Chef Vito: the new face of La Gondola

Just last November, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino welcomed a new Executive Chef, Anders Hallden, to its culinary team. Chef Anders' has been focusing his boundless energy on revamping the UNO buffet, which now includes herring dishes from his native Sweden. This month, Waterfront not only welcomes a new face to its Italian restaurant, but also proudly boasts of being the only Hotel to have a foreign chef for every restaurant at the Gourmet Walk - Japanese Chef Imamura for Mizu, Chinese Chef Low for Tin Gow, and now, Italian Chef Vito for La Gondola.

Hailing from the Southern Italian city of Naples, the birthplace of pizza, Chef Vito Froio takes his cooking seriously. At the age of 14, he began his culinary journey at the prestigious Culinary Hotel School of Naples, learning the art and chemistry of cooking. At 22, Chef Vito furthered his passion in the kitchen by working directly under the oldest and most acclaimed pizza maker in Naples, eventually leading a team of chefs to win numerous national and international Italian culinary competitions. Now, this committed 36-year old chef can boast of an impressive and global trail of professional experience - in France, Dubai, Beijing, Al Ain in the U.A.E., and most recently as Executive Sous Chef of The Grand Hotel in New Delhi and Executive Chef and Culinary Consultant for Bella Napoli in Shanghai. "I am a world citizen," he quietly asserts through intense eyes and a shy smile.

Chef Vito's magnetism radiates through his discreet demeanor. After talking to him for a bit, you can tell that he is a man with a mission. He has been in the Philippines for less than a week, and already, he envisions a radical change for the current La Gondola. "I want to focus on giving a more authentic Italian feel to the food - its taste, presentation and combination of ingredients. I want to introduce more Italian products, and make La Gondola a venue for socializing, where locals and foreigners alike can enjoy an Italian meal the way we do back home - leisurely and with lots of laughter and good food."

His culinary philosophy reflects his personal beliefs: that there should be balance and harmony. Just like the man, his dishes are clean, simple and unimposing - in visual appeal, in aroma, and in flavor. When describing his style of cooking, he revisits his Mediterranean roots: clean, simple dishes made with the freshest produce, olive oil, garden-fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs like rosemary and basil. He prefers home-cooking to stiff, fine-dining restaurants, musing that the food is tastier when the mood at the table is comfortable and relaxed, and credits his mother with instilling his passion for cooking. "My mother encouraged me to experiment and play around in the kitchen. I used to always watch her cook, and I loved seeing her make healthy dishes from scratch." His mother must be proud - not only is her son an esteemed, well-traveled chef, but he has also taken her health-conscious nature to heart. To date, he gives importance to his well-being by hitting the gym a couple of times a week and watching what he puts into his mouth.

Chef Vito primarily moved to Cebu, although he has never visited the Philippines, because of his love for travel and adventure, and a change of routine. Defying philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau's famous observation that "man is born free but everywhere he is in chains," Chef Vito believes that the first freedom from life is to not have habits. "Habits don't make you free," he explains earnestly, "that is why I don't always eat the same food or follow a certain routine. I like to change things up a bit. My two passions, cooking and travel, allow me to do just that." When asked if he has met any Filipinos or seen glimpses of Filipino culture in his previous stints abroad, he answers with a definitive "Yes!" and a huge smile. He describes the Filipinos he has worked with as warm, hospitable and engaging, traits that remind him of his own people.

Aside from having an eye for culinary art, a palate for harmonious food and the hands to create them, Chef Vito also has an ear for music. He plays the sax, flute and the keyboards, and can reproduce a song just by listening to it a few times. He likes to do everything with music on, especially cooking, and is a big jazz and R&B fan. As the Salt and Peppa song in the '90s goes, "What a man!"