BY TJ LIM
When you hear C2, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Let me guess; the beverage! But I’m talking about a different kind of C2 (not the beverage). What I’m talking about is the C2 restaurant located on the sixth floor of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
C2 stands for "Classic Cuisine." Classic what? Classic Italian? Classic French? No, it’s Classic Filipino food from the different regions of the country. Usually, when I have Filipino food or "lutong-bahay," it always has the same taste, the same smell, the same presentation and the same textures; I want something new! Maybe that’s why I prefer eating something else other than Filipino food! Well, C2 changes that! They offer authentic Filipino dishes with a twist and present it in their own unique plating. C2 does not serve fusion cuisine; it is a combination of multiple flavors and textures using only local and authentic home grown ingredients.
 |
|
Kare-kareng Baka | | Filipino food is known for its rich and bold flavors (sounds like a recipe for success). I wonder why Filipino food isn’t still on the map of the food world. Ms. Odessa Galiccia, one of the managers at C2 told me, "Taste is subjective; much depends on the person eating. It’s the way we present food that makes us different."
I agree. I’ve eaten at several restaurants that serve authentic Filipino food and they were all the same! Nothing really sets them apart or makes them unique; they all tasted and looked the same! It’s only C2 that gave me a different dining experience serving the same, familiar Filipino food. Each dish was presented in a way that I haven’t seen in any other Filipino restaurant. Here, you can really eat with your eyes first before you dive in!
One of the signature dishes is called the "Seared Tilapia in Coconut Emulsion" (P375) or better known to us as the ginataang tilapia. It is lightly seasoned, pan-fried, fresh, tilapia fillet on a coconut emulsion sauce made from shrimp stock, coconut milk and cream, and served with crispy, thin, shoestring potatoes, julienne carrots and jicama, plus a small portion of their own pineapple salsa, which I particularly found very good. You get the natural taste of the tilapia, with the freshness of the salsa, the richness of the sauce, and the texture from the potatoes. Good stuff!
When I told Chef Oliver Gascon that it was the salsa that really got my attention he said, "When you say salsa, it’s always the usual tomatoes and onions that come in to mind, which is very Mexican. I wanted to come up with a different kind of salsa using what is locally available. We have so much pineapples and mangoes everywhere; why not use them?" That is where he got the inspiration to come up with the pineapple salsa, as well as the cucumber mango salsa, which is served with the "Crispy Fried Catfish" (P275) a pair of deep fried, whole, cat fish served with the salsa and a soy vinegar dip; you never go wrong with deep fried food!
Another dish is their "Adobong Puti" (P195). It’s slowly simmered pieces of pork and chicken in vinegar and fish sauce, and then deep fried until golden brown, served in its own stewing liquid, which was reduced to a slightly thick, syrupy sauce with some mustard leaf relish on the side. This too is a must try for adobo fans out there!
One of the most popular dishes is their "Kare-kareng Baka" (P350). I asked what was so special about C2’s version of kare-kare and Chef Oliver answered, "Instead of using ox tail which we are accustomed to, we use beef ribs. It’s difficult to cook the ox tail; undercooking makes it tough; overcooking disintegrates it. So I thought of using beef ribs instead." It was actually a good move; by using beef ribs, it gives the sauce a richer taste, plus you have meatier pieces of beef compared to pieces of ox tail.
Other must-try items are the "Laing Rice" (P95), which is garlic rice sautéed in taro leaves stewed in coconut cream; "Ensaladang Bagnet" (P220), an Ilocano inspired salad of seaweed, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and bagnet dressed with bagoong lime vinaigrette; and C2’s version of bulalo called "Lao’Ya "(P295), tender beef shanks in flavored broth served with native vegetables.
What really intrigued me were some of their desserts which I’ve never encountered yet! The "Bibingka Soufflé" (P130), how can you resist that? It looked like a soufflé, it felt like a soufflé, and the texture was like that of soufflé but it tasted like the bibingka sold during our Simbang Gabi, served with a crème anglaise infused with itlog na maalat on the side.
Another unique soufflé they have is the "Chocnut Soufflé" (P130), a new way to enjoy those little Chocnut bars. For the Durian lovers out there the "Durian Brulee" (P110) is definitely for you! Cold, creamy, light custard infused with the king of fruits from the south, durian! I expected it to have just a hint of flavor from the fruit but I was wrong! As soon as I had tasted it all I could think of was, DURIAN! One more must-try is their take on the Italian dessert, which they call "Pastillas Panna Cotta" (P120); just the name itself makes my mouth water! It is a blend of rich, creamy milk custard with tiny morsels of pastillas that just melt in your mouth.
|
