A wet Sunday night with Ai-Ai

Photos by RICKY LO

 There was really no special occasion.

“Wala lang,” said Ai-Ai delas Alas when she invited six of her close friend-journalists for a sit-down dinner at her seven-room, two-storey house (occupying 650 square meters) in Ayala Hillside Sunday night. The rain didn’t dampen the spirit of the group composed of Jun Nardo, Mario Bautista, Jojo Gabinete, Isah Red, Allan Diones, Dondon Sermino and your columnist.

It was, according to Ai-Ai, an appreciation dinner specially prepared by Ai-Ai’s 21-year-old son Sancho and his girlfriend Monica Bayhon who are both students at Center for Culinary Arts (CCA).

And some kind of a bienvenida for Ai-Ai who had just come back from a soul-cleansing pilgrimage to the Holy Land, together with more than 100 co-members of Bo Sanchez’s The Feast.

It was, remember, a “wala lang” salu-salo so the free-wheeling conversation covered mostly “off the record” stories, including the hostess’ blossoming romance with a Bong Revilla-deadringer executive of a car company whose photo with her Ai-Ai has posted as her celfone’s wallpaper.

First item on the menu: Appetizer consisting of trio of Rosemary croute with blue cheese mousse, granny apple bacon crisp…Boccocini wrapped in Parma ham with petite salad…and 42-week-old gouda cheese with fresh season fruit kebab.

“Why did I go on a pilgrimage? Well, I wanted to thank the Lord for all the blessings. Kaysa magpunta ako sa Amerika at mag-shopping-shopping, I told myself it was better naman kung magnilay-nilay ako.”

Was it a halo I saw over Ai-Ai’s head?

Second item on the menu: Bread service consisting of stone-baked Rosemary and Sea Salt Foccacia, dinner of soft rolls and wheat mini baguette.

“I wanted to talk to Him. I wanted to be where it all happened — kung saan Siya ipinanganak, kung saan Siya ipinako. I cried all the way, especially at the Wailing Wall.”

She was turning misty-eyed at the recollection.

Third item on the menu: Trio of wild mushrooms with crispy water buffalo cheese and sautéed porcini mushroom ravioli.

Ai-Ai’s new love (well, almost!) is 20 years her junior, like of a few of her exes. Does that make her a cougar?

“Mukhang ngayon lang ako susuwertehin sa love,” was all she volunteered, begging the group, “let’s not talk about my private life,” baka nga naman mausog uli, “eat nang eat na lang tayo. Sarap magluto ng anak ko, ‘no?”

Sancho, whose father is a semi-retired stage actor, is the eldest of Ai-Ai’s three children (four including an adopted child). In December last year, Sancho accompanied his brother Nicolo to London to visit Nicolo’s girlfriend.

Fourth item on the menu: Salad (deconstructed salad Nicoise)

Helping Sancho and Monica prepare the food was chef Mira Cruz (also from CCA).

“I told Sancho, ‘Gusto ko ‘yung sosyal na dinner ha…’yung hindi tatayo ang mga guests, sisilbihan na lang sila sa table. Pang-mayaman na dinner, o, di ba?”

    Fifth item on the menu: Fish course consisting of seared salmon with orange saffron cream and reduced year 1991 balsamic vinegar, French beans, roasted baby tomatoes and pickled pearl onion confit.

Since she has just been spiritually-cleansed, Ai-Ai refused to comment on swell-headed (un)funnymen whose feet hardly touch the ground.

“Let them be! If that’s what makes them happy, hayaan na natin sila.”

Sixth item on the menu: Main course consisting of pan-grilled rib eye steak with tarragon béarnaise and calibont semi-sweet chocolate demiglaze served with potato gratin and asparagus spears.

Fresh from the success of her and Vic Sotto’s 2011 Metro Filmfest top-grosser starrer Enteng Ng Ina Mo, Ai-Ai has just wrapped the ABS-CBN soap and will soon shoot a new one, Wako Wako, also for ABS-CBN.

Last item on the menu: Desserts consisting of mantecado pannacotta with poached pears in sweet red wine consommé and rainbow cotton candy.

Sancho and Monica with chef Mira Cruz and another CCA student. (inset): Sancho showing off the ‘De las Alas’ tattoo on his left arm.

Before we parted, Ai-Ai-distributed rosaries among us, souvenirs from the Holy Land.

On the way home, as we made our way out of Ayala Hillside in the rainy night, we couldn’t stop burping after our “pang-mayaman” dinner in a long, long time.

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