The Travelling Table: A Conversation about C

from top left, clockwise
Insalata Caprese, Panizza Peppone, Bistecca di C, Panizza in a Roll

What does it take to be considered the best?

An accessible location? A delectable menu? Service that makes diners feel like honored guests? Or is there an X factor? An unquantifiable quality that a restaurant possesses that brings the dining public knocking on its doors, wanting more?

C' Italian Dining has been named by many as the best Italian restaurant, not just in the province of Pampanga or Metro Manila but in the entire Philippines. A heady accolade, to say the least. So it is understandable that first-time visitors would have high expectations at this much-praised establishment. After all, a restaurant doesn’t get proclaimed the best on a mere whim.

“What were owners thinking opening a Italian restaurant in the middle of Pampanga?” I asked M, a foodie acquaintance (and more importantly a recent C Italian Dining guest). I admit, it is a snobby Manileno thing to ask. But after some discussion with M, it begins to make perfect sense. Opening another Italian restaurant in Manila would have been challenging at best. No matter how delicious a restaurant’s food, it would be easy to get lost the myriad of talented Italian cookery. Why not set up a restaurant where you can be the proverbial big fish in a little pond? And besides, as M so eloquently put it, if you make a meal harder to have, the more they (the dining public) will want it.

Chef and owner Chef Chris Locher is master of his craft, making dishes that inspire images of a lush Italian countryside. Take, for example, the Insalata Caprese (P440). This salad of sun-ripe cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil is dressed with olive oil, coarse salt and fresh cracked peppercorns. There are no intricate cooking techniques or complex sauce to hide behind. This dish is all about freshness: the juicy bite of the tomatoes, the slightly salty creaminess of the mozzarella and the unmistakable aroma and flavor of freshly torn basil leaves, bound by a fruity olive oil. Lovely.

With our appetites whetted, our Panizza Peppone (P580) arrives. At first glace, this thin-crust pizza topped with spicy salami, anchovies, capers, artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes is nothing unusual, until you notice how it is sliced. Instead of the usual triangular wedges, this C’ Italian’s signature dish is cut into long, thin strips. From my conversation with M, I knew that guests are encouraged to create rolls of pizza with centers of fresh arugula and alfalfa sprouts. At first bite, the reason for this unique dish’s popularity becomes clear: a taste of fresh greens surrounded by the roasted flavors of salami and anchovies and the crisp crackle of the toasted crust.

Wanting to savor more of Chef Locher’s scrumptious menu, we order the Bistecca di C (P1600), an angus flank steak marinated with black pepper, garlic, herbs and a red wine reduction. Served with roasted potatoes and pumpkin slices, this traditionally grilled piece of meat is a substantial serving of beefy deliciousness. The smell of rosemary and thyme fill your nose as you take your first bite. The flank steak is surprisingly tender and succulent. With every succeeding serving, the flavors of roasted garlic and red wine heighten the sweetness of the beef.

If it were just about the food, our experience would have been rated as one of the best. But a lost reservation, a less-than-comfortable seating area, an unusually long wait for service and a server who seemed distracted, almost to the point of disinterest, made our lunch less than outstanding. For the time and money, diners spend one would expect a better front-of-the-house.

Is C’ Italian Dining the best Italian restaurant in the Philippines?

It could be. But by my impression, it’s not quite there yet. Without a doubt, Chef Locher cooks with such a depth of knowledge and undeniable love that diners cannot help but be blissfully swept away by his traditional Italian creations. In many cases, that would have been enough. But when they label you the best, it becomes more than just about the food.

Would I return to C' Italian Dining? Absolutely. I cannot wait to savor my next rolled-up slice of panizza or tuck into the Insalata Caprese, a bowl of fresh Italian flavors. And besides, as they say, Rome (or the best Italian restaurant, for that matter) was not built in a day.

C' Italian Dining
1210 Don Juico Avenue
Clarkview, Malabanas
Angles City, Pampanga
Telephone: (045) 892 4059, (045) 892 6993
Website: http://www.citaliandining.com

All I Want for Christmas: A Taste of...Everything

Some of the stuff I ate on my 2008 travels*

Note: This month, the Three will be sharing our foodie wish lists for this holiday season. Just in case, Santa is reading. Enjoy.

Dear Santa,

I think I've been a pretty good girl this year--no major indiscretions apart from that trip to Ambos Mundos. I'm pretty sure I'm on the "Nice" side of your list, so I'm hoping that for this Christmas, you'd give me...everything.

