Something old, something new at The Old Spaghetti House

MANILA, Philippines - Who says too many cooks spoil the broth?

Certainly, not The Old Spaghetti House (TOSH). In fact, several cooks, or just cooking enthusiasts, have helped the well-known restaurant chain develop a menu that is market-driven and responsive to what its clients want.

TOSH has not only relied on its research and development team for concocting its new menu but also invited patrons and prospective clients to participate in its efforts to enhance an already impressive and exciting product list.

The restaurant launched the “TOSH Recipe Hunt,” a contest conducted on Facebook, and “Save Your Fave,” which invited patrons to vote for dishes they want to retain on the menu.

The winners of the “2011 TOSH Recipe Hunt” came from various walks of life. Mylene de Mesa is a corporate communications professional; Cynthia Sto. Domingo is a mother and housewife; while Christian del Amor Reyes is a hospitality student at St. Dominic College of Asia. Their recipes — Mylene’s creamy Pinoy pasta with garlic longganisa; Cynthia’s Scottish meatballs; and Christian’s creamy tomato pasta with spinach tofu cheeseballs, which are now included in the menu, are expected to win the taste buds, if not the hearts, of customers.

As for the current offerings that are the most popular among patrons, guests who responded to the “Save Your Fave” campaign voted for low-carb taco, golden onion rings, pasta negra pesto, aglio olio with anchovy and capers, eggplant Parmagiana with penne pomodoro, tuna carbonara fettuccini, and philly cheesteak.

TOSH has collaborated with chef Dino Ferrari in crafting new dishes for TOSH like the panko-crusted risotto balls stuffed with smoked bacon and mozzarella served with homemade marinara sauce.

The offerings feature more creative, innovative and healthier sauces, among others. As Lizzie Guerrero, who directs the day-to-day operations of the popular restaurant chain, says, “Because we closely monitor the preferences of local diners, we make sure our current offerings always cater to everyone’s appetite.” She and her team make sure they constantly solicit client feedback because they believe that customer insights will always be useful guide in selecting what will go into their menu.

As for TOSH’s latest initiative, Lizzie says, “We have always adhered to our menu philosophy of offering outstanding value-for-money dishes while striving to offer the best we could develop given our market price point. Notwithstanding certain limitations to what we can offer, particularly the use of more refined ingredients, we have created a line of specialty dishes that may be priced at a premium but are highly reasonable and still value for money.” 

Guerrero introduces TOSH’s premium selections to extend a gourmet experience in a casual setting to loyal patrons. TOSH has collaborated with chef Dino Ferrari in crafting this feat for the restaurant chain. The winner of a popular culinary reality TV show across Asia, Search for the Next AFC Celebrity Chef, Ferrari’s style of cooking is comfort food — traditional and simple, only done better.  

More than just chicken: Smoked mozzarella stuffed chicken wrapped in pancetta

 Starting off with the new appetizers, chef Ferrari has created fresh greens with candied walnuts, apple, shaved Parmesan with balsamic vinaigrette, an interesting starter that will surely appeal to health and diet-conscious diners. There is also the panko- crusted risotto balls stuffed with smoked bacon and Mozzarella served with homemade marinara sauce.

 Pasta lovers will enjoy chef Ferrari’s culinary magic — fresh crab and shrimp ravioli, pumpkin mash, roasted pumpkin seeds with sage butter sauce. Not to miss is the truffle pasta with sautéed mushroom linguini. For the adventurous, they can try the cannelloni stuffed with three kinds of mushrooms, cream cheese, baked with homemade marinara sauce.

 New main course items include porkchop stuffed with apples, raisins served with creamy mashed potato or the smoked Mozzarella stuffed chicken wrapped in Pancetta, a perfect blend of cheese and fowl. Beef-lovers will enjoy the enticing Japanese tender beef ribs served with rice pilaf, a dish close to home, as it will surely appeal to rice-loving Asians. For seafood lovers, they can’t go wrong with the pan- roasted fillet of fish with creamy shrimp sauce, olives and asparagus. And for dessert, diners will keep coming back for more of the Italian panna cotta trio of vanilla, caramel and chocolate, a truly delectable treat.

Basta pasta: Truffle pasta with sautéed mushroom linguini

“2012 is a year of innovations for The Old Spaghetti House,” says JB Bolanos, group marketing manager. Alongside the introduction of a market-driven menu and TOSH Premium Selections, the chain is also launching TOSH iPhone applications. The apps will allow subscribers to explore TOSH’s sumptuous dishes, rate, and share the same. 

“Expect for exciting promos that we will launch via Facebook and Twitter,” Bolanos adds.

Something old, something new, there’s always something to look forward to, at The Old Spaghetti House.

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For information, like TOSH on Facebook or visit www.theoldspaghettihouse.com.