Rossini and the art of doing nothing — but eat

The longest working lunch I’ve ever had was, naturally, at an Italian restaurant, with a wine enthusiast-slash-mechanical engineer-turned-restaurateur, and a French chef who loves his salad.

Rossini Ristorante Italiano is a casual-fine dining restaurant at S Maison in Conrad Hotel. If the concept of “casual-fine dining” confuses you, think pristine white table cloths, the possibility of candles, contrasted with food that’s nowhere near molecular or miniscule — instead, it’s hearty, filling, and a little bit dangerous.

I ask Rossini’s owner, Thomas Moersheim, and executive chef Bruno Tirel, how long they have been friends. Over a course of three or so hours of hanging out with them, it was obvious that they had this church-and-state type of relationship that sometimes overlapped over coffee or grappa or both.

“Who said we’re friends?” chef Bruno joked. He is a ball of energy fueled by food and a need for perfection. Even when he serves us our meals himself, he cannot help but arrange the components in a way that points to how they should be eaten — not just plain “styling.” He has 27 years of experience, and was mentored by Michel Maincent-Morel, author of the best-known professional cooking manuals in France. He has worked all over the world in five-star hotels and fine-dining restaurants.

Moersheim partnered with chef Bruno in 2014 when he founded the 101 Wine Club, and together they developed the menu of Rossini Ristorante Italiano — most of which I got to taste in generous servings.

Filetto Tonno (seared tuna loin with virgin olive oil sauce and mixed herbs) and Filetto Rossini (grilled beef tenderloin with seared foie gras, artichoke and gratinated potatoes) are the stars of the show. If it’s hard for you to choose between a tower of tuna and a tower of beef, try a blanket of Pizza Rotola — very thin-crust rolled pizza with pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and alfalfa sprouts.

A pasta fiend like myself found heaven in a plate of Contadina, pasta with Italian bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus and mushrooms and cream sauce. Top your Italian meal with two desserts: cannoli pastry and chocolate lava cake — you’ve made it through four courses, might as well go all-in.

Chef Bruno insisted that we take dessert with coffee mixed with a few drops of grappa. “Just a little, to get you going.” That, it did.

Don’t be intimidated by Rossini’s tall chairs, extensive bar and tisoy chef and owner who are almost always there — they will greet you with a warm smile and invite you in, as if to their home, and will make you just want to relax, eat, and forget about the time.

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Rossini Ristorante Italiano is at S Maison, Conrad Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, tel. no. 800-8061.