My first exposure to Italian cuisine was via 3 M pizza along the street fronting the now GMA 7 building in Timog. To me, it was such a treat whenever my parents would bring this home or we’d pay a visit to the pizza that was heated in a toaster oven right in front of you. Then came Italian Village and all of a sudden, 3M was no longer authentic.
We’ve come a long long way. Today, there are dozens of authentic Italian restaurants complete with imported ingredients as well as foreign chefs. These foreign chefs have surely made an impact on our shores by training their local counter parts as well as the recipes and teaching skills being shared through our various culinary schools.
Just last week. I was talking to a foodie friend who had just spent a month in Tuscany, Italy. Curious, I asked about what he thought was the most delicious dish he had tried in this trip. His answer, "Super basic, an al dente cooked pasta with wilted garlic and onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, almost raw, fresh basil and Parmiggiano." When I heard this, I smiled. I too enjoy the simple sauce pastas. I prefer these to the complicated ones with confusing flavors. I love the Tartufo pasta of Mamou or the simple garlic and chili pasta of Bellinis restaurant at the Marikina Shoe fair in Cubao. Simplicity in cooking is what good Italian food is like to me. They rely on superior ingredients. If Foie gras is my favorite in French Cuisine, then White truffles are mine for Italian cuisine. I’ll settle for white truffle oil. Many local Italian restaurants have these same qualities.
I had been to this Fine dining Italian restaurant in the past but was never really impressed by it. That all changed when an invitation from a friend Aying De Leon came. L’Opera has been around for decades. I guess I just ordered the wrong items back then. This time, we had the Spaghetti Vongole or baby clams with light white wine sauce and the tortelli al Profomo di Tartufo or duck filled ravioli with truffle sauce. For dessert, I loved the Panna Cotta with walnuts and honey. All these are to die for. My friends swear by the Tiramisu.
In my culinary adventures all over, I have come to the conclusion that for a restaurant to succeed in our shores, it must have 2 things. Affordable prices and good food. I found such a place in Bistro Ravioli at the Mall Of Asia. Here are the dishes I sampled and do recommend. Foccacia With Spinach dip and Caesar salad to start with. For pasta, Puttanesca with Sun dried tomatoes, Panchetta Carbonara, Garlic Seafood and the Chicken Pesto Spaghetti. Among the pizzas, I recommend the Shrimpl Basil. the simple Margherita and the Quatrrro Formaggio Pizzas. All these are baked in Jerry Yu’s Ceramic oven. Pizzas are all thin crust and are crunchy and chewy. Chef Raymond didn’t stop until he was happy with the consistency of his pizza crust. That’s perfection. ( I have gone 100% cooking with Jerrys grills, oven and table top. My LPG cost is almost gone. Jerry 0920 576 0256. This is a must in all restaurants and homes) And if you think the good food stops here, wait till you try their chocolate lava cake and the Strawberry Panna Cotta for dessert. I died when I tried them. This is a perfect place to treat the family. It has the 2 things that most of us look for in a restaurant.
After discovering these 2 places, I can choose to sample Fine Dining or something quick and good with the family.
Check Them out!
L’Opera is located at the Fort Entertainment Complex Fort Bonifacio Tel. 889 3963 and 889 2784
Bistro Ravioli is at the Mall oF Asia . tel. no. 804 0577
HAPPY EATING!
Email me for suggestions: sandydaza@yahoo.ca
