A taste of home... if grandma was Italian
THE MARCO POLO Ortigas Manila’s buffet restaurant, Cucina, gets an upgrade with the arrival of a new Chef de Cuisine, Giuseppe Rivoli.
Although hailing from Italy, Mr. Rivoli has worked in several corners of the world, from London, Singapore, and Indonesia. For a tasting on Oct. 14 in Cucina,
Mr. Ravoli laid out a spread for guests with favorites he had grown up with, and a little something from his experiences.
Jostling for space alongside familiar Marco Polo favorites such as its paella, Mr. Ravoli presented
osso bucco ala Milanese with soft yellow polenta, beef cheek couscous and grilled vegetables, Italian porchetta stuffed with sundried tomato and black olive pate, baked salted fish with Chef Giuseppe’s special sauce, and wild mushroom risotto.
“My style is a light style. I come from the Mediterranean Sea... I don’t like to put fatty things in my dishes, you know? Every bite, you can taste everything,” he said. Despite this declaration, the
osso bucco (stewed beef shanks) proved to be quite rich, as did the beef cheek couscous (which was marinated for 24 hours in red wine, cinnamon stick, cloves, and black pepper). The risotto was especially filling, with each bite loaded with flavor with a hint of earthiness and the unmistakable flavor of cheese. The
porchetta proved to be quite lean, with a wonderfully crispy skin and a tang from the stuffing, while the baked salted fish (served with a salt crust) tasted very fresh, and brought one to a sunny seashore.
The heavy dishes, according to Mr. Rivoli, were derived from the Northern, colder parts of Italy, where people needed to be full and warm, while the lighter dishes would reflect the lighter and sunnier air of the South.
Asked about the sourcing of the ingredients, he noted that the fish, a huge snapper, was local, but then, “Of course, it’s important. The polenta, you cannot find it in the Philippines, and the beef cheek, of course, is imported.”
Although one expects flair and finesse in a hotel restaurant, the dishes, though presented with bombastic dash, still had a flavor of home; that is, if you had an Italian grandmother, this is what she would make for you if she had not seen you in a long time, and wanted to impress.
“I hope that people, when they come to Cucina, they feel at home,” said Mr. Rivoli.
Meanwhile, Mirkko de Giorgi, F&B Director of Marco Polo Ortigas, spoke about the changes in the hotel: aside from Mr. Rivoli, the hotel is also bringing in a new Chinese executive chef for its Chinese restaurant, Lung Hin, as well as having a faster turnover of dishes in Cucina, with some menu items added, removed, and replaced every few months or so. “We can change it very quickly, but this is not our goal. The goal is to have it properly changed,”he said.
“I think that’s the main goal; to be really consistent, with good quality, good presentation; everything will be cooked fresh.” —
“I hope that people, when they come to Cucina, they feel at home,” said Mr. Rivoli.