The Best of Filipino Feast at Lola Maria

A Special to BusinessMirror

By Marianne T. Escanilla

Lola Maria's Entrance Photo by Alysa Salen

Eating together with our family has been a tradition to all Filipinos and we are known to celebrate special occasions and even simple weekends around the table. Conversations over a feast of our favorite foods and delicacies have been a way of life. Even in corporate meetings and gatherings, great food will always be present in the midst of strenuous discussions and debates.

Great food has always been a binding factor for Filipinos, especially for families, friends and even within colleagues at work. Lola Maria Restaurant has acknowledged this through their selection of flavorful gastronomy catering to all Filipino cravings.

Lola Maria Restaurant at the Legend Villas is a Fil-Hispanic themed diner serving palatable delicacies that Filipinos would surely enjoy. Named after the owner’s great grandmother, Lola Maria carries both tradition and culture not only through the restaurant’s interiors but also through the delectable dishes served to their diners.

An array of traditional Filipino dishes cooked from authentic and fresh ingredients are served with a little twist from the known flavors of these different Filipino dishes. Chef Gilbert Gomez, Lola Maria’s executive chef, takes on a different approach on preparing his delectable dishes to give each guest superb dining experience.

Cocido

Traditional Filipino cuisine is what Lola Maria offer to each of their guests, from the flavorful Lumpiang Hubad to the scrumptious Cocido that will definitely satisfy your cravings for Filipino-Spanish food. The all time favorite dessert, especially during this summer season, the Halo-Halo, is also served on their lunch buffet as one of the favorite desserts diners goes back for more.

Iza Calzado's Fish Pinipig

Aside from the delectable dishes from the buffet, Lola Maria also offers a selection of ala carte dishes named as favorites by certain celebrities prepared at Lola Maria’s kitchen with a twist to make it a Lola Maria special. Celebrities from different industries, from Iza Calzado, to the renowned designer, Randy Ortiz, took part in this unique selection of delicious bites exclusively offered at Lola Maria.

A Filipino version of Fish n’ Chips is what Iza described Fish Pinipig. Named after her, this dish certainly brought a different take on our favorite fish fillet. Covered with pinipig flakes, white meat fish fillets are deep fried to perfection and served with creamy tartar sauce, a perfect meal starter. Another celebrity dish served at Lola Maria is Randy Ortiz’s Vegetable Quiche. Baked with asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, eggs, cheese and fresh cream, this dish certainly is the best way to start a delightful dinner.

Randy Ortiz's Vegetable Quiche

Prawn Cakes served at Lola Maria is an oriental style minced shrimps coated with bread crumbs named after Atoy Llave, an illustrious show car maker. A certified fan of seafood, Atoy Llave rooted for prawn cakes because of the hassle free preparation and yet still is a stylish dish on its own way. This prawn cake is a perfect finger food made even tastier because of its special hoisin sauce dip.

Ara Mina's Rosemay Rib-eye steak

One of the main entrees among the celebrity dishes is Ara Mina inspired Rosemary and Garlic rib eye steak. Rib-eye steak seared and marinated with fresh garlic and rosemary, is definitely a must try in Lola Maria together with the restaurant’s signature dish, Cocido inspired by famous blogger, Anton Diaz. These two dishes would surely satisfy our cravings for mouthwatering meals.        

                                                   

Wilma Doesn't's Suman at Tsokolate

At Lola Maria, there will always be something for those who posses a sweet tooth. Aside from the favorite Halo-Halo, Lola Maria also offers a selection of desserts included in their celebrity dishes. Taking on a different approach on the simple ensaymada is Lola Maria’s Ensaymada Pudding; a day-old ensaymada baked custard and topped with quezo de bola. Who says that a day old pastry cannot taste better than the freshly baked? Lola Maria’s Ensaymada Pudding, a personal favorite of Ford supermodel winner Danica Magpantay, is a perfect partner for your freshly brewed coffee or your favorite hot chocolate.

Another perfect partner for homemade tsokolate is Lola Maria’s Fried Suman. A unique approach to a traditional suman, aside from being fried, this suman sa ibos is served with thick chocolate on the side as dip. TV Host and model, Wilma Doesn’t shares this recipe from his grandmother and father.

Sherilyn Reyes-Tan's
Ube Panna Cotta

If your sweet palate is craving for something Italian, Ube Langka Panna Cota will definitely soothe this craving. This light Italian dessert of fresh cream with vanilla bean, ube and langka, is the perfect dessert to serve for friends, says Sherilyn Reyes-Tan.

Each and every dish among the selection of this scrumptious menu is prepared with fresh ingredients exclusively cooked and prepared inside the kitchen of Lola Maria, a testimony to the Legend Hotel International’s core values of love and service. Lola Maria sees to it that they achieve the highest standard of work and service through their efficient staff and above standard set of menu.

Lola Maria is the perfect place to dine in with your family, meet with friends and discuss business deals with colleagues. Dine in at Lola Maria and experience a delightful experience of both tradition and culture through a perfect Filipino gastronomy. Lola Maria is located at the Legend Villas, 60 Pioneer corner Madison Streets, Mandaluyong City. Lola Maria is open for buffet breakfast at 6:00 am to 10:00 am and lunch buffet at 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Mondays to Sundays. Ala Carte dinner is also served from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm all days of the week. For inquiries and reservations call 633.1501 or visit their website at www.legendvillas.com.ph,

Chillin’ with Chilean Wines

A Special to BusinessMirror

by Cesar M. Cruz Jr.

