Taste of Barcelona

I first heard about the buzz of the new Spanish restaurant BCN by Rambla on social media.  Before it formally opened, so many foodies were already raving about the place. 

Recently, I finally checked out the newest baby of the Bistronomia Group (with restaurants Rambla, Las Flores, Tomatito and La Lola) and it certainly did not disappoint.

BCN, I learned, is the airport code of Barcelona, the city that inspired the dishes for this new, hot restaurant. 

Arroz de bogavante a la parrilla (Grilled Boston lobster rice).

 I tried the house bread with three kinds of butter first then followed by the moist and melts-in-the-mouth Jamon Iberico Bellota. As if the jamon wasn’t enough, I also savored the heavenly foie mi cuit con calabaza y yogurt (foie terrine with sweet pumpkin, yogurt and Pedro Ximenez reduction). The Txangurro al horno (baked crab stew in crab shell) had chunky fresh crab meat deliciously baked with sherry. 

My personal favorite was the Arroz de bogavante a la parrilla (Whole grilled Boston lobster rice). It was a dilemma whether to order either the Presa Iberica con miso (Grilled Iberian pork with miso) or the barbecue Costillar de cerdo Ibérico (Grilled Iberian pork ribs with sweet corn and barbecue sauce) so I ordered both as I could really not decide which one I liked better. And I was glad I did.

The presa had the pork flavor I was looking for. Those who like sauce will enjoy the costillar. Both dishes were tender, flavorful and juicy. Everything made of Iberian pork or crustaceans in this restaurant seems to be a hit with me! Chef Alfredo Rodriguez primarily cooks everything on a charcoal grill or charcoal oven, both can be seen from the restaurant’s open kitchen.

Txangurro al horno (Baked crab stew in crab shell).

There are so many other things I haven’t tried on the menu yet but those I have tried definitely have my personal endorsement!  Go try BCN by Rambla and see what the fuss is about. Bookings are strongly recommended.

(BCN by Rambla is located at the ground floor of Grand Midori, Bolanos St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. For reservations and inquiries, call 0966-3311352.)

Strengthening ties

Unilever Philippines CFO Arif Hudaya and HSBC Philippines president and CEO Wick Veloso.

HSBC Philippines president and CEO Wick Veloso recently hosted an intimate cocktail party for the company’s corporate clients to express appreciation for their business.

Held at his residence, the gathering was made special with the presence of HSBC corporate financials and multinationals banking head for Asia Pacific David Morton and multinationals head for Asia Pacific Stephen Brade, who both flew in from Hong Kong.

Veloso said, “It’s always a pleasure to see, meet and personally express appreciation to our valued clients for all these years of partnership. Together with the team, we commit to be more engaged with our customers, to continuously know and understand their needs and how we, at HSBC, can continue providing and connecting them to opportunities near and far. We owe our success to our clients and together with them, we look forward to scaling even greater heights for the bank in the years to come.”

Guests enjoyed chicharon-topped atchara and thin crust pizza as pass-around starters. At the carving station was a jamon leg with manchego cheese plus a beef carving station boasting a 10-hour roast US beef belly with pistolet bread, pickled jalapeño, cornichons and barbecue sauce.

There was also a fresh seafood station with tuna and salmon sashimi, and fresh oysters and prawns from Aklan. The savory spread had buta cuapao, Elar’s lechon, paella cerveseria, crispy fish tacos and a shawarma station. Desserts included crème brulee, mango panna cotta and Valrhona cookies.

A Lover’s Duyan

National Artist Napoleon Abueva’s sculpture A Lover’s Duyan on display at the lobby of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s School of Design and Arts.

To honor the legacy of National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva, the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) unveiled one of his masterpieces called A Lover’s Duyan at the lobby of the college’s School of Design and Arts (SDA) campus.

Abueva, who at age 46, was the youngest to be conferred such a distinction, was lauded for his skill in sculpture.  Known as the “Father of modern Philippine sculpture,” he veered away from classicism and ventured into modernism and was renowned for his unprecedented mastery on experimenting various styles and materials for his craft.

Abueva taught Model Construction under the College’s Industrial Design Program in academic year 2007-2008, and was the first and only National Artist who has imparted his knowledge with the students of the DLS-CSB. In 2008, he personally chose A Lover’s Duyan as a memento, and gifted it to the college.   Recently, Joseph Rastrullo, one of Abueva’s former students, restored the sculpture.

Present in the intimate gathering were the National Artist’s  widow Dr. Sergia Abueva, accompanied by daughter Amihan Abueva-Lanoy, and other members of the family. Sergia recalled the memories of her husband scouring junk shops for materials for this piece in particular.

On her father, Amihan said, “He had a very generous spirit and I think that is something he would like more artists to do — to love our country even more and be generous in bestowing your talent and experiences. I think it is timely for us especially for the students to know that to be a good artist you have to be involved in your nation.”

Center for Campus Art director architect Gerry Torres, who was then the dean when the Napoleon Abueva applied as a Benilde professor, recalled, “He was soft-spoken, mild-mannered, and despite of his stature, very humble. I remember him dutifully sketching the map to his house, which was then a requirement for acceptance to the faculty roster. This humility is what impressed me the most.”

A Lover’s Duyan is permanently installed and can be viewed at the lobby of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts campus, 950 Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila. 

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)