The town of Balayan in Batangas province is not where one expects to find an Italian restaurant. Specialty restaurants tend to be more popular in the cities. Yet, for a couple of years now, Chez Deo Ristorante Italiano has been feeding locals and visitors alike with its take on Italian cuisine.
“Deo” is Amadeo de Castro, a Batangas native who used to work as a paralegal with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). He left the NBI to work as a dishwasher at a sports bar and restaurant. Ambition led him to attend culinary classes and join cooking competitions.
De Castro’s work ethic served him well; he rose through the ranks and landed a job in London as head chef at Toto Ristorante Italiano and Little Sicily. He was the lone Filipino in a kitchen run by 14 Italian chefs. He lasted four years until recession forced him to return to the Philippines.
Well-received
While waiting for his papers for a possible job in Australia, he opened a small pizza and pasta place in Batangas. The 40-square-meter eatery was so well-received that he was approached by a couple who wanted to be his business partners.
De Castro and his wife later moved the entire operation to an old house that was refurbished and outfitted with a wood-burning oven for his freshly made breads and pizzas. Australia’s loss became Balayan’s gain.
Locals are glad there’s an Italian resto to take their guests to, while tourists who ask around for a good place to eat are often given directions to Chez Deo.
In her book “Philippine Food and Life” (Anvil and GCF, 1992), author and Inquirer Lifestyle columnist Gilda Cordero-Fernando writes that “the vaunted hospitality of Filipinos is best
exemplified in the Batangueños,” and how it was “a matter of territorial smugness that no commercial steakhouse or pizza parlor [could] thrive in Batangas City. Having to lunch a friend at a restaurant does not at all sit well with the townfolk’s traditional hospitality.”
Italian spread
Times have definitely changed since the book was published over 20 years ago. On a recent trip to Balayan, several lifestyle writers got to sample practically Chez Deo’s entire repertoire—starting with assorted breads and appetizers (the seafood salad was really fresh); followed by four kinds of pizzas (Pepperoni and Jalapeno, Tutte le Carne, Margherita and Pizza delo Chef).
Next came pasta preparations and three main dishes: beef wrapped in puff pastry on top of a mushroom and truffle cream sauce; grilled chicken skewer with a side of vegetables; and seared salmon with prawns in a citrus and white wine sauce.
Dessert was a revelation; the homemade coconut ice cream with roasted pineapple was tart and creamy—two flavor sensations that are seldom paired but actually work together.
De Castro sources his fresh ingredients from a number of places: vegetables, fish and seafood from Batangas; mozzarella from delis in Manila; meat from Tagaytay; and fresh herbs are snipped when needed from the restaurant’s own backyard.
A concrete plant box near the main gate has been devoted to growing herbs like basil and rosemary.
De Castro is so determined to make his food fresh daily that he turned down a proposal to market frozen versions of some of his dishes.
“I don’t have anything against frozen products, but Chez Deo is all about fresh, homemade and authentic ingredients,” he says.
Balayan might be a long drive for most city-based folks but if you’re willing to make the trip, Chez Deo Ristorante Italiano is as good a reason as any to head south.
Chez Deo is at Fe St., Brgy. 12, Balayan, Batangas. Call tel. nos. 043-2116868 and 0927-3064774. Visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ChezDeoRistoranteItaliano.
PHOTOS BY RAOUL J. CHEE KEE