Gaudi's prime ribs
(Published in Yehey! Lifestyle)
To us Filipinos, Spanish cuisine shouldn’t be that alien. They are about us, around us and in us. In fact, some 99 percent of Filipino cuisine is probably of Spanish origin without us knowing it including the famous Bulalo! (It’s original name was pochero, which is how it is still called in heavily hispanized Dumaguete and Bacolod). Even the tuyo is probably of Spanish origin (referred to as Sardinas Secas during Rizal’s time). In fact, my first experience in an authentic Spanish restaurant didn’t thrill me as much with the dishes being heavily similar to Filipino –raw dilis in vinegar, lechon de leche, arroz valenciana but of course bearing its original Iberian names. In upland Cavite in the town of Silang, the fiestas are so filled with mechado, menudo and leche flan that in the innocence of my youth I thought anything Spanish was promdi. This shouldn’t be a surprise as majority of the European immigrants that settled in the islands during the colonial days were from Spain and the Philippines was after all a Spanish society for more than three hundred years.
But much as Spanish is around us, our hispanized meals remain distinctly Filipino. They are eaten in Filipino-styled tables and served by men in barong. A visit to Gaudi in Serendra Piazza spells the difference. Upon entry, attendants dressed elegantly in all black greet you with “buenas noches” or “Buenos dias” depending on what time you arrive (I suggest evening though as it adds romance to the occasion). The lights are dimmed and somewhat yellowish, resembling the scintillating flares of candle lights. The walls are plainly designed and washed in dirty white. The floors are of stone-like material that reminds you of the verandas of Zorro movies.
The elegance of Spanish cuisine is in its simplicity, as the architecture of the restaurant has already introduced you to. The superior taste of its dishes is in the dish itself and not the abundance of MSG. For starters, we were served the simple buns which we dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We did so while sipping glasses of sangria (Spanish red wine mixed with citrus juices). Then came the main dish which was heaps of prime rib cooked medium rare. Now this is the interesting part. Across the long table, the servants placed three burners. Directly above the burner was a plate made of hard clay. The plate is sprinkled with sea salt on top of which the slices of prime rib were to be laid out and cooked. We had the option of taking out depending on our choice – medium rare, well done. This way, we ate our steak the way we liked it cooked and at the same time kept it warm all throughout dinner. The aroma of burning sea salt was irresistible and splendid as it mixed with the scent of slowly premium choice meat. While the prime ribs were cooking, the paella chorizo came. Of course we all know how great a paella is but what made the paella chorizo unique was that it only had ground chorizo as filling. This way, we ate the prime ribs like a Filipino, with tons of rice!
To us Filipinos, Spanish cuisine shouldn’t be that alien. They are about us, around us and in us. In fact, some 99 percent of Filipino cuisine is probably of Spanish origin without us knowing it including the famous Bulalo! (It’s original name was pochero, which is how it is still called in heavily hispanized Dumaguete and Bacolod). Even the tuyo is probably of Spanish origin (referred to as Sardinas Secas during Rizal’s time). In fact, my first experience in an authentic Spanish restaurant didn’t thrill me as much with the dishes being heavily similar to Filipino –raw dilis in vinegar, lechon de leche, arroz valenciana but of course bearing its original Iberian names. In upland Cavite in the town of Silang, the fiestas are so filled with mechado, menudo and leche flan that in the innocence of my youth I thought anything Spanish was promdi. This shouldn’t be a surprise as majority of the European immigrants that settled in the islands during the colonial days were from Spain and the Philippines was after all a Spanish society for more than three hundred years.
But much as Spanish is around us, our hispanized meals remain distinctly Filipino. They are eaten in Filipino-styled tables and served by men in barong. A visit to Gaudi in Serendra Piazza spells the difference. Upon entry, attendants dressed elegantly in all black greet you with “buenas noches” or “Buenos dias” depending on what time you arrive (I suggest evening though as it adds romance to the occasion). The lights are dimmed and somewhat yellowish, resembling the scintillating flares of candle lights. The walls are plainly designed and washed in dirty white. The floors are of stone-like material that reminds you of the verandas of Zorro movies.
The elegance of Spanish cuisine is in its simplicity, as the architecture of the restaurant has already introduced you to. The superior taste of its dishes is in the dish itself and not the abundance of MSG. For starters, we were served the simple buns which we dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We did so while sipping glasses of sangria (Spanish red wine mixed with citrus juices). Then came the main dish which was heaps of prime rib cooked medium rare. Now this is the interesting part. Across the long table, the servants placed three burners. Directly above the burner was a plate made of hard clay. The plate is sprinkled with sea salt on top of which the slices of prime rib were to be laid out and cooked. We had the option of taking out depending on our choice – medium rare, well done. This way, we ate our steak the way we liked it cooked and at the same time kept it warm all throughout dinner. The aroma of burning sea salt was irresistible and splendid as it mixed with the scent of slowly premium choice meat. While the prime ribs were cooking, the paella chorizo came. Of course we all know how great a paella is but what made the paella chorizo unique was that it only had ground chorizo as filling. This way, we ate the prime ribs like a Filipino, with tons of rice!
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