One of Metro Manila’s favorite chefs and society caterers (and probably the most low key) has shaken things up at her flagship restaurant in Greenbelt 5.
Bambi Sy-Gobio, the creator of the 25-year-old Sisa’s Dementia chocolate cake that so many other shops have tried and failed to copy, has re-done the black and white theme of Pia Y Damaso on the mall’s second floor and given it fresh, bright colors.
Finally, we say!
The restaurant’s regulars may remember the dining area to be cramped — but that’s been fixed now that the bar area has been cut in half.
There are 16 new items in the menu, which Sy-Gobio has always described as “subversive Filipino cuisine,” because she’s grabbed traditional Pinoy dishes by the throat, spun them around and given them a new twist.
So far, the best sellers from the new menu include fried chicken with salted egg sauce, KKK (arroz kubanang kalabaw ni kabesang tales), seared seafood with sticky black Ifugao rice with cerveza mussel cream, and the crisp gambas.
Sy-Gobio is a child prodigy of sorts, and has been cooking since eight years old. She has a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, interned at Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, and worked at Daniel Bouley’s self-named (and critically acclaimed) Bouley restaurant in New York.
For her fans, of course, Pia Y Damaso in Greenbelt 5 is just a sneak peek into Sy-Gobio’s offerings. The real deal can be had at her fabulous Swiss chalet-inspired Greenhills house (designed by an Austrian architect) which is available for private functions and dinners for a price. That space is called Residencia.
Pia Y Damaso has been around since 2007 and has operated under the premise that Filipino cooking’s own unique and bold flavours are highly influenced by Spanish culture.
“This is just one of the reasons why the food we serve are themed after the books of Jose Rizal, written during the time when the Philippines was ruled by the Spanish people. In general, I just can’t imagine what kind of food we would have today if not for that bit of history,” says Sy-Gobio.
“Today, I think the Filipino food is still in the process of evolution and I am excited to share more positive and creative ideas we have that can also, possibly, make history as we speak,” she adds.
Restaurante Pia y Damaso, 2/F Greenbelt 5, Makati; +63 2 7295511, Facebook. Daily 11am-10pm.
