Chef Mervyn Whitfield

In 2006, the Filinvest company approached Chef Mervyn to open a restaurant at Westgate Center, but that time, he was busy with Piccolo Mondo. Then, he realized that he needed to widen his carte du jour. So he spoke to his friends Bobby Habulos and Joey Villa, who became his silent partners, in establishing a Mediterranean restaurant.

The chef named the restaurant after his mother, who was an inspiration in his life and instrumental in his cooking. Incidentally, that’s also the name of Joey’s daughter; only, it is spelled differently.

A Taste Of The Mediterranean

Mediterranean cuisine is a collective term for the food in the places surrounding the Mediterranean Sea such as Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Cyrus.

The geography enabled the countries to exchange cultures and heritage, including some cooking principles, techniques, and skills. The cuisine is very flexible, apparent in its vast range of ingredients and several regional variations.

At Sophia’s, guests can start their meal with mezze, a platter of Greek appetizers. There's Bruschetta, toasted bread slices topped with tomato. herbs, and olive oil. Surprisingly, the bread slices have crisp crusts with soft middles.

Another appetizing treat is the Tiropita, phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta, and cottage cheese. Phyllo are paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough made from water, flour, and a small amount of oil.

Sophia’s triangle-shaped pastries look unassuming, plain, and simple, but they are astonishingly good: the crisp crust goes well with the salty filling with hints of dried herbs. You can eat it on its own, or try it with yoghurt dip.

Other appetizers are Kalamarikia, fried squid rings with lemon sauce; Tzatziki, Greek yoghurt dip with a trace of mint and served with pita bread; Carpiaccio di Manzo, thin beef slices with capers, herbs, and olive oil; Chicken Liver Pâté, homemade chicken pâté served with pita bread; and Dolmades, stuffed grapevine leaves with lemon sauce.

And For The Next Course?

Since Mediterranean cuisine is known for being healthy, the restaurant boasts of its "greens." Sample their Greek salad, which is a mixture of greens, olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese. The saltiness of the cheese blends with the balsamic vinegar dressing. Or opt for the Blue Cheese salad with walnuts; Caprese salad with mozzarella, tomato, and pesto; or the Patatokeftedes with bacon, balsamic, and parmesan.

Grilled meats are popular fare in Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Mervyn uses different meats such as lamb, beef, prawns, and chicken in his kebabs. The grilled dish is served with salad and three different dips: yoghurt (a little sour but nonetheless good), chili, and mint (with olive oil).

Chef Mervyn recommends their pizza, saying "the dough is made every day. They are not frozen. They are freshly stone-baked which (makes) the pizza crust crunchy, but not like crackers. Our pizzas are not oily and soggy."

For the main entrees, the chef’s recommendations are Lamb Shank Athena, lamb bone slow-cooked in honey-tomato sauce; Veal Lemono, veal slices in lemon butter sauce; Beef Stifado, classic Greek casserole with peas; and Arni Kleftiko, Greek lamb casserole.

They also have the Seafood Risotto, with Grilled Tiger Prawns. Chef Mervyn advises that a good risotto should be al dente.

"It should be cooked just enough to retain a somewhat firm texture. It has to have a certain bite to it," he said. True enough, their seafood risotto has that "crunch" when you eat it, and it’s light, not sticky.

He believes that "good food need not be expensive. You just have to make that the recipes are cooked using the best and freshest ingredients."

Chef Mervyn feels great satisfaction when people leave his restaurant satisfied and filled. In fact, if his customers are not satisfied with a dish, Chef Mervyn takes it back and cooks it again to suit the customer’s taste.

"Filipinos want their food sweet, while Italians prefer them sour. Italians like their pasta just coated with sauce, while Filipinos and Americans love sauce," observes chef Mervyn.

He continued: "[Altering recipes to suit tastes is not considered as bad] as [it was] before. People have become more adaptable because of globalization and immigration as well as the influx of new ingredients and spices in the market."

More than just the food, guests will also love the restaurant’s light, warm, and relaxed ambiance. After all, who could resist a lazy lunch (or dinner) in a Mediterranean garden, close to a sun-baked courtyard, complete with trellised vines, citrusy shrubbery, potted plants, and bougainvilleas?

(photo by Pinggot Zulueta)