OK, so I haven't been that nice, I know. But before you fall off your sleigh, let me explain: All I want is the chance to see the world, and taste what every city, every country has to offer. A chance to go back to Europe and re-do my food experience--no more McDo in Rome, I swear...I was too young to know any better. A chance to travel and eat the way I traveled and ate this year. (Interestingly, I've been following in Franco's footsteps--I found myself in Bangkok and New York a few months after he went. If this is some kind of trend, I'm hoping Greece is next on his list...)

If this is too much to ask, then a gym membership would do.

Thanks! And Merry Christmas!

XOXO,
Mariko


*(First row, from left) Pomelo salad at Jim Thompson Cafe, Bangkok street food, lasagna salad at the Cibo-esque Greyhound Cafe; (second row) blueberry-infused waffles topped with blueberries, strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and strawberry sauce (I asked for a side order of chocolate sauce) at a lovely brunch place in Hoboken; a $32 burger stuffed with ribs, foie gras, and black truffles at db Bistro Moderne in NYC; the Bananas for Bananas dessert at Bryant Park Grill (served with an interesting salted peanut ice cream); (third row) the steak that came with a $10 set lunch in Little Italy, a raspberry hazelnut chocolate chunk cheesecake (a.k.a. Evil on a Plate) from Roxy, a Gray's Papaya dog--served by a kabayan!

Table Recipes: Green Grape Sangria Sorbet

A Frozen Sangria with an Apple Twist

I’m trying to get my ice cream groove going.

Christmas is coming and I have a lot of cream to make. But instead of starting with an ice cream concoction, I’ve decided to adapt an interesting recipe that picked up from an old issue of Gourmet. It started as Green Grape Sangria but I figured that it would work well as a frozen dessert.

A traditional Spanish libation, sangria is usually a red wine flavored with citrus and apples. Of late, this drink has been unfairly associated with overt sweetness covering over mediocre (often, cheap) wine. But this Gourmet recipe offers something different: a lightness of flavor, a subtle hint of mint and yet, the very distinct characteristic of the white wine still shine though.

Frozen, this green grape sangria translates into a flavorfully palate cleanser or even dessert. It is a wonderful sorbet that I cannot wait to share during the holidays.

Enjoy.

Green Grape Sangria Sorbet
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, July 2008

• 350 grams green grapes
• 2 small Granny Smith Apples,
• ¼ cup packed mint leaves
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 (500g) vitamin C tablet, crushed to a powder*
• 2 cups dry white wine**
• ½ cup water

Core, deseed and cut the apples into 1 inch chucks. Remove the grapes from the stems and cut larger grapes into halves.

In a medium saucepan, bring the white wine, water and sugar to a boil. Once boiling, add chunks of apples and grapes. Reduce the heat to low.

Simmer the apples and grape mixture for about 5 minutes or until the grapes are soft and cooked through.

Remove saucepan from the heat and add the mint leaves and crushed vitamin C tablet. Let the mixture steep until it reaches room temperature.

Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor and then press the grape/apple puree through a fine mesh strainer.

Chill the strained mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator and then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes 1 liter.

*The vitamin C helps maintain the vibrant green of the sorbet.
**I use an Australian Pinot Grigio, but you can use any dry white you enjoy drinking.

Table Suggestions: Yummy on a Stick

Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle

I never got into this whole frozen yogurt thing.

I do enjoy yogurt. But as a frozen dessert, I usually pass and ask for a scoop (or two) of ice cream instead. No surprises there. But after a recent Sunday dinner at my sister’s place, I might have to eat (or lick) my words. Never say never.

Once we had finished tucking into the usual Sunday fare, my sister’s cook comes over to me and offers a special treat for dessert, a Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle by Picole. I hesitate. While I have a respectful disdain for frozen yogurt, I do however have an odd fixation with food that comes on a stick.

Barbecued pork on a stick? Absolutely. Fried bananas on a stick? Yes, please. Coagulated pig’s blood? Sure, I’ll give it a try. So why not frozen yogurt on a stick? After a brief moment of thought, I accept the offer.

Moments later, my dessert arrives. Inside a clear plastic wrapper is a blush pink popsicle. Looking closer, I can see slices of fresh strawberries frozen within the frost-covered yogurt. I take my first lick.

