Back To Basics, Back To The Cove

This column featured El Bulli, the best restaurant in the world, in the last two issues and the sights of the dishes certainly left me speechless. Perhaps, the better expression is “humbled” because now I realize how little I really know about “food.” More dishes are being created by the Food Magician Ferran Adrià and this has inspired me to eat.., I mean, to learn more.

Back to basics like food tasting, I revisited the Cove, a live seafood restaurant and oyster bar at the Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, phone +63 32 492-0100, +63 32 492-0128 to 129, http://www.bluewater.com.ph/. It has been almost two years ago since I joined its inauguration. I clearly remember one particular dish, a very tasty dish, the roast eel sushi.

We do have our favorite restaurants in Cebu and at the Cove, my favorite is steamed mantis shrimp. There are several cooking styles that have been developed to cater to the needs of their multi-ethnic clientele. The Chinese would prefer the steaming method for the very fresh catch. Malaysians like to stir-fry with black beans, fish sauce, garlic and sambal. For Filipinos, sugba, sinigang, inasal, kilaw or fried while westerners may prefer the continental style (baked, grilled, steamed or fried). The Cove specialty is deep fried and served with fragrant tropical coconut sauce. Different strokes for different people!

But frequent customers to the establishment would always look for something new. It is like buying movie films; first generation was Beta copies then it was VHS, VCD, Laserdisc and finally DVD. And I thought it would end like the James Bond movie, “From Russia with Love,” original pa gyud, that I received years ago. Improvements in sound quality ensued: stereo, Dolby Digital (AC-3 or 5.1 channels), DTS and now it is DTS-HD Master Audio (Blu-ray and HD DVD). With these developments, you may end up buying 3 versions of the same movie!

At the Cove, new dishes have evolved like the Salmon en Papillote, Thai Seafood Stew, Poached Salmon and Soba Noodles, Cajun Style Jambalaya and Flaming Seafood. The latter is the specialty dish made with fresh premium seafood in light cream sauce served flambéed on a scallop shell.

With the company of Maribago PR Manager Ruben Licera, SunStar’s Jigs Arquiza and Executive Chef Alan Gilbert Mathay, your favorite food columnist joined in the food tasting of some of the old favorites and new dishes in a very friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Food evaluation is a very serious business of passing judgment because the ultimate objective is the betterment of dishes for customer satisfaction. And when your restaurant serves people from around the world, this goal is very difficult. However, when you serve new dishes, preferable gyud if these are presented in distinct new “plates,” like that of the Flaming Seafood.

At the Cove, freshness of salt-water fin fishes and shell fishes is never an issue because the kitchen is merely four feet away from the huge aquariums. Even the sea vegetables like the lato and guzo are harvested merely minutes ago.

How does the best restaurant in the world serve prawn? This year, El Bulli served a dish where the upper part of the prawn (including the legs) was fried, the lower part was raw and the head was made into a sauce.