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New eats: Bom Gosto! offers culinary journey through Southern Europe

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Joko Magalong-De Veyra

<p>MANILA -- Have you ever been to Southern Europe? Take a culinary journey around this region with the Vikings Group’s newest restaurant — Bom Gosto! </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele1.jpg"/><figcaption>Bom Gosto! is at the 3rd level of the Podium Mall in Ortigas. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Replacing the space of La Vita Italian Restaurant at the third floor of The Podium, Bom Gosto!, which translates as “good taste” in Portuguese, has an extensive menu created by the AdViChe F&amp;B Solutions. </p><p>“So many people have Mediterranean in the past. We now have created a concept that goes from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean - that goes from Spain to France to Portugal and to Italy. That is a beautiful thing,” said chef Chele Gonzalez, creative culinary director of the AdViChe F&amp;B Solutions who, along with partners Cyril Addison and Carlos Villaflor, put together the vision for Bom Gosto!</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele2.jpg"/><figcaption>The restaurant&#x27;s brick oven. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>With a menu that would feel right at home in a villa restaurant somewhere in the rural areas of Southern Europe, guests can choose meats and fish as they enter the restaurant — to be baked and cooked in the commanding brick oven in the corner. </p><p>Dishes are meant to be shared; the portions are enough for a very hungry two to a comfortable three. The bistro-like ambiance of the restaurant --warmly lit with wood and white shiny brick -- lends itself well to the family style approach. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele3.jpg"/><figcaption>Tuna Carpaccio. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>We started our meal with reliable bites from Spain and Italy -- Pintxos de Jamon (Spanish ham, green bell peppers, quail egg), and Polpette Al Sugo di Pomodoro (Italian meatballs in Tomato sauce). </p><p>This was followed by a Carpaccio Di Tonno con Frutti di Bosco which was a beautifully balanced tuna carpaccio with strawberries. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele4.jpg"/><figcaption>Parmesan textures. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>If you’re hankering for a salad to start, you can’t go wrong with the Insalada Di Pomodori Con Consistenza Di Parmigiano (Italy), which is a long name for a tomato salad with parmesan textures. Silky parmesan mousse with cherry tomatoes, stracciatella, arugula, crisp pieces of parmesan sable, and shaved parmesan make for a discovery of bites with that parmesan mousse grounding the whole dish. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele5.jpg"/><figcaption>Baked scallops. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Seafood is a definite strong suit of the restaurant. There were crowd-pleasing small-plate options like baked scallops with bechamel and gruyere cheese (Coquille Au Four) and Gambas Al Ajillo. </p><p>It was a welcome surprise to see squid shine (Lulas Grehaldas, Portual) instead of pulpo and cooked simply with just olive oil, garlic, lemon and butter. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele6.jpg"/><figcaption>Herb-Crusted Fish in the oven. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>This author’s favorite seafood dish was Bom Gosto!’s addition to the wonderful restaurant movement of serving whole fish instead of fillets —the Herb Crusted Fish. Part of the ‘Mains’ portion of the menu, a whole Emperor Fish (white snapper) is covered in a herb crust, baked in the brick oven and served with roasted marble potatoes and a luscious lemon butter sauce. Lemon butter sauce seems very passe, but Bom Gosto!’ proves it’s a classic sauce for a reason. Our table could not get enough—order extra sauce! </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele7.jpg"/><figcaption>Filet Mignon. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>On the meat side of things, there’s Filet Mignon (Beef Tenderloin) served with a truffle bearnaise and beef jus with mashed potatoes from the France menu. It was great to see a bearnaise served in a restaurant menu in a mall, as sauces like these can elevate any meat, and it does in the dish. French food has never been more accessible than ever. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele8.jpg"/><figcaption>Arroz De Pato. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Arroz De Pato from the Portugal menu was another meat-option with flavorful rice topped with slices of chorizo and duck. Hearty, it was hard to decide if I liked a spoonful of rice with chorizo or duck, as the duck was thinly sliced and tasted lightly smoked—almost like duck bacon. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="chef chele" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/08/11/chef-chele9.jpg"/><figcaption>Torrija de Chocolate. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>End your romp around Southern Europe with dessert. Go Italian with the Tiramisu, best enjoyed with a cup of coffee. </p><p>For a less obvious choice, there’s the Torrija De Chocolate, a cocoa-milk-and-sugar soaked brioche toast with chocolate ganache and served with ice cream. </p><p>Bom Gosto! is at the 3rd level of the Podium Mall in Ortigas. </p>

Have you ever been to Southern Europe? Take a culinary journey around this region with the Vikings Group’s newest restaurant — Bom Gosto! 