Giorgio Matera creates new dishes for La Piadina

Some chefs claim their food is fit for a king. But Italian chef Giorgio Matera, creator of the La Piadina chain of restaurants, has actually served kings, queens, emperors, and presidents.  

 

In fact, Matera is so good at his craft that the Italian government even knighted him.

 

Matera, who is based in Japan, already sold his La Piadina chain of restaurants in the Philippines to the Go Tian family, but remains the head of the kitchen. He is the mind behind every La Piadina dish.

 

Matera recently went on a brief visit to the Philippines to create new dishes for La Piadina. What resulted were the Sformatino Di Spinaci E La Salsa Formaggio (spinach soufflé with cheese sauce), Tortino Di Melanzane (eggplant tart), Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina (fresh homemade potato dumplings in cheesy tomato sauce), Crespelle Di Ricotta, Funghi E Carne Macinata (crepe with ricotta cheese mushroom and minced meat).

 

The restaurant will also be introducing these main entrees: Risotto ai Funghi Olio di Tartufo (Italian-style rice with fresh mushrooms, parmesan cheese and truffle oil); Lombata Di Pollo All Arancia (seared chicken fillet in orange sauce); Rutolo Di Maiale (pork fillet in herb salt); Pesce Spada (grilled fish fillet with cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and fresh thymes).

Corrupted palates

 

When asked why he decided to open a La Piadina restaurant in the Philippines, Giorgio said, “I was amazed to see guys eat like crazy. I mean you eat before breakfast, breakfast, before lunch, lunch, merienda, midnight snack…” 

 

In a sitdown with the media and lifestyle bloggers, Giorgio recalled that “something was not working” when he opened the first La Piadina restaurant at the Glorietta food court.

 

One time, some of his Japanese clients—the top honchos of a large bank—happened to be at the Glorietta food court. As they approached, Matera hid himself behind the counter because he was ashamed of his job.

 

But he said, he realized what was wrong: he had too much pride. Everything changed when he stopped hiding behind the counter, interacted more with his Filipino patrons. From one tiny restaurant, La Piadina in the Philippines grew to a chain of seven branches.

 

Matera happily shared that the success came even though he did not compromise his standards. He recalled that his wife, former model Tetta Ortiz, told him that Filipinos like sweet-tasting sauces for pastas like spaghetti.

 

But Matera, who studied at the prestigious Academia de la Coccini Italiana, said he wanted to stick to what he knew and serve traditional Italian dishes.

 

Italian cooking is all about freshness and flavor. The cooking is carried out in a simple manner to preserve the identity of the ingredients of the dish.

 

Matera said if someone is serving spinach, the diner should taste the freshness of the spinach and not something else. The problem with most adults, he said, is that “their palates have been corrupted.”

 

He thus finds it not unusual that children with purer palates enjoy his food.
 

Insisting on perfection
 

From seven restaurants, La Piadina is down to only four, including branches at International School Manila and Xavier School. 

 

The restaurant does not have a commissary because everything is made fresh on site, including the pizza dough and the pasta.

 

Emerson Go Tian, the current owner of the La Piadina chain, added that Matera insisted on putting an authentic Italian oven at every branch because other ovens cannot reach the ideal temperature for creating the perfect pizza.

 

A “perfect” pizza means the right balance between the crispiness of the base and the freshness and softness of the garnish. A perfect pasta, on the other hand, means al dente, or “just right,” not soggy or overcooked.

Go Tian revealed that Matera had very precise demands about the ingredients he used. They should be fresh and of top quality. With the spinach, Go Tian said Giorgio wasn’t pleased with the taste of spinach available in local stores. They had to go with frozen spinach which has a finer and fresher taste.

 

However, Matera believes that what’s important is to serve fresh and healthy food.

Mouths are for eating, not speaking
 

For Matera, cooking is a way of communicating his passion.

 

“When you’re passionate about something, you cannot keep passion inside you because it will destroy you. Passion cannot be stored inside because no human being could handle so much energy. I want to share my passion,” he said.

 

“I hope my food is my instrument. Let’s use everything we have to help people, not just watch. To me, my best expression is food,” he added.

 

Matera even quipped, “I believe maybe God gave us the mouth not to speak but to eat with.” 

His spinach soufflé with cheese sauce was a precious little Mediterranean treat that evoked images of a bright, airy, and healthy vegetable garden. — VC/BM, GMA News