A New Year's celebration in Cebu...in October
Someone once told me that Cebuanos were very kuripot. That they were really picky about how they spent their money and even pickier when they went out to eat. If you opened a restaurant in Cebu, you had better make damn well sure your food was good and worth the money otherwise it wouldn’t survive the year. On a rather pleasantly oxymoronic note, Cebuanos are also very hospitable and generous. Every time I make my way over, I have always been welcomed with open arms, warms smiles, bountiful feasts and unexpected gifts.
On this last trip I came home with a whole cooler full of the most amazing silvanas ever by Marissa Unchuan. This makes for a consistently enjoyable destination of good eats and good friends.
The impressive facade of Radisson Blu Cebu is a recent discovery for me, I had never been there till only last year. Because of all the things it has to offer in just a short plane ride away, it has become a favorite getaway. In my own personal experience they are also rather quirky, in a good way. Fun loving, relaxed and deeply appreciative of what quality of life means in their own developed island world that thrives in a unique balance of splendid isolation and international extravertion. Oh and they celebrate New Year’s in October.
I met Kate Dychangco Anzani in a foodie promotional dinner in Manila sometime ago and we hit it off instantly. Her hubby Chef Marco is behind one Cebu’s best hotspots, Bellini and Anzani. Our shared passion for cuisine and travel just made us instant friends. Much like a box of pre-made cake mix with all the right ingredients ready for the perfect outcome — just add water... in this case just add wine.
Just the place to be: I was welcomed by a large suite with much more space than I could possibly use at Radisson Blu in Cebu. She called me over to participate in a dinner being featured on her show for the Amazing Cebu channel. “Steph, you’ll love it. Great wine, amazing meal and people like us.” It was the perfect recipe for enjoyable disaster and drunken foodosophical conversations. How could I resist?
I was welcomed by a large suite with much more space I could possibly use and a big fluffy white bed. After a long tiring day, I was happy to jump into the rainfall shower of my Radisson Club Room’s sleek modern bathroom. I had been instructed to wear a cocktail dress and get gussied up. A slick of lipstick and I was ready to go. As I got to the restaurant I was surprised by the intimacy of it all. A handful of characters that make the perfect dinner party and even more surprising were the glittery party hats, streamer and torotots (cheap party trumpets) on the table. The menu curiously read “New Year’s Eve” and even more curious were the dishes.
After a long tiring day, I was happy to jump into my big fluffy white bed The theme of the evening was New Year’s and cheese. Chef Marco Amarone, the Radisson Blu Cebu’s newly appointed executive chef, had to come up with something festive, using local ingredients and local cheese. A fine challenge where he had to walk the fine line between delectable and disastrous. The appetizer was refreshing tilapia with clearly Asian influences of cilantro and lime on a crispy de-constructed the reconstructed Chinese ampao or puffed rice cake. To no one’s surprise, as this chef has his roots in Italy but spent much of his time roaming the world and over seven years in Thailand. The dish was a great play on texture and flavor that went well with the dangerously pleasant Vinho Verde that Corinne Joseph of D+B Wines had brought over. The wine brought me back to a moment of scorching heat in the midst of a Portuguese sunset on a hill in Lisbon. Ever so slightly piquant, or as the French say, perle, the dainty fizz and citrusy flavors opened the palate and appetite. A treacherous wine so easy to drink.
The next dish was my favorite. Grilled hearts of romaine served with a green tomato chutney and homemade ricotta. The lettuce was far from wilted, but more in a state of sweet grace, caramelized, smoky and still fresh and crisp in the center. The balanced acidity of the tomatoes and the tart irony of the chalky yet creamy texture of the home made goat’s milk ricotta truly elevated these humdrum ingredients to sophistication. It was the salad’s salad. The epitome of creative cooking, the genius behind the understanding that a great dish doesn’t have to be complicated or complex. It was respect and restraint with a dash of daring.
Radisson Blu Cebu executive chef Marco Amarone: Italian roots with a worldly experience The main course was in your face. Amarone unleashed his creative forces and took incredible risks. Braised pork cheek in red wine with mushroom and blue cheese risotto. I scrunched my nose as I read it on the menu. Three bold elements that without the right balance would make for a culinary suicide. He was alas, the tightrope walker with no safety net that just did a triple somersault and nailed it. The use of orange zest, fennel and pomegranate caramelized baby carrots was the perfect fresh foil to his rich dish. Not one garnish or element was left on the plate. A true performance with lots of bravado that was worth every clap of the hand as he entered the dining room.
As the dinner came to a close, in happily drunken states, we put on our party hats and grabbed our trumpets to head outside in front of the Radisson’s impressive facade. The most wonderful sound in the world is that of the champagne cork popping and the clinking of glasses that follow. As we cheered and counted down to an imaginary New Year’s looking at imaginary fireworks, one thing was certain: Those happy smiles, mischievous laughter and newly formed friendships are the real deal. With good food and good people in Cebu, it was inevitable just add wine!
