Chef Pixie Sevilla
Chef Pixie Sevilla has sweet and savory treats on her menu. She recommends:
Brazo de Luna, a salted egg brazo
Brazo de Lila, an ube pastillas brazo
Brazo de Bola, a brazo with quezo de bola filling.
Her brazo meringue, she says, is an “in between”—not as airy or dense.
“Our fillings are both gooey and creamy, but definitely melts in your mouth naturally,” she adds. “The brazo filling is the perfect balance between sweet and salty, specially for the Luna (salted egg) and Bola (quezo de bola). It just hits your sweet-salty spot.”
Note: She also has brazos in bottles.
Tocino del Cielo—an heirloom recipe, just like her classic Brazo de Remedios. This tocino is full of yolk. It is a rich, creamy and smooth caramel flan—or, as Chef Pixie puts it, “Imagine a yema-tasting flan.”
Other must-sample dishes from Pixie include her barbecue—juicy, light and very addicting, the meat thin and tender. The recipe was inspired by her local travels.
“I used to have a certain barbecue from the province flown in regularly. I was so addicted to it until we finally made our own version,” she says.
Thai-Style Curry Crab—Pixie swears that the sauce is what gets you hooked. It is creamy with a touch of curry.
Sotanghon—The secret to this sotanghon, she says, is in the noodles—sticky yet firm; add to that Bulacan garlic longganisa that gives the dish an orange tinge.
Tel. 7232776
Johnlu Koa
Master baker Johnlu Koa of the French Baker has created a gingerbread house to give your Christmas spread a cheerful touch.
“The French Baker gingerbread house for this season is made even more special with decor and figurines made of pastillage and gum paste,” he says. “To add flavor and crunch, the dough is enriched with graham cracker crumbs.”
The gingerbread houses are available at French Baker outlets.
Buddy Trinidad
Chef Buddy Trinidad highly recommends his Park Avenue Old English fruitcake aged with Don Papa Rum and tropical dried fruits and nuts.
“I make only 100 pieces of the loaf and 100 pieces of the six-inch round,” he says. “I made all of these in June. The cakes have been soaking since.”
The cakes are dense, intense and decadent with very little flour—“almost flourless,” in fact, says Buddy.
Tel. 8526141
Chrissy Tanco
Chrissy Tanco of the famed Bizu restaurant recommends:
Roast Lamb Ham—Smoked and cured lamb leg ham with maple and honey glaze, best served with mint jelly and honey.
Strawberry Rose Cake—Layers of genoise sponge, chantilly cream, strawberry coulis and rose essence. The cake is adorned with rose- and vanilla-flavored French macarons and fresh strawberries.
Parmesan Ensaymada—Bizu’s classic butter brioche topped with whipped butter and parmesan.
Tel. 8450590 to 93
J Gamboa
Chef J Gamboa has prepared tender and delicious US roast beef for the holidays—tasty US Beef Chuck Roast, and Slow-Roasted US Beef Chuck with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce.
Tel. 8108735, 8102763. Allow three days’ notice.
Mon and Monique Eugenio
In April 2005, restaurateurs Ramon and chef Monique Eugenio of Myron’s Restaurant, with business partner chef Mel Resuna, participated in the weekend markets at Salcedo and Legaspi, where their Roast US Certified Angus Roast Rib Eye of Beef became a huge hit.
You may order that same roast served with garden vegetables, roasted garlic and marble potatoes by calling 7558898, 24-hour notice required.
Sally San Jose
Chef Sally San Jose of Chippen’s will make my favorite macaroni salad. It is to die for—rather plain in appearance but big on taste and flavor. Her lumpiang shanghai is equally delicious. She sells it frozen, ready for frying. A must-try.
Tel. 09778394109. Orders are for pickup at the airport.
Juda Liu
Costa Brava’s Juda Liu, whose cakes are my absolute favorite, has a Cupcake Christmas Tree. I tried it last week and it was a joy to eat. The kids will surely devour the colorful cupcakes capped with marshmallow frosting, while having fun pulling the tree apart.
Tel. 8966872
I hope you don’t mind—I, too, have my own list of Christmas offerings. For a copy, please text 09175543700 or 09082372346.