At Spectrum, 'TGIF' now stands for 'Te Gusto Italia Fridays,' as the signature buffet restaurant of Raffles and Fairmont Makati feeds you a special dinner feast of Italian delights with Buon Appetito Fridays.
If your cravings for pasta, pizza and other Italian eats are insatiable, save your appetite for Friday dinner as Spectrum now regularly offers an impressive lineup of Italian cuisine favorites ranging from familiar dishes to items not usually offered in regular Italian restaurants in the metro. Their Italian spread also cuts across different Italian regions for a delizioso experience. Aside from this Italian promotion, the buffet restaurant still offers its long-time favorites during Fridays. Their open kitchen prepares their top hits of international dishes–Japanese, Mediterranean, European, and more–so you can mix and match your Italian picks with old buffet favorites. Also, their popular honey station is still there for your dose of sweetness. After all, in eat-all-you-can dining, you choose exactly what you crave from what is showcased. Just make sure you arrive hungry for a gut-busting culinary adventure!
From pasta to porchetta, canneloni to cannoli, Here are 12 items from their Italian dinner spread on Buon Appetito Fridays.
1. Antipasti
Before the main feast, Italians prepare and serve lighter fare called antipasti (appetizer). At Spectrum, there's a wide array of cured meats and cold cuts you can pair with rustic breads and cheese, and various insalata (salads). I had my fill of Caprese, a refreshing mix of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and slices of prosciutto to go with cheese.
2. Canneloni
While we're more acquainted with lasagna when it comes to the baked, cheesy pasta department, I am personally fond of the canneloni. Spectrum has the lasagna as part of their Friday spread, but try this cylindrical 'sleeve' pasta if you see it in the restaurant. That evening, I had hearty canneloni filled with lamb, embraced with a tangy tomatoey sauce that I much prefer over creamy sauces.
3. Pasta
Of course, pasta will always be present at an Italian buffet. There is a pasta station for your fill of noodle dish goodness, and you can take your pick among many pasta options, like saffron pasta, whole wheat pasta, tomato pasta, ravioli, classic spaghetti, and even an eggless pasta. Let it be coated in whatever sauce you choose — there's carbonara, alfredo, pesto, and bolognese options during our visit.
4. Polenta
Here's something most mainstream Italian restaurants in Manila don't offer — a porridge of cornmeal served many ways. At the buffet, we had a sampling of baked polenta, grilled polenta, and 'wet' polenta. It has a distinct grainy, mushy texture, and paired with a protein of choice (mine was a slice of herb roasted lamb from the meat carving station), makes for a good siding.
5. Risotto
If we have arroz caldo and lugaw, Italians have their risotto, a creamy rich rice dish cooked in flavorful broth. Spectrum has a risotto station right across the live bees and honey station, where you can have your risotto mixed with vegetables and cheese of your choice. My favorite part of watching the cook prepare my risotto was the last step, where she transfers the rice into a giant wheel of cheese, coating it with some melted cheese before serving it on a plate.
6. Bistecca Fiorentina
On Fridays, Spectrum serves classic Italian entrees like a hearty osso bucco, and their take on a rustic bistecca fiorentina, a Tuscan style of beef steak served sliced, and coated with a creamy sauce and served with wilted spinach and cherry tomatoes. There's also delicious roasted lamb at the carving station, but do save your space for their crispy pork goodness of…
7. Porchetta
This is the traditional porky centerpiece of Italian feasts, pretty much the same caliber as our lechon during fiestas. The boneless pork roast, with its golden crisp skin and tender meat, is stuffed with herbs to add more flavor in every bite. Leave space for this, because when you're eating at a buffet restaurant, you porchetta 'bout your diet for the meantime. After the savory Italian eats, make a beeline to the dessert station for your fill of dolci.
8. Tiramisu
This classic layered and coffee-soaked dessert is the most common Italian sweet ending we can find in the metro. There are many versions of tiramisu, which means 'pick me up' in Italian. At the buffet that evening was a classic tiramisu, and a strawberry tiramisu served in martini glasses.
9. Pana cotta
Another Italian dessert we're familiar with is the creamy Panna cotta, similiar to our leche flan, Honey and egg whites are traditionally used to make this classic pudding hailing from Italy, but many variations and flavors have sprung. Spectrum serves pana cotta in flavors like apricot and rosemary, and chocolate vanilla. If you're just seeking for a palate cleanser after your meal, this is your fairly light dessert option.
10. Panettone
Pair your cup of coffee with a slice of this Milanese sweet bread from Spectrum's dessert station. The panettone is a European dessert that is usually enjoyed during the Yuletide season, so it reminded me of some fruitcakes of Christmases past. This bread is lighter, though, and has not been soaked in rum.
11. Pignoli
This was a first for me, and probably is for you as well, if you too have yet to travel to Italy. The pignoli is a moist Italian cookie studded with pine nuts, and the ones at the Spectrum buffet were pop-in-your-mouth good. Bite sized and chewy, sinking your teeth into a cookie reveals a cherry in the middle. The sweetness of this treat was perfect when paired with a cup of black coffee. Another excellent Italian dessert paired with black coffee is the last item on this list.
12. Cannoli
My first introduction to this Italian treat was by way of film. "Leave the gun, take the cannoli," as made popular by The Godfather. Crispy fried pastries, rolled up like little tubes, are dusted with powdered sugar and filled with creamy goodness. Cannoli are deceivingly light to consume. Since we're not counting calories on a buffet experience here, try drizzling these babies with some honey, chocolate syrup, or other sweet and syrupy treats found at the dessert corner of Spectrum for an indulgent ending to your Italian feast.
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Spectrum's Buon Appetito Fridays is available during Friday dinners at P2,450 nett per person. Spectrum at Raffles and Fairmont Makati is located at 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati. For more information about Buon Appetito Fridays, please call the Raffles and Fairmont Makati Restaurant Reservations at 555-9840 or email dining.makati@raffles.com.
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