This Italian chef cooked for Queen Elizabeth, Pavarotti & Enzo Ferrari

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. —Luciano Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti’s love for food and wine almost equaled his love for music. In fact, his passion for good food manifested in his expanding waistline, which became nearly as famous as his voice.

“Pavarotti was such a complex guy. He was a perfectionist not only with his music but with his food as well,” relates Italian chef Tiziano Cavallini, who worked for a four-star Michelin-rated restaurant in Modena, Italy, which Pavarotti used to frequent. “He had such a discriminating palate and he complained a lot.”

Palate pleasers: Dolce Vita Manila’s Antipasto Misto di Salumi perks up the palate.

As a tribute to the “King of High Cs,” chef Cavallini is serving Pavarotti’s favorite pasta dish — the Cotoletta ala Pavarotti — for Filipino diners to try at Dolce Vita Manila, an Italian restaurant tucked in a sea of money-changers, a shopping center, a hotel and even a casino along A. Mabini St., Ermita, Manila.

Just like Pavarotti, chef Cavallini hails from Modena, said to be the home of “balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati.” He started his career in food when he was 12 years old helping with kitchen chores in various restaurants in his hometown. His reputation as a star chef began when he was called to prepare memorable meals for Pavarotti, Queen Elizabeth and Enzo Ferrari.

Delectably fresh: The Antipasto Misto Mare (seafood in olive oil and lemon dressing)

Chef Cavallini came to the Philippines 12 years ago upon the invitation of his Italian friend, who’s been married to a Filipina for almost 20 years now. And just like so many European tourists who fell in love with the country, he decided to stay and brought his expertise culled from working in top restaurants in Italy.

His culinary career in Metro Manila started with a stint in Bravo restaurant in Malate. He also helped open 26 other Italian restaurants in Cebu, Coron, and Boracay. Today, chef Cavallini wields his magic ladle at Dolce Vita Manila presenting an irresistible Italian feast.

FEAST FOR THE SENSES

Dolce Vita Manila is a hidden culinary gem in Ermita, Manila. At its foyer, the iconic photograph of Italian film legend Federico Fellini ushers diners into the restaurant, which reminds one of a classic Italian tavern with huge Venetian masks hanging on the walls.

Cheese is it!: Dolce Vita Manila’s Quattro Formaggi pizza is topped with mozzarella, gorgonzola, taleggio and blue cheese.

According to Cavallini, Dolce Vita Manila serves quality Italian fare that Filipinos have come to love.

“I tweaked some of the recipes a bit to match the taste profile of Pinoy diners,” he explains. “For example, I normally serve spaghetti carbonara with Italian bacon and egg yolk. But when I serve it to Filipino diners, they complain because they like their carbonara with cream. The original recipe doesn’t have cream.”

Dolce Vita Manila specializes in seafood dishes and steaks. So it’s actually a sin to leave the resto without a serving of Filetto Rossini, beef tenderloin steak in a porcini mushroom sauce topped with roasted guanciale (Italian smoked bacon) and mascarpone cheese; or the Branzino al Cartoccio, oven-baked whole sea bass with vegetables on white wine sauce served in aluminum foil. The steak oozes with its natural juices made even more flavorful by the mushroom sauce. As for the sea bass, it was cooked just right — fresh and delectable!

Black is delish: Dolce Vita Manila’s Spaghetti Neri is smothered in tomato sauce and topped with squid and prawns. Photos by JOEY S. MENDOZA

My personal favorite is the Quattro Formaggi pizza is flavored with   mozzarella, gorgonzola, taleggio and blue cheese deliciously spread on a crisp, thin crust. Ribbons of a special balsamic vinegar reduction gives the cheesy concoction a surprise kick.

I was also ecstatic when I tried the Tertellacci al porcini mascarpone. This homemade ravioli is stuffed with assorted mushroom in porcini sauce with a dash of the luscious truffle oil. Another pasta treat is the Spaghetti Neri, a black spaghetti with squid and giant prawns in tomato sauce, an unlikely combination but it actually works!

Our Italian degustation ended with a light panna cotta and tiramisu served not with a cup of coffee but with a glass of ice-cold Limoncello. Well, Pavarotti was right. There should always be a time to savor good food to enjoy the good life!

Some like it baked: The oven-baked sea bass, served in aluminum foil with veggies in white wine sauce, is cooked just right — fresh and delectable!

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Dolce Vita Manila is at Casa Tesoro (beside Citystate Hotel), 1335 A. Mabini St., Ermita, Manila. For reservations, call 526-3993.

Chef Cavallini is from Modena, home of balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati.