PORTFOLIO

What’s On & Expat Newspaper Oct 16-Oct 22,2005
Dining

Taste of Spain
By Loraine Balita

You don't need to travel miles to have a taste of Spain. Just a couple of kilometers from the highways in the South, is the Palms Country Club. This three-hectare business and pleasure hub, located within the Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang, is the "most modern and dynamic club in the Philippines," according to its Swiss general manager, Urs Wütrich. This members-only club has 1,600 members, 10-15 % of which are foreigners. It houses Café Asiana, which recently featured authentic Spanish cuisine.

"We try to be very authentic, we have a lot of Spanish ingredients, which are very important to get authentic food, because if you don't have the authentic ingredients, it will come out with a different taste," said Café Asiana Executive Chef Hans Neukom, who is married to a Filipina and has been in the Philippines for three years. Most of the ingredients, like the cheeses and the chorizos, are imported from Spain, "the original ones" he added. The most popular are the tapas (canapés or snacks), particularly the Spanish spring rolls filled with original Spanish chorizo and the stuffed mussel and chicken croquettes.

To attest to the statement of the chef, I had to try these myself. Reasons for their popularity became evident, as the rich flavor tickled my palate.There are more than enough selections to choose from. From salads to cold meats, to the famous Paella, the menu crafted by Chef Hans offered at least one feast for every sort of taste bud. Different variations of the ever-famous Paella, with seafood or with meat, were featured. The seafood zarzuela with the crab, shrimp and shellfish served in a rich red sauce went well with the sangria, also available in the café.

A table was set for those with the sweet tooth, offering an array of Spanish desserts including Moorish almond meringue, Catalan cream caramel, Pianono de yema (custard-filled rolled cake) and the Churros con chocolate, which I'd have to say, got me forgetting about my diet. The latter, a lighter version of the pretzel served in a plate of chocolate syrup sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, was a sweet grand finale to the complete Spanish dining experience.