Gourmet evening with Pareng Joey

MANILA, Philippines - People are aware that besides being an actor and TV host, Joey de Leon is a painter, writer, cartoonist, a world traveler and a consummate collector of memorabilia — but a gourmet?

Only a few close fiends know and he is and meticulous at that.

For the past 20 years or so, we have traveled together to the ends of the earth in pursuit of all types of food. We feel so blessed to have sampled Yoshi Abalone from Japan, Royal Iranian Caviar, New Encland Lobster with humongous claws, Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica, among others. We have also traveled to the Alba region of Italy for white truffles, perigord in France for authentic foie gras, Monte Carlo to eat sweet Belon oysters, etc. In fact it’s Pareng Joey’s dad Señor Pepe who recently passed away in Madrid that turned me on to Jamon Jabugo Pata Negra from Spain’s Iberian region on one of our visits to Spain in the mid-‘90s. Before tasting Jamon Jabugo, I thought authentic Prosciutto de Parma was the king of hams.

Our food escapades are peppered with funny and embarrassing situations.  There was a time when Joey sent the waiters of the famed Windows Of The World restaurant at the top of the New York World Trade Center into a frenzy when he requested his French Foie Gras on top of white rice ala toppings. Another time, I got into an argument and almost got kicked out of Maxims of Paris when I insisted on A1 Steak sauce on my Entrecotte instead of its signature Morel sauce.

These past few years, the gourmet compadres haven’t gone on the foodie trail because of tight schedules until a few days ago when we got invited to sample Hyatt Hotel & Casino’s fine dining outlet Fireplace new menu. Fireplace is a cozy and comfy restaurant on the fifth level of the hotel next to its famous Chinese restaurant Lili.

We arrived at 7 p.m. and were cordially greeted by Hyatt’s young and energetic marketing people Lawrence and Laurie. As we got seated, wine started to flow. Being occasional drinkers, we passed on the white wine and opted for Hyatt Manila’s signature beverage Guava Ice Tea. First course to roll of the theater like open kitchen was the Millionaire’s Salad. I remember tasting a Millionaire’s Salad at Lolo Dad’s Restaurant a few years ago. Could they be the same? I found out they were. I like the Hyatt version better though because the portions were more generous. Freshly-seared scallops, grilled scampi, shitake mushrooms and a sliver of foie gras on top of greens drizzled with a light balsamic vinaigrette. Immediately, my compadre Joey and comadre Eileen nodded with delight as they downed their first few bites. The salad went fast and the next course appeared. Lobster bisque served in shot glasses. I commented I could down the soup in one gulp but I was wrong. It was so rich and had to be enjoyed in sips.

As we reminisced our sinigang escapade in the Caribbean, the piece de resistance arrived. Dual filets of Wagyu steak adorned with garden fresh grilled vegetables. One filet was Australian of origin and the other from the US (with USDA certification I suppose). Both were Wagyu Grade 6. Wagyu beef is primarily graded by the marbling of fat. Three being the lowest and 12 the highest. Grade 11 to 12 has extremely abundant fat marbling. I’ve tasted level 12 Kagoshima beef at the three-star Michelin Robuchon A Galera restaurant in Macau and the taste was intensely rich. After three bites, I felt a bit queasy. I think the best is between Grade 6 to 9.

We compared both filets. One bite here and another there. Australian was the clear winner. The American filet which came from a cross between Wagyu and Angus cattle was not as tender and tasted a bit bland. The Australian Wagyu was so tasty and buttery tender everyone in the table elicited heavenly praises. In fact, after our first bites we gave high fives.

Capping the night were Australian cheeses and Chocolate soup. The lightly salted Australian blue cheese was a stand out. As we sipped our cups of Green Tea, Pareng Joey noticed a leg of Jamon Iberico Pata Negra in the middle of the room. Despite being really full, we salivated again. Fortunately our host for the evening Joy de Mesa (marketing and sales director), happily obliged and had it sliced and served with wedges of young Manchego cheese from Spain’s La Mancha region.

That hit the spot. It was a spread to remember. My compadre immediately made plans to return and bring the whole family for dinner. We congratulated the young female chef for a job well-done as we filed out.

Fireplace offers Spanish gourmet delights like Jamon Iberico, Sausages and other meats flown in exclusively and is also the favorite restaurant of luminaries like former First Lady Imelda Marcos, Matt Monro Jr., Bobby Kimball of the band Toto and John Ford Coley.