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So all I ask
is for you to come away with me in the night /
Come away with me, ” carols Norah Jones
invitingly to the modern day interiors of the
Italian restaurant Plato Platina at the Blue
Wave Complex along Diosdado Macapagal Avenue.
Come away with me, come away and dine. What more
can I say to the relaxing ambience and modern
interiors playing host to an Italian feast…It
was the night the Itlaian town of Naples
celebrated the matrydom of San Genarro di Napoli
yet I was revelling inso much more! My taste
buds were aplomb!
On the palatable menu, I was filled with served
pasta, pizza and paella. A good way to start, I
thought, was with the pasta. As I was taking in
the Arrabita-Fettucine, I got into some
conversations
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with a few
people. That was when I learned Plato Platina is
owned by interior designers and husband-wife
tandem Ced and Ces Rodriguez. They named their
restaurant after the Italian philosopher Plato
and the first cookbook librarian-author Platina.
Changing courses was as easy as the first song
ending and continuing with Polish singer Basia
crooning, “What is there to say, when every
dream just fades away, in half a minute”. These
are the instances that I wished the minutes had
not ended as I relished a slice of pizza.
Honestly, I prefer the Gambertti Funghi con
Pesto over their specialty pizza Pizza alla
Carlitos. The former has this cracker-like
crust. More than its thin, crispy crust, it’s
the cheese that melted |
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Plantation
Bay Gets Cookin’
By Richard C. Ramos
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EXECUTIVE CHEF OJVIND “Vinz” Karlsen
is the newest addition to Plantation Bay
Resort & Spa’s prestigious food and
beverage team.
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A Danish national, Executive Chef Vinz,
as he is fondly called, has had over 20
years of intensive culinary experience
in several countries such as Denmark,
Japan, Australia, Greenland, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. He
specializes in high-end French cuisine,
though he says his true inclinations lie
in the classic dishes due to their
timeless appeal.
Just 38 and single, Vinz’ motto is “cooking is a lifestyle, not an
education.” He professes a dislike for
fusion cuisine, but shares a passion for
the lechon (roasted suckling pork),
saying that the dish closely resembles
the Danish’ version of the pot roast.
Pastries are another favourite due to
their simple but powerful tastes.
No stranger to the Philippines, Vinz has been in and out of the
country for the past three years. Future
plans include setting up a culinary
school in Manila to spread awareness of
the colorful experiences of the culinary
world. |
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October holds
exciting food promos in the dining scene. Here
are the latest updates on hotel and restaurant
offerings on Oktoberfest and more: |
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Mandarin Oriental, in cooperation
with the German Club of Manila, rolls
out the barrel at the NBC Tent in Fort
Bonifacio on October 19–21. The famous
Bavarian Sound Express brass band, an
11-piece band with an extensive
repertoire of lively “Oompah” music,
consisting of a collection of polkas,
marches country-western and modern
songs, would fly in for this yearly
feast of free-flowing beer, delectable
German specialties and nonstop dancing.
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Barolo Wines at Serendra, Fort
Bonifacio in Taguig holds free
wine-tasting sessions of Sicilian Wines
frtom Nero d’Avola grapes on October
12–13, 1–5pm. For more details, call
(02)856-0679.
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The Heritage Hotel Manila observes
Ramadan with “break fast”. At the end of
each fasting day during Ramadan, the
Riviera Café opens from 5:30 to 10:30pm
especially for the Muslim pa |
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trons
to partake of a gastronomic buffet of
Udang Assam, Roti Plata, Hainanese
Chicken Rice, Laksa sushi and a parade
of sweets and pastries. All meats served
are Halal-certified. As for the early
morning meal called sahur, diners can
enjoy Nasi Goreng Istimewa, Chicken
Curry with Rice and Nasi Lemak from 1am
to 4:30am, just before the break of fjar
or dawn. The hotel also provides a
prayer room with mats and kiblat (a wall
indicating the direction for prayer) for
its guests.
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The Dusit Hotel Nikko welcomes
guests at its new fitness studio DFiT.
Apart from the usual lineup of cardio
equipment, elliptical trainers, bikes
and free weights, the gym also has
scheduled aqua aero classes in it
outdoor pool. Membership packages
include unlimited use of the facility,
discounts on hotel food and beverage
outlets, laundry services, parking and
the newly-opened Devarana Spa. |
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onto the
shrimps and mushrooms that made it extraordinary
and inventive. This made me reserve it for my
last bite.
Next the waiters served paella. On top of the
rice were slices of round tomatoes, beans and a
few other vegetables. Sure you might think that
if you found a big tomato, a fist-sized one at
that, it would be perfect for this vegetarian
paella dish. Well, what’s more for a girl like
me who eats tomatoes munching on them like they
were apples. I definitely liked it but I think
the Paella Verdure is a little too tomato-ey.
But for someone who adores tomatoes, I didn’t
mind, of course. The waiters also plated up
Paella Nero made of seafood. The paella was
named after the Roman emperor Nero who was
believed to be either behind the burning of Rome
or was playing the lyre as his city was being
burned to ruins. The Paella Nero’s blackness
comes from squid’s ink. A thing to watch out for
are the shells because the dark lighting made me
nibble on them.
As the night ends, Bacharach’s music filled the
air, giving my hearing perceptions the right
impressions of a soothing ambience. Good food,
good music and great interiors make Plato
Platina that one-of-a-kind Italian resto. The
song Look of Love followed Bacharach’s note
preference as my eyes gave their own “look of
love” to the feast that satisfied my cravings.
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Tosca -
Great Italian Food and Extensive Wine List
By Jacqueline L.
Ong
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Italian food lovers have a new place to
go to—Tosca, the newest Italian
restaurant of Dusit Hotel Nikko which
recently opened its doors with a
flavorful menu and extensive wine
selections.
The name Tosca comes from the famous
Italian opera by Giacomo Puccini which
premiered in 1900. A beautiful
illustration of Italian culture and
heritage, it evoked a strong image and
passion for things Italian.
Chef Alessio Loddo who hails from
Sardinia, Italy whips up Italian fares
like the Fetuccine Al Nero Di Sepia Con
Crema Di Porri Con Gamberoni (handmade
squid ink fetuccine pasta served with
fresh tiger prawns and a light creamy
leek sauce reduction) and |
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Filettini Di Branzino Al Catoccio Con
Verdurine Miste E Vino (oven-baked
papillote of seabass with seasonal
vegetables and white wine).
Tosca’s wine list features more than 160
wines, two thirds of which are old wines
from Italy, France and Spain while the
rest are from the new world like
Australia, the United States and Chile.
Tosca has a Verre de Vin wine
preservation system which enables guests
to sample a variety of wines by the
glass. The restaurant was recently
accorded with an Award of Excellent by
the New York-based Wine Spectator
Magazine for having one of the most
outstanding wine lists in the world. |
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