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Friday, March 29, 2024

It takes a community (to raise a foodie)

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In a quiet spot along Metropoli Drive in Quezon City, a stone’s throw away from the bustling Eastwood scene, a newly opened restaurant offers some peace and quiet, and homey good French and Italian food.

The Community Kitchen invites guests to sit languorously and have passionate discussions on topics ranging from inflationary pressures on food and attempts to raid a neighbor’s herb garden to the government’s war on drugs and next year’s midterm polls. And while the dishes are Instagram-worthy, it seems diners choose to focus more on conversations they are having with the people they are breaking bread with.

Clams Vongole with chopped almonds
Clams Vongole with chopped almonds

The restaurant had its soft opening in September, and a month later they already have several return customers—the ladies who lunch, families who live within the Metropoli community, even those who prefer to eat alone and unhurried—much like the long lunches in Spain that precedes the infamous siesta.

“We make everything from scratch, except for linguine,” said Tin Santos, co-owner and manager of the restaurant. This is, perhaps, a matter of pride for their executive chef, Bernadette Olivares, who graduated from Les Roches Switzerland and took culinary lessons in Paris.

“We offer fresh, good food. The dishes may be European, but they are familiar to the Pinoy palate,” she added.

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Pizza Margherita
Pizza Margherita

There’s shrimp scampi and clams Vongole, and the delectable beef shank ragu for pasta lovers.

For pizza, the Margherita—simple, basic, and one of two “true” pizzas according to purists, the other one being marinara—is a standout, with the sourdough that they use adding texture and flavor. There’s pepperoni, white clams, and Italian sausage pizzas, but if you ask nicely, you can order an off-the-menu seafood pizza that boasts fresh produce from a sustainable seafood farm in Bacolod.

The main dishes include the French classic beef Bourguignon, lamb stew with Lyonnaise potatoes, salmon with rosemary, steak frites (Wagyu Grade 8/9), braised brisket, and coq au vin (red wine braised chicken). The coq au vin, in particular, was a recent entry.

Seafood Pizza
Seafood Pizza, an off-menu item

“We used to offer fried chicken, but there are two Jollibee branches near us—one at the entrance of Metropoli drive and the other just across the road,” Santos said, chuckling at the memory of the fried chicken that had to bid their menu goodbye. This is the Philippines, after all, and in terms of deep-fried chicken, Jollibee still reigns supreme.

For dessert, The Community Kitchen carries the Papa Diddi’s brand of gelato courtesy of restaurant co-owner Paul Perez.

“We use carabao milk for our gelato, so it’s creamier,” said Perez, whose creative juices have pushed the boundaries on what is possible for ice cream—from seasonal fruits such as lychee and tamarind, to the classic ube quezo and the kids’ favorite bubblegum.

Shrimp Remoulade with dill mayonnaise and alfalfa
Shrimp Remoulade with dill mayonnaise and alfalfa

The restaurant also has an elevated al fresco area where one can sip coffee in peace while munching on the French pastry Kouign-amman, which takes eight hours to bake—a truly indulgent buttery treat.

So if you are in the area and would like to veer off your usual Eastwood haunts for a while, drop by The Community Kitchen and enjoy the moment and the good food, and hopefully with good company.

I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com.

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