Buon Appetito!

CEBU, Philippines - The Holidays are a great time to bond with family members by eating together, enjoying great food and company.

Celebrate the holidays with great Italian food at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel’s La Gondola. Chef Alessio Loddo, the hotel’s executive sous chef, who is also in-charge of La Gondola, has cooked up new dishes to bring the culture of Italy to Cebu.

“We came up with a new menu to give variety and bring something new to the dishes we are offering. But we retained the classic Italian dishes because people always look for them whenever they visit us here at La Gondola. The new menu features simple food but we focused on the taste and the quality of our ingredients,” shared Chef Alessio, who promised that the new menu features high standard dishes at reasonable prices.

Among Chef Alessio’s   recommendations are the Tortelli di Vitello e spinaci con salsa ai funghi e profumo di tartufo or home-made, stuffed veal – spinach tortelli, on cream sauce

with porcini mushroom and black truffle fragrance; Tortelli al formaggio e limone con salvia, burro e pomodoro or cheese and lemon mousse stuffed hand-made Tortelli pasta on light broth of melted butter, fresh and dried sage, Parmesan cheese and tomato; Spaghetti Carbonara; Filetto di maiale con cuore d’albicocca in crosta di pancetta croccante or Pancetta wrapped Australian pork tenderloin, stuffed with apricot on strong

red wine sauce; Salmone e Gamberone cotto in padella con verdurine di stagione e salsa al limone ed erbe or Pan roasted salmon filet with grilled prawn, light tomato - lemon sauce and seasonal vegetables; Gamberoni Arrosto or grilled jumbo prawns with tomato and lemon salsa.

And the list goes on. The chef’s dessert suggestions are Tiramisu, traditional tiramisu layers of mascarpone cheese and savoiardi cookies, tossed and marinated with Italian espresso and dust with dark cocoa powder; and the Mousse di cioccolato, dark chocolate mousse with wild berry sauce and caramelize nuts.

Everything in La Gondola’s menu is Chef Alessio’s own recipe, which he based on the Filipino taste. When dining at La Gondola, one is sure of the freshest ingredients. Chef Alessio even grows his own herbs to make sure he has fresh herbs to use. “I also make sure that as much as possible, we use local products,” he said.

Dining at La Gondola does not only mean great Italian food. Customers will also get the chance to talk to the chef. Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Executive Chef Andre Karlen said Chef Alessio will be on hand, not just to cook, but also to talk to customers. “Gone are the days when chefs only cook. We encourage our chefs here at the Waterfront to go out and communicate with the diners. If you see the chef around, customers will feel good,” he said.

Have a taste of Italy here in Cebu at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel’s La Gondola. Boun appetite!