Primetime dining

When one enters the premises of Prime 101, one could be forgiven for thinking one has made a mistake and entered a furniture showroom located on the second floor of the Ziebart Building in Pasong Tamo (sorry, I’m so old school and perpetually forget to refer to the street as Chino Roces). Chalk that up to the fact that one of the partners is a furniture designer (Jenny de Dios), and all the pieces you find on the premises are models/prototypes for sale.

Don’t be distracted though by the set-up — resident chefs Marco and Mai Legasto holding court, with Mai handling the fresh bread and pastries (other partners are Ria and JP Castrillo) — Prime 101 is a wonderful dining experience, one that’s truly unique, given how so many eating establishments are springing up in our fair city. At Prime 101, the food concept centers on customizing and creating, on fresh ideas, and giving the customer what he or she wants in a big way!

So one enters Prime, as I did with my sons, and Marco points out the blackboard where the “raw materials” are listed. The list includes rib eye, T-bone, tenderloin, baby back ribs, lamb rack, shank and chops, boneless chicken legs, chicken breast, tuna, mussels, sea bass, scallops, salmon, dory, maya-maya, shrimps and prawns, squid and escargot.

One then discusses how one wishes to design one’s meal, with Marco making suggestions based on what’s available. It’s like you went to dine with your own personal chef in tow, as conceivably, I could have lamb shank the French way, while my fellow diner could opt for a fish course done Chinese style, and the third in the party would want an Italian bistecca twist on his T-bone. There is no set menu as such. But one ready appetizer Marco has that’s worth the price of admission alone, is the foie gras dumplings, a French and Chinese fusion dish.

We had been warned to keep room for dessert, as Mai’s fried chocolate mousse is out of this world. Matteo, my second boy, is the one with a sweet tooth, and he readily extolled the virtues of this selection, saying it would be one of the best he’s savored! It’s the classic hot versus cold in one dessert, that makes for something truly special, rich and yet not that heavy.

Prime 101 opened its doors during the last quarter of  2012, and one can book a table via Marco’s mobile 0939-919-6179. Given the eatery’s concept, there are only a limited number of seats, some four to five tables, but whether for a special private party or for an intimate dining experience, Prime 101 truly offers a unique culinary proposition, one that shouldn’t be missed!

From ‘Zero’ to One

The three novels today take plucky individuals and place them in situations akin to a fish out of water. In the case of Martin Amis’ Lionel Asbo, it’s anti-social deviant becoming a media darling, while Rob Reid’s Year Zero is a hilarious send-up of a music industry lawyer facing extra-terrestrials. Talking to the Dead, by Harry Bingham, has female detective Fiona Griffiths facing the toughest case of her career.

Lionel Asbo — Martin Amis (available at National Book Store) Lionel is a hardened recidivist criminal, who has legally changed his surname to Asbo, which means Anti-Social Behavior Order. While in prison, he wins the UK lotto, with a windfall of over £140 million. His nephew, Des, and Des’ girlfriend Dawn, and the new woman in Lionel’s life, self-styled poet and performance artist Threnody, make up this novel’s main cast of characters — all out for something in their lives, with Lionel as the fulcrum.

Rather than being plot-driven, this new novel from Amis is more about character, a psychological portrait of an East End thug trying to get through life in his own unique manner. It’s also a scathing indictment of English society.

Year Zero — Rob Reid (available at Amazon.com) This is a wonderful light read with a wonderful sci-fi premise, and reads like a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as seen through the music industry! What if the whole galaxy loved the pop music of earth, as created from the 1980s, and now felt morally obliged to pay earth back for copyright infringements? Enter Nick Carter, a bottom-feeder lawyer at a firm that specializes in the music industry. He’s approached by the extra-terrestrials on the mistaken assumption that he is THE Nick Carter, the retired Backstreet Boy! This is indicative of the kind of brio and sense of humor Reid takes to his debut novel. A wild sci-fi imagination, and a true love for music, makes for an exhilarating blend.

Talking to the Dead — Harry Bingham (available at Amazon.com) A detective constable of the Cardiff police force, Fiona Griffiths has a history of being mentally ill back when she was in her late teens. An unusual fascination with death makes for a troubling obsession when facing a case of ladies of the night being serially disposed of. When a murdered prostitute and her daughter’s crime scene yields the platinum credit card of a local shipping magnate, the plot thickens as said businessman disappeared in a plane crash six months ago. Part police procedural, part psychological study, this novel is a refreshing twist to the crime fiction genre. If the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo worked on the force, she’d be Fiona!