One Night in Cheese Heaven

MANILA, Philippines - In my years of covering restaurants and events, there are quite a few that stand out. It doesn’t really take much really for something to be notable to me because I like every aspect that is related to food. It could be a wonderful set piece or the ambience of the restaurant that caught my attention. While such things may be notable, they do not make the whole event memorable however, -only the set piece or the ambience.

Last March, however, I was transported to a little heavenly event that will forever be in my memory because of just how special everything was. The event was held in Café Ysabel, in itself a paragon of excellence in the restaurant industry and with its rich history and distinguished ambience, there was no place better for the event that transpired. The event was the Frico Dinner, a wine and cheese pairing event sponsored by cheese-industry giant, Frico of Holland. When I was first told by my editor to go to this event, I couldn’t hide my pleasure. I see myself as a cheese enthusiast. I’m not very familiar with the names of different cheeses and I know that I prefer some over others but I have never met a piece of cheese that I did not like.

Hosted by the Manila Chapter of the Paris-based International Gourmet Society, The Chaine des Rotisseurs, the event was everything one could ask for. In most events similar to this one, the dinner part of the celebration often takes a backseat, relying on the strength of occasion for the event’s success or in this case, the delicious variety of imported cheeses on hand. Buenissimo’s Executive Chef Gino Gonzalez however made sure that this portion does not come off as a mere afterthought. Gonzalez went all out in making sure that everyone has a scrumptious dinner that complements the cheeses on hand. Only a chef of Gonzalez’s exceptional talents would know what type of dishes to serve in such a specific occasion and he definitely accomplished what he set out to do. The Seared Supremes of Lightly Smoked Chicken stuffed with Herb Goat Cheese with Balsamic Syrup was my definite favorite and I lament that I was not able to inform the Chef of this fact. Perhaps a mention here would suffice.

And then there were the cheeses. I have to say that my mind which up to that point has only been subjected by mostly stacks of boxes of pasteurized processed cheesefood was unprepared for what it saw. All around me were wheels and balls of cheese and I probably looked like an idiot smiling the entire time when I should be looking a lot more sophisticated to blend in with the other guests. Mr. Willy Lambengco, President of Wilmington Imex and importer of such trusted brands such as Marca Pina Queso de Bola, Frico Edam and Gouda together with Mr. Erik Boas an authority in Dutch Cheeses from England regaled us with stories about cheeses and gave us a sampling of the different varieties that have yet to hit Philippine shores until that fateful night. Among those we sampled were Frico’s matured Gouda, Maasdam, Queso de Bola, Matured Dutch Edam and the Red Hot Dutch and the Smoked Natural. It is difficult to decide which one I liked best but the Red Hot Dutch sparked a few extra tastebuds that I didn’t knew I had. The extra matured grades were also a surprise. At first I didn’t think there was any difference in tastes in the different maturity grades but in fact there were and they were very much distinct.

The wine served, the fruity sauvignon blanc and the spicy carmenere especially helped heighten the senses as well. I feel they that they took the taste of the cheeses to a higher echelon, and in a way, made me crave for more cheeses. I may have taken a little too much because I began thinking of ways to steal the wheels of cheese for our own purposes. I think I may have decided on a plan already when the hosts, perhaps a group of mind readers of some degree when they’re not sampling delicious dishes, decided to give us our press kits which contained a variety of cheeses some of which weren’t even available in the event. Needless to say, my plan did not push through and I was glad that it didn’t as it involved me pretending that I was pregnant. It wasn’t a well thought of plan. It was the Frico cheeses I tell you, it made me crazy. To this day I am still sampling them. I’m careful not to waste them as they are both rare and exceptional.

It was a memorable night at the Café Ysabel. It was both relaxing and exciting. Exquiste cheeses from Frico paired with excellent wine while a fantastic pianist tickled the ivory for some classics both old and new. I’m certain everybody had a good time as well and if they enjoyed it half as much as I did then they’re at least, halfway to heaven.