More is more at Finestra
Filipinos are no strangers to fiestas. The Italian travel-writer Antonio Pigafetta recorded the feast of “kinilaw” vinegared fish, coconuts and “tuba” liquor the first Filipinos lavished on Magellan’s starving men when they first landed in our fair islands as early as 1521.
The ilustrados, on the other hand, created an even more extravagant luncheon to mark their farewell to the Spanish empire at Malolos in 1898: a stylish Art Nouveau menu unfolded from tricolor panels of the newly designed Philippine Flag. On it were seven appetizers, six mains, and five desserts, paired with several French wines.
That Filipino tradition of “more is more” — and then some — was alive and well at the glamorous Finestra at the Solaire. Finestra is the resort entertainment city’s Italian restaurant for the capo di tutti cappi of its clients. It has a magnificent view of Manila Bay (and its sunsets, if you are so inclined to a rose-streaked cocktail hour); and its terraced open-air section is shaded by gorgeous talisay trees. Indoors is a cathedral-high palace decorated with shimmering cut-glass chandeliers and silver silk curtains.
Solaire’s marketing impresario Joy Wassmer had snared Manila’s gastronomic arbiters to sample a special tasting menu concocted by not just one but three Michelin-starred chefs. These were chef Goh Fukuyama, who looked like a rockstar in head-to-toe black; chef Xu Fan, in contrast, a calm and classical presence; and chef Cristina Bowerman, an outlier with punk-pink hair.
Together, they produced a symphony of flavors gathered from all the ends of the earth. Chef Cristina, originally from Puglia, is the star at the Glass Hostaria, one of the top restos in chic Roman district, the Trastevere. Chef Xu is venerable indeed, being China’s first culinary artist and a renowned specialist in all things Sichuan. Chef Goh, for his part, presides over his own self-named restaurant in hipster city Fukuoka, Japan.
The choice of the perfect wine to go with each of the culinary delights was masterminded by the only Filipino who has achieved the covetable rank of “master sommelier,” Luis de Santos, whose usual playground is no less than The Donovan Bar in Brown’s Hotel of London. (In the case of the Malolos festivities, more than a century ago, the menu and wine pairings were all left to the suave and sophisticated Don Pedro Paterno, toiling for perfection in the middle of the Philippine Revolution. One wonders what he would have done if the Republic was not so besieged.)
A glass-enclosed kitchen peopled by a phalanx of chefs straight out of The Bear provided us all with a ringside view of the goings-on to create that typically superb Finestra dinner. Keeping a watchful eye over the evening were Solaire suits David Batchelor, Samuel Wilkes and Sebastian Kellerhoff, who rather patiently put up with the gaggle of camera-wielding press corps.
But first, there was a sea of appetizers designed to look like shells and pebbles, snowflakes and flowers, all of them Instagram-worthy. These included chef Goh’s unlikely combination of foie gras and mango chutney; chef Cristina’s black-corn madeleine with crème fraîche and chef Xu’s baked abalone and spicy eggplant pastries to name a very few.
Six main courses, two for each chef, were next presented by service à la Russie, with among the most outstanding being chef Goh’s “White aspargus cream fukinotou blancmange” — a frothy creation that tasted like biting into a savory cloud, paired with an immaculate Riesling from Schloss Voltrads. (If you’re planning to celebrate a big win — or perhaps just thinking of consoling yourself after a hard day — this is the only way to start dinner.) His vegetable dish of “Abalone, shiitake mushroom risotto with a burnt butter sauce” was simply exquisite and would be perfect even for a supermodel on a perpetual diet.
Chef Cristina did not disappoint with a heavenly dish of pasta — “Tagliolini, almond milk, bottarga, trombolotto” — translated for us by Philippine STAR’s foodie guru Millie Reyes — meaning ribbon noodles, roe and a lemon-infused oil. This was boldly paired with a Sake Junmai served deceptively (but effectively) in a wine snifter.
For those seeking a Mediterranean meal, look no further than chef Xu Fan’s “Sauteed shrimps in Sichuan pepper sauce” which somehow harked back to the travels of the conquistador Magellan thanks to finely minced pimentons. It was appropriately served with a Tinto Reserva from Ramon Bilbao, Rioja. Like Ferdinand Magellan caught in time and space, one perfect succulent shrimp floated on an ocean of peppers.
The last dish of the evening was a tour de force: “Tiramisu my way” by chef Cristina, a stunning deconstruction of this popular Italian dessert served in a delicate dark chocolate egg that one had to crack open with the back of a Solaire silver spoon.
Of course, as a final touch, Ms. Wassmer provided hand-held, battery-operated light cubes for each diner, the better to illuminate and photograph the parade of simply sumptuous delights.
Run (don’t walk!) to Finestra if you want a multi-layered feast from across the globe. Solaire says correctly that it’s “still dazzling at 11.”
