We see a lot of Italian restaurants around Manila but rarely do we see one that boasts of authentic Sicilian cuisine. When I first saw Gusto Trattoria Siciliana in BF Homes, I wondered what makes Sicilian cooking different.
“Sicily has a long history of food, the oldest in Italy,” says Palermo-born Nino Quartana, Gusto’s charming chef consultant who is also a talented painter, stage designer and ceramist (he’s had 18 exhibits in the country). “A lot of people invaded Sicily and first were the Greeks, who taught Sicilians how to make olive oil, wine and cheese like ricotta,” he adds. Sicilian culture is also influenced by the French, Arabs, and Spanish.
Gusto is his “adventure” with his friend and owner Gerlando Giuliana, who arrived at the trattoria on a white Vespa. The interiors are quite simple yet cozy – green and black chairs, square tables and blackboards with the day’s specials on the brick wall – simple but not utterly boring because of Nino’s artworks on the walls and ceiling which make great conversation pieces. When he was younger, he would go around Florence and sketch portraits for people and if you’re lucky, he might do your portrait when you visit the restaurant.
A touch of the chef’s personality, a short handwritten menu, homemade dishes prepared using fresh ingredients, and a casual but personal dining experience – these are what characterizes an Italian trattoria and what you can expect at Gusto. They make their own crackers, breads, and even tomato sauce.
Appetizers include Panelle e focaccia (P180), which is chick pea pie served with focaccia bread drizzled with olive oil. The chick pea pie is light and airy and perfect with a squeeze of lemon.
Their Spaghetti Bolognese (P320) is unlike any I’ve had before. Half of the dish consists of vegetables – potatoes, carrots and peas – and is seasoned with cloves, cinnamon, and a secret “something else”, Nino described, as Sicilians love adding spices to their dishes. He also adds little milk to the beef to make it tender.
We also tried one of the day’s specials, the Spaghetti with Dorado Eggs (P300). It’s made with white wine, bread crumbs, fresh fish eggs, a little butter and no cream.
It wouldn’t be an authentic Italian experience without wine and a bottle of Montepulciano d Abruzzo (P900 per bottle) was brought out.
“Do not cut the noodles!” exclaimed Nino, just when I was about to cut the spaghetti with my knife. “He is like that with everyone,” Gerlando said with a laugh. We were told that in Italy, cutting the noodles is only for children and for those who are sick and is believed to cause bad luck. Apparently, I’ve been doing this all wrong.
“You roll, you roll,” continued Nino, gesturing with his hands. When we did as he said, he expressed his delight: “Ole! Brava! You become perfect Italian!”.
For dessert, we had the day’s specials as well – Mimosa Cake (P230) and Double Chocolate Mousse with Grand Marnier Gel (P120).
In Italy, the men usually give mimosa flowers to the special women in their lives. The cake is a layered sponge cake filled with cream and topped with sponge cake cubes, a delicate dessert with a subtle sweetness that takes about 4 hours to prepare. We paired it with a shot of Limoncello (P150). You can also have the Grappa Piave (P150 per shot) with your choice of dessert.
The mousse is made of dark chocolate, Grand Marnier, gelatin, a touch of Cointreau (an orange-flavored liquer) and some sweet amaretto at the bottom. I love the combination of the bitter dark chocolate and sweet orange flavors.
I’ve always said I’m an Italian girl at heart and though I might not have the accent (or the high tolerance for wine), I felt like I did become a perfect Italian that afternoon at Gusto.
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Gusto Trattoria Italiana is at 215 Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Paranaque City. Open daily from 11:00AM to 10:00PM. Gusto’s Happy Hour is from Monday to Thursday from 5:30PM to 7:30PM (P300 for one appetizer and a glass of wine). Like Gusto Trattoria Italiana on Facebook (/GustoTrattoriaItaliana).
