A new dining sensation at The Westin’s Alfiere

Something new is cooking at The Westin Philippine Plaza. With the help of celebrity chef Gian-carlo Di Francesco, the hotel is updating the menu at its Alfiere Italian Restaurant to provide guests with a new dining sensation.

Chef Giancarlo brings with him his highly-acclaimed culinary skills that earned Prego at the old Westin Stamford and Plaza Hotel in Singapore a Silver excellence award and public recognition as the Best Italian Restaurant in the Lion City. He now brings this same steady touch to Prego at The Westin Shanghai.

The emphasis is on light meals that are heavy on flavor. A preview of some of chef Giancarlo’s specials last week had the media in a tizzy as the feast moved from one delicious bite to another.

The first appetizer was seared duck liver on apple chutney with caramelized onion in red wine sauce and green pepper jus. This rich morsel of foie gras was complemented with a sweet siding that only intensified the duck liver’s flavor. Purists may prefer their duck liver plain, panfried to perfection, but those unused to its flavor will welcome this heady starter.

Another appetizer was the long flat noodles with slipper lobster in saffron sauce. People might see this dish as a snack, a fancy version of pancit. But it’s a meal in itself, the slices of lobster a tasty accompaniment with each slurp of noodles.

To cleanse our palates, we were served a refreshing tomato ginger sorbet. The flavor of ginger added a bite that only wheted our appetite for more.

The fish entree was grilled medallion of fresh tuna on potato salad with deep-fried onion in lemon oil; the meat dish was grilled beef tenderloin with semolina dumpling, baby carrot, dry eggplant and red pepper oil in wine sauce. We were at a loss for words deciding which was the tastier treat.

Hands down, dessert was more than what we expected: Duo of tiramisu and mango mascarpone fritters with mocha Kahlua sauce. Each spoonful of tiramisu was simply heavenly with the flavor of amaretto, with the sweet creamy layers adding a divine extra to the whole dessert. The fritters were likewise devastating.

The invite was merely an introduction to the wonders chef Giancarlo has introduced to Alfiere’s a la carte menu. Surely, there must be more. And for that, we’re sure to come back.

Chef Giancarlo will be cooking at Alfiere until Feb. 27. Be sure to catch him cooking his other specials, like Quattro Stagioni Pizza, risotto with braised red chicory and goat cheese and more. For those who can’t wait, he shares the recipe for his tenderloin special. Bon appetit!

Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Semolina Dumpling, Baby Carrot, Dry Eggplant And Red Pepper Oil In Wine Sauce

800 grms. beef tenderloin
180 grms. baby carrot
40 grms. eggplant
100 grms. red bell pepper
10 grms. tomato paste
150 grms. veal gravy
60 ml. red wine
30 grms. shallot
2 pcs. Roman tomato
100 ml. olive oil
10 grms. salt
8 grms. black pepper
10 grms. butter
20 grms. all-purpose flour
100 ml. vegetable oil

For the semolina gnocchi:
250 grms. semolina flour
1 liter milk
2 pcs. egg yolk
1/2 liter water
100 grms. Parmesan cheese
5 grms. salt

For the semolina gnocchi: In a sauce pan, bring milk and water with salt to boil. Slowly add the semolina and stir. Cook for 15 minutes on a slow fire. Add in the egg and the parmesan. Place in a chafing dish at a height of 5 cms. The top layer should be even. Place in the fridge to cool. Cut the gnocchi into pieces.

For the red bell pepper oil: Roast the pepper and remove the skin. In the sauce pan, add the oil, tomato paste and pepper and cook in a slow fire for an hour. Let it cool; strain. Keep in a bottle.

For the wine sauce: In a sauce pan, add the butter with the chopped shallots; then add the wine. Let it reduce to half; then add the veal glaze. Season to taste.

For the carrot: Wash the carrot and peel the skin. Boil them in salted water until soft. Place in ice water; then set aside.

For the eggplant: Wash the eggplant properly; then slice thinly into 3 mm. slices. Coat with flour and deep-fry both sides. Set aside and keep in a warm place.

For the beef: Season the beef and grill both sides until done. Place all the ingredients on a hot plate.