Love is in bloom

LAS FLORES, part of The Bistro Group, is cooking up something romantic for Valentine’s Day. Executive Sous Chef Pablo Ramirez created the “Love in Bloom” set menu (P2,395 per person) with the sensations and motions of love in his mind.

During a tasting on Feb. 6 at the Las Flores Uptown Ritz branch, Mr. Ramirez said, “We created the menu based on… sensations, let’s say,” he said. These sensations include freshness, warmth, some oomph, then finally, a kiss: “The last one will be the one that reminds you of a kiss. Soft. Full of flavors.”

The first course, a Salpicon de Mariscos, has mussels, squid, and shrimp tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette with tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions. The effect is lacy, delicate, and tangy.

The Croqueta de Manchego, with spinach and aioli, had a very pronounced salty Manchego cheese flavor, lighter and easier to eat than other croquettes in the city. Lightly molded (definitely by hand and with love), it collapses easily enough in the mouth. The Iberico Secreto was a shoulder from an Iberian pig, lightly seared in butter, and accompanied by cauliflower purée and chimichurri sauce. It’s nice, savory, and simple — but we will say that it needs a little more oomph for excited lovers’ tongues on Feb. 14.

The dessert that Mr. Ramirez described as a kiss was the Crema Catalana, a custard with a caramelized sugar crust and gently burnt local orange and lemon. In this he was right that it was soft and full of flavors.

OTHER BLOOMING THINGS
Well, love’s not the only one blooming for the Bistro Group when it comes to its Spanish restaurant lineup. These include Las Flores and the more specialized Rumba, but also La Lola Churreria, which closed sometime before the COVID-19 pandemic (under different ownership). It reopened last year in Las Piñas, now under the Bistro Group.

Meinard Pasco, Group Marketing Head for the Bistro Group’s Spanish concepts said about the reopening, “We believe in the brand. There were a lot of customers looking for it (during) the pandemic,” he said, and it turns out that brands do listen to social media rants (citing those posts as part of the clamor for its return).

He also discussed the enduring popularity of Spanish cuisine in this country, an ex-colony: “The familiarity with the flavors of Spanish cuisine is always there,” he said. “Some of the flavors are similar to ours.”

On another note, he points out that the Spanish concept kitchens are headed by Spanish (or -adjacent) chefs. For example, Mr. Ramirez, an Argentinian, grew up in Spain’s Basque region. “As much as possible, we would like for the dishes to be authentic.”

The Las Flores Valentine’s set menu can be found at their branches in Greenbelt 3, Uptown Ritz, One McKinley Place, S Maison, Okada Manila, and Podium. — Joseph L. Garcia