelves.

Cuna achieved an appetizing effect of color and hints of the shape and form of the produce through the clear glass.

For accent, Cuna used smaller vases and trays in red, which is the Chinese color of luck and prosperity.

Clusters of coconut, green bananas, squashes, garlic cloves abound and yellow corn tied to shelves filled up the place.

Some of the corn husks were trimmed and opened up like wildflowers. Spring onion leaves and leeks contrasted with the red vases. String beans filled up the tall cylinders and play against the lemons in flat bowls.

As in any party place, track lights and spotlights were installed for ambience. Accent lighting played up the effect.

Don?t ask Cuna how he comes up with such ideas. He replies in jest, ?When I go into a trance, things just fall into place.?