Ahh, the Italian foodah is magnifico!

My Italian connection tells me that in Italy, the biggest compliment any chef can receive is to hear the expression, “Scarpetta!” — loud and boisterous — coming deep from the belly of the diners. That means the food was so good that you’ve cleaned your plate. Hmm… I cleaned my plate, too, in my younger days, under the watchful eye of my mother who couldn’t stop her kids from scampering out of the kitchen to catch the light of the full moon and play one last round of hopscotch (piko) before bedtime. 

Mi Piace’s chef Massimo Veronesi smiled while wiping his hands dry with his cotone apron. “Ahh, today-ah, the foodah gonna focus-ah on the quality and authentic Italian-a cuisine.” (Note: I’m trying to imitate Massimo’s Italian accent that was actually very soft and calm.) What he said, I realized later, captured the essence of his style of cooking.

Chef Massimo has been in the Philippines for two and a half years and the dishes he was going to prepare had been chosen from the ones that he had tried and tested on local guests and patrons and which proved to be runaway favorites.

“I taste,” Massimo said.

“Do you mean we will eat together?” I asked the chef. “Well, almost like that,” he replied. “I will cook and plate the dishes from over there,” pointing to a brightly-tiled nook where there was a large wood-fired oven and where Massimo could both work and get a good view — or keep an eye — on his dining patrons and the restaurant. 

Each dish was out to reveal the spirit of group dining. And a fun group was dining, indeed: writers Norma Chikiamco, Isabel de Leon, and Johanna Poblete. We traded jokes and ghost stories with Peninsula’s F&B director Laurent Le Deu and PR director Mariano “Garch” Garchitorena while enjoying the 12 dishes and three “death by desserts” from chef Massimo’s vast collection of culinary creations. Each dish was interpreted in the light of today’s taste and way of life — or should I say “condition in life.” Nowadays, after all, we do place a premium on getting the most for our money.

 Laurent said that a menu degustazione can consist of a three-course meal or you could add more dishes, up to a 12-course spread, perfect to share with the barkada or family. “Or you can also enjoy alone,” noted Garch.   

 There was Scottish salmon garnished with citrus salad; crispy breaded lengua (tongue) with fresh arugula; pan-fried (padella) prawns with spinach beans and sticks of chili polenta, truffle-crusted scallops on pumpkin puree; Roma tomato tortellini stuffed with braised eggplant and dry ricotta and my favorite risotto with pan-fried foie gras and globe artichokes and the duck breast and leg with homemade pumpkin gnocchi in orange sauce. If one is abstaining from meat this Lenten season, there is potato-crusted sea bass with braised fennel and saffron mussel broth. They all provided a balanced combination of the finest imported and local ingredients.

The wine steward served Pinot Grigio (white) and Remole Toscana (red) to enhance this Italian smorgasbord.

For the sweet tooth, there was “soup” of freshwater melon with vanilla ice cream, a Tuscany hazelnut cake with stracciatella (chocolate chip vanilla) gelato and an assortment of Italian parmigiano reggiano and gorgonzola blue cheese served with apple mustard and walnut bread.

Peninsula GM Jonathan Crook and resident manager Macy Lam went back several times to our table to check on how we were getting on. I looked at him again and said, “You know, you remind me of Lisa Presley.” “I knew it!” said Norma Chikiamco, “I said you looked like an actor… it’s Elvis Presley!” Jonathan Crook was close to turning red before whispering, “I got the same comments from three guests today.” “Except you don’t have his sideburns,” I concluded. Garch turned to his boss and said, “Hmm, I really must look at you more from now on, Mr. Crook.” 

 You see that? The spirit of group dining was at work here again! Buon apetito!

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Assagio, an Italian food festival, runs from March 9 to 29.