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BGC eats: Cicchetti is a hidden Italian gem where collabs are a regular thing

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Jeeves de Veyra

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IMrd6o6UKOc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA -- Relatively few people venture to visit the Kalayaan side of Bonifacio Global City and that’s a shame because hidden in the buildings here are great restaurants just waiting to be discovered. One such culinary gem is Cicchetti tucked away inside the MDI Corporate Center.</p><p>Cicchetti is an intimate 30-seater Italian restaurant. It’s rather small space with an open kitchen on one side and a bar on the other. A door opens up to Mazzo, a terrace-bar that doubles as their smoking area. At night, there are great views of the surrounding buildings and the Uptown Bonifacio complex.</p><p>Cicchetti is the Italian word for small bites. These are the Venetian version of Spanish pintxos that inspired managing partners, Armand Del Rosario and Indy Villalon, to set the place up. The two young foodies are no stranger to the business as they’re also behind the Belle &amp; Dragon and its hidden whiskey and cigar speakeasy, the Mandalay.</p><p>“We were inspired by those little bites. We wanted people to enjoy to enjoy drinks, to enjoy having these little bites. And we&#x27;ve also paired it with a couple of traditional Italian dishes,” Del Rosario said.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-owners.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>(From left) Indy Villaon, Armand Del Rosario, Sau Del Rosario, and Kim Suva. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>What’s unique about Ciccheti is its culinary philosophy of collaboration and exploration. They aim to have at least one four-hands dinner a month inviting a guest chef to share the kitchen. They are also open to customers who want the space to show off their cooking skills in the open kitchen or mixology mastery behind the bar.</p><p>Kim Suva, the creative young chef behind the menu of Cicchetti, has worked with the likes of chefs Rob Pengson and Mikkel Zaguirre. She describes her kitchen adventures as experimental in terms of flavor, preparation, and plating. The owners have encouraged her to explore her own cooking and palate through her kitchen time with the guest chefs.</p><p>Suva gushes about what she learns from these collaborations.</p><p>“I learn a lot from them, not only about the palate, and not just because of the techniques. But because of the way they act, the way they present themselves,” said Suva.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-chefs.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Sau Del Rosario and Kim Suva.<em> Jeeves de Veyra</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>One of Cicchetti’s most memorable dinners so far was the one with Pampangueno celebrity chef Sau Del Rosario where he and Suva whipped up a five-course meal incorporating ingredients, techniques, flavors, and recipes that highlighted the best of Italy and the best of Pampanga paired with drinks from the bar.</p><p>Here&#x27;s what transpired in that unique collaboration:</p><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-1.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-2.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-3.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-4.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-5.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-6.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></div></div><div class="media-content slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><p>If you were one of the lucky diners at Sau Del Rosario’s Bulung foraging dinners, this plate’s aesthetics will look really familiar. Seared tuna is served with Pampanga fermented rice dish, buro, but made with arborio rice. Sips of the paired prosecco nicely complemented the lightly seasoned dish.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Who knew Macadamia Kare-Kare could be a delicious sauce for duck ravioli? The two chefs topped this with kesong puti and Parmesan rigatto to emphasize the Filipino-Italian inspirations of the dish.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>The sampaguita-calamansi popsicle with graham dust was amazing. It was just meant to be a palate cleanser but still wowed the diners at the event.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>The Prawn Adlai Risotto was a dish that showed a lot of balance. The prawn stock with coconut crab fat used in the risotto wasn’t overpowering at all. While the adlai wasn’t as buttery as arborio rice usually used in risotto, the grain did well to absorb the broth’s flavor.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>The inspiration of the Beef Braciole was to make a more exotic morcon and you get this. Thin slices of beef tenderloin rolled up with tomato based morcon sauce between sips of Merlot made this a main course to remember.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>The two chefs wrapped the dinner up with a combination of Malagos chocolate, Guimaras mango, ube and pandan mascarpone cheese to make an Ube Otap Tiramisu. Using Filipino ingredients in an Italian dessert was a great bookend to this themed dinner.</p></div></div></div><p>Cicchetti will be doing more of these collaborations in the future. An 8-hands dinner featuring both a guest chef working with Suva in the kitchen, and a guest bartender mixing drinks, is in the works for next year. </p><p>As of now, Cicchetti will have another unique collaboration on Tuesday, November 26, with Suva cooking ingredients from chef Dan Koh of Alaskan Prime Seafoods.</p><p>Cicchetti is located at the 8th floor of the MDI Corporate Center. Restaurant hours are from 11 a.m. to 12 midnight from Monday to Thursday, and 11 a.m to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/11/25/20191125-cicchetti-drinks.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>The restaurant has an all-you-can-drink promo for P699 and 50% off on appetizers from Monday to Friday from 5-8 p.m. </figcaption></figure></div>

<p>Cicchetti is an intimate 30-seater Italian restaurant tucked away inside the MDI Corporate Center at the Kalayaan side of Bonifacio Global City.</p>

Cicchetti is an intimate 30-seater Italian restaurant tucked away inside the MDI Corporate Center at the Kalayaan side of Bonifacio Global City.