The perfect storm

I was invited recently to the press luncheon of Hotel Inter-Continental, Manila’s "Paris/Manila Culinary Pleasures" held at the Prince Albert Rotisserie. As planned, I came early to peek into what was cooking in the kitchen, so to speak. I was greeted warmly by familiar faces, from the receptionist to the maitre d’ and the waiters, the kitchen staff, and of course French chef Cyrille Soenen. It was like coming home after a long absence; it’s so heartwarming just being there. After all, this was my home for a month some two years ago. You see, I was the guest chef to a similar French-Filipino festival in this same venue. To this day, my wife Maryane calls this stint my OCW (overseas contract worker) period, with its attendant homesickness and daily long-distance telebabad to our house in Pampanga. Not that they treated me badly, mind you. Au contraire, I was treated like Prince Albert himself.

Now enter Princess Caroline, in the person of Reggie Aspiras, the consummate chef de cuisine, confectionery artist, culinary arts instructor and food stylist. Together, she and chef Cyrille whip up a culinary storm running until Sept. 29. This is one of the many activities lined up by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the French Business Association in the Philippines (Le Club) to commemorate Philippine-French Friendship Week. There will be business meetings between French importers and local businessmen and workshops on French technologies, as well as an art exhibit by Paris-based Filipino painter Edmund Bendijo and our very own, my dear friend and co-Philippine STAR writer Impy Pilapil.

I hesitate to use the word fusion (Webster: merging of diverse elements into a unified whole), just as the dated and passé term nouvelle cuisine. Both have been overused, referring to just about anything new or any kind of merging (or clash!), more often than not resulting in confusion. But for the lack of a better term, let’s call this one a perfect culinary medley. And just like those short musical pieces, one leaves the place humming a delightful tune, with pleasant memories of the meal still lingering even days after.

The first course came in the form of a lumpia stuffed with salmon and vegetables. It was sprinkled with caramelized walnut and fresh coriander (wansuy or cilantro), reminiscent of the Chinese fresh lumpia suffused with sugar, peanuts and nori mixture.

So, where was the beef, one may ask? The difference lay in the wrapper itself: It was actually a crepe made with special buckwheat flour (Sarasin) from France and infused with pandan. Of course, the salmon as filling added a whole new dimension to the lumpia vocabulary, just as Chef Cyrille’s signature fried lumpia with foie gras he concocted some two years ago. A balsamic vinegar-based sauce was a nice complement to the lumpia.

Then a sinigang (sour soup) followed, in the guise of a smoked prawn flan floating on a mildly sour tomato/tamarind soup. A truly innovative creation. The form of the sinigang might have been reinvented but its essence remains.

A roasted foie gras or duck liver (technically falling under the hot appetizers) came nestled on a French toast pandesal, coupled with an adobo rillettes of duck breast. A reduced adobo sauce with blueberries was a neutralizing foil to the richness of the foie gras. For the uninitiated, rillettes is a kind of meat preparation, cooked in lard and then pounded to a smooth paste, potted, and served as a cold hors d’oeuvre. Chefs Cyrille and Reggie’s version came shredded, much like our adobo flakes. A harmonious medley of texture and flavors was achieved.

As for the main course, we each had a lamb shank kare-kare on a bed of couscous (hints of a Moroccan mouton tajine). Served like an inverted lollipop, the meat was so tender it fell off the bone. The peanut sauce was dribbled with a subtly sweet bagoong (shrimp paste) sautéed with honey and chocolate.

Upon seeing the dish, the first thought that entered my mind was to suck the morrow out of the bone. It was sticking out, like a straw in a fishbowl cocktail, calling one’s attention to the luscious stuff. I had to remind myself hard that we were not at a bulalohan. My nine-year-old niece Cara came to mind. She proclaimed once over dinner, as if to refresh me of my table manners: "You know, my mom said it’s okay to sip the soup from a bowl only in a Japanese restaurant." With that in mind, I had to bite my lips to stop myself from misbehaving, lest I be banned forever from these royal luncheons. Oh well, so much for my proletarian leanings.

For the finale, the humble suman (sticky rice cake) was elevated to the sublime in the deft hands of Reggie and this time French pastry chef Philippe Agnese. It was rolled with a streusel (Alsace origin) of ground hazelnuts, almonds and sugar and then fried. It was served on a bed of finely shredded cucumber with a creamy coconut milk sauce. Another delicious harmony was realized with the interplay of different textures and flavors. The portioning was a little hefty, though. But I wouldn’t mind having it again with salabat (ginger tea) for merienda on another day, perhaps?

The whole "Paris/Manila Culinary Pleasures" menu includes too many soups, appetizers, main dishes and desserts to mention here, and too little time (and tummy space) to try everything in a single day. But mind you, perusing it, I couldn’t help but eye the bangus belly tatin, smoked gindara, roasted suckling pig with chantrelles and duck magret (breast) Pritchon-style, to name a few. It definitely deserves a second visit.

Not too many people know what transpires inside the kitchen before a dish is brought to the table. Just like in a basketball game, success all depends on teamwork. The point guard (the chef) calls the play. The guards pave the way (the mise en place or preparations by the assistants). The ball (the serving portions) is passed to the forward to shoot. The forward shoots the ball (the actual cooking). The center stays close, assisted by the forwards for a possible rebound or follow up (The checker making sure the dish is perfectly done before it is passed over the counter). But it does not end there. The maitre d’ double checks the dish and delivers it promptly (and timely) to the diner. Only then is a three-pointer scored. A fast break is a no-no; that’s for the food courts.

All throughout the luncheon, chefs Cyrille, Reggie and Philippe co-steered their able team through the perfect storm perfectly. It was smooth sailing all the way.

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The "Paris/Manila Culinary Pleasures" food promotion at the Prince Albert Rotisserie of the Hotel Inter-Continental, Manila has been extended until Sept. 29. For inquiries and reservations, call 815-9711.