I believe I have found the right formula in saying if a place will survive or will eventually sell its equipment at bargain prices. Food quality and price have to go hand-in-hand.
At one of the recent live cooking demonstrations brought by Lee Kum Kee to various malls all over the metropolis, and where I was one of the featured chefs, I was exchanging dining discoveries with a colleague when he said something that caught my attention. One of the chefs in our tour has partnered with his sister to put up this restaurant, he told me. The sister was once a winner in a top cooking competition, while the chef is also a veteran in the culinary industry and is one of the country’s top food stylists.
As soon as I found the time, I dropped by this new quaint dining place in Makati. It’s called KitchCafe. The sister was there manning the kitchen. Having only one tummy, all I could order were an Adobo Cream Pasta, Chicken, Portobello, Gruyere Panini and a Tarta Katrina.
I loved the adobo cream pasta. It was something I had never tried before. Pasta was cooked perfectly; the chunks of tender flaked adobo and the serving portion were just right.
The sandwich was also unique—healthy, sticky, creamy and tasty. I had enough room for the reddish dessert, which I learned was created for a demanding friend who wanted something different for her birthday.
The next time I went back with my wife, we had the seafood chowder, which was outstanding. It tasted like the French Bouillabaisse in St. Tropez, France. Tessa loved her Pesto Cream Pasta with Grilled Rosemary Chicken, and I also enjoyed the Kitch Burger—a half-pound burger patty with melted cheese, pan-grilled portobello mushroom, melted cheese and bacon with aioli sauce.
Another dish I recommend, which has become a trend in many restaurants, is the Truffle Mac and Cheese. The resto also bakes its own bread and does all the pastries.
On my first visit, I talked to chef Eugene and he asked me if I remembered his sister Marion. She had joined a cooking competition where I was one of the judges, and had come in second in the finals. I am grateful for two things: for the phrase “Oh really, I don’t remember,” and the fact that Marion was gracious enough not to poison me.
Kidding aside, I love Marion’s food. Talk about trying to make kambyo after two decades.
Chef Eugene Raymundo and sister Marion have the right formula for success: food well-presented and reasonable prices.
Happy eating!
KitchCafe is at Unit G14, Sunvar Plaza, Pasay Road corner Amorsolo, Makati; tel. 8433620; mobile 0917-8851812. Park at Cinema Square.
E-mail [email protected]; follow on Twitter.