Picole on a Stick

After the numbness subsides, there is a taste of creamy yogurt as my tongue's heat melts the popsicle. Following my second lick is the tangy, sweet flavor of iced strawberries. A third lick brings the two sensations together into a duet of the tangy sour and the sublime sweetness. Both in perfect balance.

The following Saturday, I arrive early at the Salcedo Village Market. I want to be Picole’s first customer for the day.

Yogurt on a stick? Yes, please. I’ll take a dozen.

Picole also offers juice and milk based popsicles as well. A wide variety of flavors are available.

Picole: Healthy Ice Pops
Salcedo Village Market (across from Ineng's Barbeque)
Telephone: (02) 724 4567
Cel: (0917) 511 0208, (0917) 530 0649
Look for Candy Subida

All I Want for Christmas: Sugar Rush

The author in Montmartre, clearly forgetting the struggle between leather and beige.

Note: This month, the Three will be sharing our foodie wish lists for this holiday season. Just in case, Santa is reading. Enjoy.

When Franco approached me to talk about my foodie Christmas list, my mind immediately raced with images of all the various kitchen doodads I've wanted-- small things like pans, rasp graters, julienne peelers, knives, and immersion blenders. However, since this is pretty much fantasy, I might as well take advantage of Santa's bottomless sack of goodies and reach for the stars.

I went on a tour of Europe (one of those "economical" 15-day whirlwind tours covering 7 countries) in 2004, before I had my culinary awakening. Since it was my first time to set foot on another continent, I was unprepared for the experience and took in everything I could without focus. Fast-forward to almost 5 years later and a love affair with patisserie-- I long to go back to Paris and see it with new eyes. Originally I'd written it off as a crazily congested cosmopolitan jungle. But anyone who is serious about dessert HAS to go, if only to purge yourself of a lifetime of boring, repetitive sweets. Even if the city isn't free of horrible bakers, it still is the birthplace of patisserie and home to the best in the world-- Fauchon, Dalloyau, Pierre Hermé, Ladurée, Sadaharu Aoki, and Lenôtre-- to start! The essays of David Lebovitz and Dorie Greenspan are fun to read, but they only feed my hunger more. I need to go back.

(Dear Santa, Tokyo or New York will do in a pinch.)

For a lot less than a plane ticket to France, I can also satisfy my dessert-y desires with the help of a trusty Kitchenaid Professional Stand Mixer. While my 600-peso hand mixer serves me very well, some desserts and breads like Brioche, strudel, and roti canai can't be done very well without something sturdier. The best part is that it can multitask as an ice-cream maker, meat grinder, and pasta machine-- pretty handy for the guy who wants to do it all. One thing's for sure-- if some culinarily-challenged couple who received it as a wedding present decides to sell it on eBay, I'll be first in line to snatch it up.

Now, if only someone had a trip to Europe they were willing to let go...

Manggy is owner of the blog No Special Effects.

All I Want for Christmas: Those Intangibles

The Market Alleys of Sheung Wan

Note: This month, the Three will be sharing our foodie wish lists for this holiday season. Just in case, Santa is reading. Enjoy.

Don’t get me wrong.

I would love to have a new set of knives, a non-stick wok or a six-burner stove. But as I get older, my foodie interests are beginning to shift from knick-knacks to those things that are less quantifiable, such as experiences that fill a life with a little bit of knowledge, pleasure and a sense of well-being. Those intangibles aren’t so easily gift-wrapped and sold at store.

I’ve been to Hong Kong more than couple of times. But with every succeeding trip, I always leave with a sense that my understanding of this former British colony is much too touristy. In some ways, it has almost become routine and even mundane. There must be more? I know there is more.

My first wish is to immerse myself in Hong Kong’s culinary life.

I want to bite into dim sum at the Dynasty Restaurant or slurp my beef noodles at Lok Yuen. I would love to dine in private kitchens like Yin Yang, Magnolia or Yellow Door. I want to indulge in the tasting menus of Joel Robuchon and Nobu Matsuhisa and explore the narrow market alleyways of Sheung Wan. Most of all, I long to learn from “ the Julia Child of Hong Kong” Cecilia Au-Yang at the Chopstick Cooking Centre.

In the end, I would like to gain a greater sense of this widow display of China. In my mind, there is no better way to understand Hong Kong than living their food experience from the ground up.

What can I possible say about Chef Ferran Adria that has not been already written?

