I loooove pasta. All the more freshly made pasta! And when handmade by a Michelin starred chef? Now that’s just too hard to ignore.
I was looking for a new place to try for our newly formed Thursday Eating Club and accidentally stumbled across Q&A Kitchen + Bar. Its online menu instantly caught my attention. Restaurants serving the simplest of fresh pasta dishes are scarce in Manila, so my jaw dropped when I saw that Q&A serves bucatini, taglierini and fiorentini. What a gem!
Plus, as a fanatic of everything Michelin, I was drawn to tasting Chef Alain Raye’s creations. He has a one star Michelin restaurant at Albertville, France, and a popular French Bistro in West Vancouver, Canada called La Regalade. As if all the stars aligned, I discovered that Zomato Gold members have a 1+1 deal on food at this place!
I hurriedly called the restaurant and reserved our tables. I was able to talk to the General Manager Joyce Orena who was so courteous and immediately confirmed my reservation. She was even concerned that I might not find the restaurant easily since it is not located on a major road, sits on the 2nd floor, and is surrounded by several Hot Pot restaurants. Deep inside, I was really excited, though, because this is the kind of adventure I am willing to embark on just to find great food.
Their menu is fresh, far from ordinary, and tempting. Even the plates that they use are customized. I could feel the immense love and effort that were put into making this restaurant special.
We started off with Jamon de Bayonne, Homemade Mustard, Pickles and Ciabatta. The name of the ham is derived from the ancient city of Bayonne in France, and is known to be aged for an average of nine months before it can be served. Their Ciabatta bread is uniquely crusty and I am guessing that the Calabrian Chili Butter was served to us instead of the mustard, both of which complemented the thinly sliced tasty ham.
Our next order was Fresh Italian Burrata, Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Confit, Pesto and Toasted Ciabatta. I have a weakness for Burrata cheese and this restaurant serves amazing ones! Burrata is traditionally made with mozzarella on the outside, and stracciatella and cream in the inside. I am beginning drool now. This dish is something I will never get tired of eating.
Our next order was Fresh Italian Burrata, Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Confit, Pesto and Toasted Ciabatta. I have a weakness for Burrata cheese and this restaurant serves amazing ones! Burrata is traditionally made with mozzarella on the outside, and stracciatella and cream in the inside. I am beginning drool now. This dish is something I will never get tired of eating.
The second pasta dish was Penne With “Fall-Off-The-Bone” Beef Brisket Bourguignon (Php695). It is my frustration that I still haven’t tried Julia Child’s recipe of Beef Bourguignon, which is simply a beef stew braised in red wine. Whenever there is a chance, I always order this hoping to taste the best one. Q&A’s version is hearty. The pasta is perfectly cooked and they do not skimp on ingredients at all.
After a very filling meal, we didn’t intend to order any sweets. However, our convictions weakened and we ultimately succumbed to having not one but two desserts!
First was Butterscotch and Maldon Sea Salt Budino, Caramel and Cream. Budino is an Italian pudding made with heavy cream and almost always topped with salted caramel. It was my first time to try it and I found it very rich and addicting, not overpoweringly sweet!
The most exciting dish I tasted that night was the Olive Oil Ice Cream In Crushed Black Pepper Sandwiches, Shaved Pecorino, Black Berries and Oregano Sprigs Drizzled In Extra Virgin Olive Oil. My mind was blown away because I couldn’t fathom how savory things could be turned into such a heavenly dessert. This is definitely a must-try!
A single visit with a single tummy will not be enough for this restaurant. This is the type of place you will keep coming back to because the food is superb, the ambiance is inviting, and the menu is so attractive and enticing. This is a place where you’ll get curious enough to try different things and will leave satisfied in the end.
