Gigo puts musical career on hold for Noodle Studio

There’s a singing doctor (Nonoy Zuñiga), a singing nurse (Kuh Ledesma) and a singing lawyer (Dot Ramos Balasbas-Gancayco). And, yes, there’s also a singing chef and he’s none other than  Gregorio “Gigo” de Guzman, son of Claire dela Fuente and the late Moises “Boy” de Guzman.

Gigo has composed a song for his mom and even sang in some of her concerts, besides dabbling in musical theater (he was a member of the ensemble for Trumpets’ Blue Bird of Happiness and Repertory’s The Producers).

“I really love music and theater but I also love food,” Gigo admitted to Claire’s showbiz friends invited to taste some of the tummy-fillers offered by The Noodle Studio located at the second floor (near the courtyard) of 30th Ayala Mall (along Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, beside the cluster of skyscraping Renaissance condo buildings). “So in the meantime, I am putting my showbiz career on hold while I devote full time to my new baby.”

Gigo took up Culinary Arts at Enderun and had his seven-month internship at Le Jules Verne in Paris under multi-awarded chef Alain Ducasse who heads restaurants around the world.

The Noodle Studio had its soft opening on Sept. 22 (formal opening is set for first week of November) and already, it’s attracting lovers not only of noodles but also a wide selection of, according to the resto’s blurb, “Modern Asian Comfort Food” ranging from Filipino, Thai, Taiwanese, Indian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Japanese…a fusion of two or three or more.

So why did Gigo call it The Noodle Studio?

“It’s in the memory of my father who is a noodle lover,” said Gigo. “My dad would bring me and my (younger) brother to Chinatown to eat noodles. That’s how I fell in love with oodles and oodles of noodles. My favorite comfort food is…yes, noodles!” (Claire herself has been managing Dampa, her seafood restaurant on Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City, for more than 11 years.)

“I love to eat but I manage to lose weight easily,” added Gigo who burns calories by doing indoor biking (the exercise routine that he teaches at the Electric Studio at the BGC [Bonifacio Global City] and a branch on Valero St., Makati City). “In Indoor Biking, as you pedal you do various exercises such as lifting weights, stretching, etc. It’s a good cardio workout.”

But first, we had some food-tasting to do.

Laid out on the table were the following (pictured on this page):

• Fried Salmon Pouches (Salmon, Cream Cheese and Spring Onions);

• Crab Ragoon (Crab Sticks, Cream Cheese, Celery);

• Thai Pomelo Salad (Fresh Pomelo, Dried Shrimp, Chicken, Kaffir Leaf, Tamarind Dressing);

• Claire’s Pancit Canton (“My specialty,” declared Claire);

• Beef Basket Noodle Soup, Taiwan (Fresh Egg Noodles, Beef Brisket, Bokchoy);

• Pad Thai with King Prawn, Thailand (Rice Noodles, King Prawn, Shrimp, Dried Shrimp, Tofu, Egg Cilantro, Pad Thai Sauce);

• Salted Egg Poutine (Potato Fries, Salted Egg, Cream, Bell Peppers, Fried Basil Leaves);

• Thai Green Chicken Curry (Chicken, Eggplant, Green Curry, Coconut Cream, Kaffir Leaf, Rice); and

• Laksa Lemak, Malaysia (Rice Noodles, Cream Dory, Squid, Fish Tofu, Squid Balls, Laksa Paste, Coconut Cream).

After the food-tasting, shouldn’t we ask Gigo to “indoor bike” with us?

(For inquiries and reservation at The Noodle Studio, call landline 637-6500.)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)