I have always leaned towards Chilean wines.  It is hard for me not to get poetic as I attempt to describe the pleasure I derive from it. Often, some would say to me- just drink, don’t think.

I could not contain my delight when I was invited to a food and wine pairing event  billed, “ Make Tonight Chile”. I was so ecstatic, I could not believe my fate. Maybe I would just savor the moment and hope it could provide some answers why I enjoy Chilean wines so much.

 It showcased Caliterra wines of Chile- a fusion of quality “calidad” and land “tierra”. It represented a passion for quality aimed at creating environmentally friendly wines.

Chilean Caliterra Wines 

 It was a pleasure getting acquainted with the Caliterra Reserva sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon at the lounge area of the Tivoli Restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental. The wines were served with mini toasts of smoked salmon on dill cream and chicken liver mousse. On the other hand, the air was thick with anticipation. Everyone was excited to partake in the sumptuous dinner concocted by Mandarin Hotel’s F&B Director Chico Angeles and Executive Chef Remi Vercelli under the supervision of the hotel’s GM Mark Bradford and Tita Trillo of Titania Wine Cellar, Inc.

Chilean Tivoli

Everyone was amazed as they entered Tivoli Restaurant. They have witnessed the grand transformation of the restaurant with soft lights setting the mood, alongside the tables decorated with fist-sized, long stemmed red and yellow Columbian roses. Indeed, it was a sight to behold.

The event was made special by the presence of two people. One, by a wine master -Nicholas del Solar, who flew in from Chile to grace the occasion. He explained that the topography of Chile is truly one of a kind. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean from the west, the Andes Mountains from the east, the Atacama Desert from the North, and Antartica from the south ( I got my answer!)

Chilean Nicholas del Solar and Tita Trillo

Second, by Tita Trillo- who was enchanted by her immersion in the central valley of this famous vineyard in Chile. It is where she met Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick who, in partnership, envisioned this magnificent winery. Tita spoke so highly of Chile that someone said she might as well be an ambassador for the said South American country!

Chilean Nicoise Salad

First course: Dinner began with an Amuse-Bouche of Chilean ceviche that was paired with fresh and crisp Tributo Chardonnay 2010, awarded a double gold in the Catad’ Or Wine Awards in June 2011. This was followed by  Nicoise Salad ( French pronunciation: ni’swaz) a French composed salad with tuna, haricots verts, quail egg,cherry tomato, potato, onion, black olives, served with vinaigrette.

The lemon flavors of the chardonnay jived with the lemon character of the ceviche and salad, thus heightening the flavors of both dishes.

Second course: The parsnip cream was paired with the Arboleda Chardonnay 2010. The rich cream sauce matched well with the chardonnay that has a natural buttery texture and hints of vanilla. (Cream sauces are quite often salty as well, so an extremely crisp wine is an excellent choice. Generally speaking, high fat food prefers acidic wines to mitigate the fat.)

Third course: The main course was braised veal cheeks served with celery root puree and buttered asparagus. The rich and hearty flavors of the veal cheeks found its match in Cenit 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot, a multi-awarded full bodied wines with very soft tannins , wonderful persistence,  and an incredible long finish due to the Petit Verdot grape variety which was blended with full structured cabernet sauvignon and Malbec grapes.

As Chilean wine master Nicolas del Solar puts it, the softness of Petit Verdot is likened to a woman placed between two men-Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. This outstanding wine has a 90-point rating with Wine & Spirits Magazine 2011 and has won a gold medal in the International Wine Challenge 2011 and a silver one in the Decamar World Wine Awards in the same year.  The pairing proved to be unforgettable.

Fourth Course: To cleanse the palate before dessert, Goat Cheese and Queso Rustico were served. The sharp tasting duo was paired with the Seña 2007. Silky smooth tannins gave the wine depth and length. Berry fruit and vanilla oak carried through on the soft finish.  It has been winning in blind tasting conducted in Berlin, Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore for the past 7 years over the Grand Cru Classe wines of Bordeaux. Seña 2007 has been rated 96 points by Robert Parker and is the highest rating given to a Chilean wine. No wonder this full bodied wine with a perfect balance that brings softness to the palate captured the interest of Robert Parker, the famous wine advocate and enthusiast.

Before the dessert came, the guests were treated to the operatic voice of Nic Norman Tugaff, a member of the Filipino Tenors. Clad in chef’s uniform, he proceeded to sing from the heart the Ave Maria and other songs to the delight of the guests.

Chilean Paris Brest

Fifth Course:  Paris brest, a French dessert made of choux pastry and praline flavored cream, was served with vanilla bourbon ice cream. To match its sweetness, it was paired with Cava Lucendo and Requena Brut Nature.

Needless to say, the pairing of well-prepared French food and great Chilean wines was a match made in heaven. As a matter of fact, Tivoli, the name of the restaurant, when spelled backwards- hinted my feelings about it -- I love it!

Caliterra Wines are available at all Titania Wine Cellar branches. For more details, call 894-1371-74