It’s a truffles feast for the senses at Newport Mall at Resorts World Manila (RWM) as it showcases heavenly truffle creations by talented chefs from select restaurants.
For the entire month, truffles are featured in all their magnificent aromatic and tasty forms—as soup, appetizer, salad and main course.
“It’s the Philippines’ first truffles festival and the first to be held at Newport Mall,” said Joee Guilas, RWM corporate communications director.
RWM has been holding food festivals for four years now, highlighting familiar ingredients, such as chocolates in 2015, matcha in 2016 and coconuts in 2017.
“This year we bring in what is hailed by chefs as the diamond of the kitchen—the truffle,” Guilas said. “It is said to be the most expensive food ingredient in the world with certain varieties that cost up to $10,000 per pound.”
The highly prized culinary gem adds a layer of flavor and taste to all sorts of dishes. Truffles can turn ordinary food like potatoes, pasta and pizza into gourmet creations. Truffles have a musty, earthy and sweet taste and are quite pungent and mushroomy.
“For the festival, all the truffles were flown in from France and Italy,” added Guilas.
Truffles delight
During the press preview, all seven restaurants, including RWM’s signature French fine dining outlet, Impressions, presented their truffle-infused dishes intended to bring diners to a whole new level of indulgence. Each dish was even rated by the media to add fun to the event.
Parmigiano Ristorante Pizzeria presented its creamy truffle pasta and pizza, Fettuccine Ai Funghi Porcini Salsiccia e Tartufo and Filletto Di Carne con Tartufo, respectively.
The fresh handmade fettuccine was peppered with wild mushroom varieties cloaked in truffle cream sauce and topped with Italian sausage, sliced black truffles and fresh parmesan cheese shavings.
The hand-tossed pizza had truffle cream and mozzarella cheese and cooked in a brick oven.
Lumu Filipino Kitchen had Sizzling Black Truffle Bulalo Steak that showed how truffle could add depth to traditional Pinoy food.
The slow-cooked steak was a fork-tender beef shank with the marrow swimming in truffle-infused gravy, topped with potato allumettes and garlic crisps for that nice extra crunch.
Red Crab Alimango House’s award-winning chef Sonny Mariano showcased the Garlic Crab with Truffled Mushroom Rice, which was a very filling, and the savory version of Red Crab’s famous Crab Maritess.
The crab was cooked in olive oil and heaps of garlic, paired with truffle-infused rice.
Italianni’s featured the extra creamy Truffle Chicken and Mushroom Pasta and Truffle Mushroom Pizza. The pizza was laden with mozzarella cheese, truffle cream, prosciutto and bacon.
Impressions remained true to its classy dishes and presented a combo of Mixed Mushroom Soup with Black Truffle Duck Liver Ravioli, Cold Angel Hair Pasta with Black Truffle Ponzu Sauce and Caviar, and Chilean Seabass with Black Truffles Carrot Risotto, Herb Salsa and Soy Sauce Cloud.
UCC Café Terrace preferred it light and easy with Black and White Truffle Fries, crisp potato wedges made more palatable and edgy with black truffle bits, truffle oil and parmesan cheese. The fries prepared the palate for its Truffle Mushroom Pasta with white truffle oil.
Mr. Kurosawa, which grabbed the best truffle dish from the media, wanted an avant-garde dining experience by serving a hot bowl of Truffle Ramen, filled with curly noodles, tamago, cashew, meat, seaweed and truffle oil.
The Truffle Festival runs until Sept. 30 at Newport Mall.
