SOFITEL Philippine Plaza Manila Executive Chef Denis Vecchiato saw a parallel to Filipinos’ financial capacity to purchase cars to the growing popularity of cheese in the country.
He told me that with more disposable income, Filipinos are also learning about the finer things in life. Case in point is the more than 300 varieties of cheese they offer to go alongside the biggest buffet available this side of the world.
I have been invited to Sofitel in the past, which led me to experience its lunch and dinner buffets on different occasions. Trust me, its buffet is one for the ages. It can get overwhelming on the senses.
It offers a gazillion dishes every day that it gets a bit intimidating even for those who have seen, smelled, felt, tasted and heard the clunking of the spoons and forks before at its Spiral restaurant.
Right smack in the middle of Spiral is a glass room that is filled with a wide assortment of cheese, along with a variety of dried fruits and cold cuts right there for the taking of everyone who is in Spiral filling out his or her tummy beyond its proper proportion.
Here is the part where my eyes went wide in amazement. Chef Denis said that, on a monthly basis, those who go to Spiral are consuming more than 700 kilograms of cheese.
If you cannot imagine how huge 700 kg of cheese looks like, it is equivalent to seven Mike Tysons. It is also equal to the weight of two adult horses. Still cannot visualize it? Try imagining having 14 sacks of rice in your kitchen.
Chef Denis said those going to Sofitel are increasingly asking about their cheeses, and are learning more about them every time. He said they have very educated clients.
According to Chef Denis, what the Philippines is going through right now is the exact same thing that happened to Italy, his native country, some 30 years ago.
Chef Denis added that when their economy surged, first thing that happened was that his countrymen started acquiring cars for themselves. Predictably, Chef Denis said it resulted in road traffic going haywire.
He added that it is a natural progression, and now Filipinos have more disposable income, and on top of their list is food, including cheese.
Here is the thing with me, though. I still do not have financial freedom, and disposable income is not in my vocabulary, yet. Oh, well.
Then, beyond the cheeseburgers, the readily available quick-melt cheese in the grocery, and the obligatory queso de bola during the Christmas season, I practically have little education on the different cheeses out there, let alone 300 of their varieties.
Uhm, well, I know of this cozy pizza house in Quezon City that offers a pizza with seven types of cheese on them. Just do not ask me to name all of them, because I cannot.
But, according to Chef Denis, who came to the country 12 years ago, it all boils down to education, along with the new establishments coming out with new products and services.
Chef Denis said his Filipina wife initially hated anything and everything that has to do with cheese. He explained it to his wife and eventually, she took a liking to the cheeses.
It was the same from him and Asian food, which he initially disliked. Now, Chef Denis said he has grown a fondness for Filipino, Chinese and Korean dishes.
He said there are certain ways to eat cheese, and the kind of food and drinks that go with them.
From how I heard it from him, strong wine goes with strong cheese. Same rule applies with cheeses on the other side. That is a start for me.
Then he mentioned about burrata cheese, which has Italian origin, where you just have to add oil, tomato and onion to create an amazing dish.
Then there is the ricotta cheese, which Chef Denis said, only needs lemon for it to taste amazing.
Chef Denis then said to me that cheeses are like cars, where expensive does not equate to being better than the inexpensive varieties. He added that it all boils down to personal preferences.
Chef Denis then explained that some cheeses are more expensive than the others, because of limited production. So, basically, it is still a matter of economics, where you have a high demand for an item with little supply in the market.
Another factor that goes into the pricing of cheese is the aging process that goes into its production. One example cited to me by Chef Denis is the Parmesan cheese.
He said those that are aged three to four years will cost at least P600, while those that go 10 years are priced P2,000 per kilo at the minimum.
Chef Denis said brie and camembert cheeses are now being produced in Davao by a French master cheese maker in
limited quantity, while adding local flavors into them, including fruits found in the province.
For those uninitiated, including me, brie is a soft cow’s milk cheese, while camembert is a soft creamy and surface-ripened cow’s milk cheese.
I have to ask Chef Denis the name and contact details of the French national he was talking about the next time we meet. I think that person would make for a good story here in Envoys & Expats.
Anyway, for the rest of the month, Sofitel is celebrating C’est Trop Bon, as it pays homage to French history, culture and tradition.
It has already flown in to the country Colin Chandaras, who was trained by master cheese maker Pascal Beillevaire and is now an envoy of the latter’s Frogmagerie Beillevaire.
For those who are uninitiated, including me, again, Pascal is the owner of the world-famous Beillevaire brand of dairy products used by chefs across the world.
Last Thursday Colin partnered with Chef Denis to produce French specialty dishes at Spiral’s French Stove.
Tomorrow Pascal himself will be in Sofitel to treat its patrons to a special wine-and-cheese class at Spiral’s L’Epicerie.
If cheese is still not your fancy, how about, at least, considering its health benefits? As Chef Denis said, cheese has low cholesterol and, if included to regular diet, can lead to a healthier intestine, while also assisting in managing weight.
Image credits: Rodel Alzona