Italian-style
dining for friends and family
published
in Appetite Magazine, August 2011 issue.
When I think
Italy, I think food. To go to Italy
without getting a taste of Italian cuisine is tantamount to culinary blasphemy. Italy’s food bible The Silver Spoon actually calls eating “a serious matter in Italy.” Just
like us Filipinos who can’t resist a family feast, Italians also thrive on good
company, good wine and good food.
I didn’t have to
go far to get a taste of Italy. It took
just one ride to the Fort to discover the spirit of a hearty Italian meal in
the ristorante Trio. Classy yet comfortable, Trio is what it
markets itself to be – the perfect place for gatherings Italian (or you could
say, Filipino) style. In fact, the whole
place which seats 140 can be reserved for parties or company functions.
Managing Director
Ian Palabyab says that other restaurants claiming to be Italian would also be
pricey. Trio meals, to my delight,
served huge portions at reasonable prices.
Aside from the single serving, the recently upgraded menu captures the
essence of an authentic Italian meal – that is, family-sized helpings of yummy
no-nonsense Italian food which could serve three or four people.
Given the
eight-year track record of Trio, I was surprised to learn that the kitchen was
under the direction of a young chef.
Don’t let his youth fool you though. 26-year old Corporate Chef Benny Liboro trained
under the strict supervision of several chefs, aside from being schooled in an
Australian culinary school. His resume
is a tour on world flavors as he has worked in Greek, French and Japanese
restaurants. This includes one of
Perth’s famous eateries, Etro Bistro, where he was supervised by French Chef
Patrick Panier.
Talking to Chef
Benny would already give you a foretaste to a Trio dish. Confident and vigorous
in his speech, Chef Benny exemplified the robustness of a simple yet filling
meal. He tells us that Italian food is
actually simple. Authentic Italian food uses light ingredients which can fill
you up, without making you feel heavy.
Although I was excited to try the main courses, I couldn’t pass up on
the Trio Salad (P275, P595) which was a generous serving of fresh mesclun
greens topped with dried cranberries, candied walnuts, gorgonzola and raspberry
vinaigrette.
Chef Benny’s love
for food began with his love for eating.
He remembers his dad feeding him Dominoes pizza when he was young. Now,
his dad doesn’t need to deliver the pizzas to him anymore. Benny makes them! I especially like the fire-baked Capriciossa
thin crust pizza (P255) which had toppings of salami, smoked ham, mozzarella,
basil, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and eggs.
Some of the
dishes which are said to be single serving could arguably feed two people. Take the Bistro Steak (P445, P995) for
example. This juicy chunk of US Angus Beef is thick, tender, and served with a
huge helping of garlicky home-made mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Of course, we
cannot talk about Italian food without thinking about pasta. If you want the
perfect light pasta dish to complement the heavier meat dishes, I would also
recommend the Vongole (P295,P695). This
is simple linguine drizzled with the white wine oil and topped with fresh
clams, diced tomatoes and parsley.
My favorite dish
would be the Al Forno Shrimps (P495, P895) which translates to four big
mouth-watering shrimps covered with melted parmesan. Now this dish, you would
want to finish on your own. The shrimps are oven-baked thermidor style and
served with the staple side dishes of mashed potatoes and mixed
vegetables. The family-sized serving
would include around 12-14 shrimps.
I remember Ian saying that they don’t want
people to come to Trio for the promos; they want people to come because of the
dining experience. Trio’s happy hour,
every hour – buy 1 take 2 cocktails – may be added motivations to get your
appetite for Italian food going. But the Al Forno shrimps and other surprises from
Chef Benny are definitely the reasons for me to come back. Next time, they can
expect the whole family to dine with me, Filipino style.
Trio is located
at 2nd Level, Fort Pointe
Bldg., Fort Bonifacio Global City Taguig, Metro Manila. For information and reservations
phone (2)8841601.
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| You might still be able to grab back issues of Appetite August 2011 in selected newsstands |
