A Christmas meal in Tagaytay with the flavors of winter

Mention Christmas and we immediately think of ham, queso de bola, lechon, and morcon―traditional Noche Buena fare for most Filipinos. This year, one award-winning chef would like to give Pinoy foodies a different Christmas spread, introducing the flavors of winter in the northern hemisphere with a touch of the local harvest. “In the western world, Christmas is associated with winter ingredients such as chestnuts, truffles, and pumpkin. I tried to incorporate them here and there in the menu, at the same time reflecting the Tagaytay harvest somehow,” said Chef David Pardo de Ayala over lunch recently at the Miele Guide-recognized Restaurant Verbena at Discovery Country Suites in Tagaytay. Figs, pears, pumpkins and truffles thus figure prominently in the restaurant’s holiday menu available until the end of the month, along with fresh herbs, greens, and even kesong puti sourced locally. It's like a blending of West and East in one feast. All these flavors go well together, we found out, in the sumptuous new dishes created by Chef David. Paired with the right wines, they make for a meal that’s a celebration in itself. Starters During the media launch one Tuesday in Tagaytay, Chef David added fig chutney to an organic arugula salad and topped it with Parmesan cheese to start the meal. The sweet-ish fig chutney prepared our palates for the nontraditional dishes lined up ahead. A dish of what looked like dumplings came next. Swirling in brown butter and mushrooms, it definitely wasn't your usual Chinese dim sum favorite. A bite revealed that inside was pumpkin, roasted and cooked with sage and topped with grated Italian cookies (amaretto) that provided a crunch. It was surprisingly delicious! The wine paired with it, a 2008 Beringer Founders’ Estate Riesling, was light and refreshing, a perfect partner to this dish called roasted pumpkin amaretto agnolotti.

Meat, fish, truffles Chef David has always been an outside-the-box kind of cook, and is not contented with serving traditional dishes as is. His creativity showed in the way he executed the main courses in the holiday menu. Chorizo Codfish Fillet melded the salty flavor of chorizo dotted with Italian spice with the comforting taste of codfish. A white creamy foamy mixture―an infusion of thyme, said Chef David―provided a stark visual, and may initially turn off diners. But this hinted of molecular gastronomy, which is celebrated in many restaurants abroad, and showed the chef's playful side. Chef David chose a strong wine to pair with this dish, the 2009 Beringer Founders’ Estate Pinot Noir, to counter the strong flavors of the chorizo and the codfish. The US Wagyu beef "bistro steak" was tender but juicy too. That it came with a serving of pan-seared foie gras on top just made it more special and indulgent. It could have been easy just to focus on the steak and the foie gras but one must not miss the croquette, which had black truffle rice and--surprise, surprise!--kesong puti. A cabernet sauvignon (Beringer Founders' Estate 2009) was aptly paired with this dish, a wonderful toast to the excellent presentation. Sweet ending Fruit, nuts, and ice cream were all put together in the dessert dubbed Pears "Belle Helene," which Chef David explained was inspired by the 19th century dessert made by "Father of Modern Day Cuisine" Auguste Escoffier. The original classic dessert, named after the operetta "La Belle Helene," had candied violet petals. Now violet petals are hard to come by--and may take getting used to--and so there were just pears in this new dessert. But the homemade chocolate and macadamia ice cream topped with salted caramel cream sauce made it extraordinary. Scooping it all with barquillo was the best way to savor the blend of sweet delights. Capping the meal was a cup of tea, an infusion of the herbs grown in Tagaytay. Sipping it in good company while taking in the view of the serene Taal Volcano and lake below was more than just relaxing and fulfilling. A meal like this certainly warms the heart--whether in Tagaytay or a wintry place. For that, Chef David deserves much applause. – YA, GMA News Photos by Noel Pabalante, courtesy of Discovery Country Suites   Restaurant Verbena is located at the Discovery Country Suites, 300 Calamba Road, San Jose, Tagaytay City, tel. nos. (02) 719-8888, (02) 529-8172, and (046) 413-4567.