He has been called many things from an innovator to anarchist, from culinary genius to gastronomical clown. However, one thing cannot be denied. Because of his groundbreaking techniques and deconstructive approach to food, the dining experience as we know it will never been the same.

My second wish is simple and difficult at the same time: to eat a meal at El Bulli.

Eating the 30-course tasting menu at Chef Adria’s restaurant along the Catalan Mediterranean would be foodie equivalent of visiting the Vatican. It is a gastronomical experience that may have few equals.

I have read the stories. I have seen the photographs. I have even salivated over his books. But alas, this wish may have to stay a dream for a while longer. Believe it or not, El Bulli is booked solid for next year’s season and the waiting list is very, very long.

I may not fulfill my wishes this year or even the next. But if I am nothing else, I am patient. As I said before, I wouldn’t mind receiving the knick-knacks: a couple of Global knives, a Viking stove, and more wooden spoons…

PS. Just I little follow-up wish. I love Kylie Kwong. In my opinion, she is the Jamie Oliver of Chinese cuisine. I would love to meet to her or at the very least, eat at her restaurant. But for now, that wish can wait some other time.

Many thanks to Erik Lacson for the lovely photograph.

Table Recipes: 'Thanksgiving in a Sandwich' Sandwich

The Morning After: The Post-Thanksgiving Ritual

This isn’t so much a recipe as it is a technique.

My family has celebrated Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. Our family has lived in many parts of the world. Because of our ever-changing environment, it became imperative for my parents to create a stable and constant home for me and my siblings. Family celebrations like Christmas, New Year’s, birthdays and even Thanksgiving are always religiously observed. No matter where we are, we always know where home is–it is wherever our family is.

For us, Thanksgiving is an amazing holiday. It is an evening to celebrate family, to give thanks for life's blessings and of course, to tuck into a 20-pound turkey.

Anyway, back to the sandwich.

Three Thanksgiving dinners ago, I had an enlightening conversation with my niece K concerning the ever-important turkey leftovers. Eventually, our talk turned toward our common love for the Cold Turkey Sandwich. Before this little chat, my idea of a perfect post-Thanksgiving sandwich was simple: lots of carved white meat in between slices of white bread, smothered in globs of mayonnaise. When I told her this, K was aghast. “Tito, isn’t the point of the sandwich to relive Thanksgiving dinner?” she asked. She went on to suggest that maybe I should try using all the leftovers in one sandwich. This means using the turkey, the stuffing, the cranberry sauce, the sweet potatoes, the salad greens, the gravy and even the mashed potatoes to make the ultimate Thanksgiving sandwich. Admittedly, I was skeptical at first. But I tried it the next day and I have been making my sandwiches K’s way every year since.

My niece calls it Thanksgiving in a sandwich. I call it delicious.

Table for Three, Please has Gone Pro!

We have finally upgraded our Flickr account.

So for those of you who haven't seen (or just want to view them again) our photo essay series called Behind the Kitchen Doors, please click here.

Sit back and enjoy the show.

Table Conversation: Mochi by MochiCream

Green Tea Mochi from MochiCream

I am a MochiCream convert.

After a recent trip from Japan, my lovely wife, A decided to bring me back a little gift, a pasalubong, as Pinoys call it. Packaged in an elegant, black rectangular box were eight delicately wrapped sweet buns called mochi.

Usually created during New Year celebrations, mochi is a traditional Japanese confection. Following tradition, each mochi is primarily made of finely ground glutinous rice and formed into a dainty little bun surrounding a sweet center of red mung bean paste.

But a confection maker called MochiCream sees the mochi in a different light.

As only a Japanese confection maker could do, MochiCream has taken the traditional and elevated it to a whole new level. By adding new flavors and stylizing their retail experience, the buying and savoring of mochi has more in common with shopping for jewelry than going to a bakery. From an egg custard cream to a cherry-flavored center to creamy filling flavored with green tea, the variety of flavors and colors seem endless.

Biting into a mochi is like nibbling into a cloud releasing a dew drops of sublime flavor. The bun itself is soft and airy with a light feel in the mouth. As you bite into it further, the bun melts away into sweetness as it releases its inner secret filling: in this case, a sweet green tea paste with a slight taste of tea bitterness and the unmistakable aroma of warm green tea filling your mouth.

At that point, I realized that I have never been to Japan. After my little taste of this quintessential Japanese snack, I think I am long overdue for a visit.

For more information, check out their website.