New things from an oldfriend

I’M PLEASED AS PUNCH THAT THE PASTA MENU DOESN’T HAVE PESTO. WHILE I WILL SURELY miss the tuyo flakes and chorizos in the pastas of yore, I should be able to live with the three new pasta dishes–as well as the many appetizers and entrees–on the new, revitalized menu.

Most of the clientele of Chateau 1771–and by extension its relative Portico in Malate–have been with the restaurant for some time; maybe not as long as its 17 years of existence, but long enough to be a suki. Thus the preferences for certain dishes, like a favorite song or a favorite dress. But change being an imperative part of life–especially the life of a restaurant, with a public so fickle and competition so fierce–one has to accept that what’s on the plate will have to change too.

To celebrate its 17th anniversary, Chateau 1771 at El Pueblo in Ortigas Center (one of the rare few still around in that area of ever-changing signboards) has introduced a new menu–and a new menu concept.

Says Vicky Rose Pacheco, the Chateau group’s queen-chef, "I’ve noticed that Filipinos love eating each other’s food. They love to have a taste of their friend’s order so that the components of the dish really gets jumbled up–the rice goes there, the vegetables go to someone else’s plate. So I thought–why not come up with a set of composed menus good for more than one person? It will encourage more sharing and present a dining experience that is more relaxed and more fun."

The set menus are varied in taste. There’s a pasta and salad set, a healthy high fiber selection, an Italian menu, one with fish and seafood, and a collection of chicken dishes.

"Because people eat differently, I made the menu flexible in such a way that a set can include appetizers to desserts, or just the main course and dessert, or even just appetizer and dessert," Vicky Rose explains. "Ultimately, my goal is to motivate them to come together and share a wonderful meal that is still formal in setting, yet friendly and warm in spirit."

Vicky Rose is the granddaughter of the legendary Mama Sita, around whose apron strings the young chef learned the rudiments of creating food. Says Vicky of Mama Sita, "She had avant garde ideas that seemed weird at first. She used to make every imaginable combination of ingredients. There was a time she’d put bananas on just about anything. She loved to make these strange experiments so much that we would wonder what we were having for Sunday lunch!"

Eventually though, Vicky Rose learned to appreciate Mama Sita’s efforts. "Years later, when her ideas became popular, we realized that as a culinary artist, Mama Sita was ahead of her times," she says, adding ruefully, "I wish I’d taken more notes!"

She may not have taken notes, but Vicky Rose surely paid attention, and imbibed much of Mama Sita‘s spirit of adventure and unerring grasp of taste combinations. Honed by culinary studies here and in Switzerland, Vicky Rose draws from past gastronomic experiences as well as her constant search for new food adventures all over the world to come up with what has become her–and Chateau’s–signature "No Borders Cuisine".

There’s Gratinated Scallops that are nothing short of divine, a tummy-warming Mushroom Cauliflower Soup, an "Aha!" Pinoy Beef Salad (would you expect tapa bits, onions ans tomato with a tuyo vinaigrette?), a crusty but delicate Sole Meuniere, and a Bangus Belly that raises milkfish to its prideful place.

Vicky Rose hasn’t thrown out the "old faithfuls"–for those of us who are creatures of culinary habit. The Ceasar’s Salad and Lemon Chicken are still around, as are dessert favorites Coffee Pie and Lemon Meringue Torte (there’ll be hysteria if they take these off the menu).

All in all, Vicky Rose has tweaked the menu just enough to make it interesting, but not too much so it’s become terra incognita. Bon appetit....burp!