A trio of dream dinners
MANILA, Philippines – After music, my next love is food. I dream of eating good food every day. My love for food has taken me to the far corners of the world — from the white truffle festivals in Alba, Italy to the Jamon Iberico market at the Ramblas area in Barcelona.
My belief in life is good food must be enjoyed with good friends. In the past month, I had three wonderful dream dinners with some of my dearest friends at the place for dreamy delights, City of Dreams (COD).
The Tasting Room. My good friend Oscar Cabrera of Okada Manila introduced me to the Tasting Room at City of Dreams Macau on a recent trip. When I returned to Manila, I raved about the restaurant and told my travel buddies the restaurant is a must to visit. It serves contemporary French cuisine and has been awarded two Michelin stars.
Together with constant travel buddy couples Mike and Baby Enriquez and Joey and Eileen de Leon, we went to Macau on a weekend for a gastronomic adventure. On the afternoon of our arrival, we went straight to Tasting Room after checking in and unpacking at the nearby St. Regis Hotel. The two-starred Michelin establishment is located at the far end of City of Dreams Macau close to the entrance of the Crowne Towers far from the din of the casino. We ascended via a private elevator to the second floor to the tastefully-decorated lobby of the Tasting Room. We were escorted by the maitre’d to a private dining area surrounded by bottles of expensive French champagnes like Dom Perignon and wines like Chateau Margaux.
Our menu for the evening consisted of six courses prepared with fresh black truffles. As we sat, baskets of freshly-baked breads appeared served with house churned salted French butter. It was so yummy that by the third course we were already stuffed and burping with delight. The appetizer of Brittany lobster paired with French foie gras topped with fresh black truffles took me to another universe. More truffle-laden courses arrived that by the time the petit four was served we all couldn’t move anymore from our seats. We had to stay for another hour consuming cups of coffee.
Ruby Jacks. In the male-dominated world of Philippine concert promoters, one name reigns supreme and is a “SHE.” Name any major artist or superstar who has performed in the Philippines and chances are the queen of concerts Rhiza Pascua was the one behind it. From Madonna to One Direction and next year, super major artists like U2 and Coldplay.
I met the queen of concerts briefly back in 2008 and got the feeling she was snobbish. My next brush with her was at the lobby of the Raffles Hotel in Makati at the start of this year where she was in a huddle with my comadre Cel de Guia, better half of another legend in concert promotion Renen de Guia. After greeting her, she candidly invited me for dinner at her L.A. abode. I was surprised with the invite and said I would take her offer on my next trip to L.A.
The dinner happened in June when I escorted my wife on one of her many business trips to the US. Her mansion, located in Valencia within the Los Angeles county, was in a typical gated community for the well-off. My friend and partner Eugene Flores accompanied us to the dinner. Rhiza’s house was tastefully decorated with art, paintings of Pinoy masters and an imposing grand piano.
Contrary to my initial impression of her, I found her warm, friendly and very family-oriented. I also met her husband and kids who gave me an impression that they were brought up with good Pinoy values. I also discovered that we shared a love for good food. The five-course dinner she prepared was a fusion between Pinoy and Continental. When she recently visited Manila, it was my turn to treat her to dinner and what better place to go for steaks but Ruby Jacks — an international steakhouse specializing in dry aged steaks.
We started with Ruby Jack’s signature Caesar salad. Crunchy full leaves of Romaine lettuce gently arranged horizontally then drenched lightly in Caesar dressing then lavishly topped with freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Next was piping hot and slurpingly good classic onion soup. Then the main course: 160-day dry premium gold-aged black Angus Tomahawk Steak. As we devoured the huge platter of sizzling Tomahawk Steak, the table fell silent.
Conversation resumed as soon as the steak was consumed and a litany of oohs and aahs emanated from the lips of my guests that included sexy COD lady executives Jenny Santillan and Romina Gervacio and the lovely radio/TV host Amy Perez who I discovered was a foodie like myself and a good cook.
Two days after the dinner, she made me her specialty Binagoongang Baboy which I believe is one of the best I’ve tasted.
Nobu. I was made aware of Nobu Restaurant over a decade ago by Harry Elston, the founder and lead singer of the Friends of Distinction (FOD). Harry’s wife Yukari is an executive at chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s vast restaurant empire. I have met the legendary chef twice at Nobu Manila and was in absolute awe at his humility and friendliness despite the hundreds of millions he has made with his restaurant chain.
When FOD returned to Manila for a concert at SM Arena, Nobu/Crown Hotel GM Marlon Hirsch invited us to a sumptuous sampling dinner at Nobu. Nobu cuisine is a notch higher than typical Japanese cuisine as it integrates non-Japanese ingredients like foie gras, caviar, truffles, etc. resulting in a fusion that goes beyond normal standards. A typical aspect of Nobu food is the tendency on the spicy side with a hint of sour.
There was a non-stop parade of dishes that included sashimi, sushi, seafood soup, soft shell crab and the piece de resistance premium A5 Ohmi Wagyu. The Wagyu Steak slightly seasoned with sea salt was accompanied with lightly-seasoned shredded cauliflower. The steak bursted with lots of Umami and left nothing more to be desired in steak. Our dinner lasted for four hours.
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