Sheraton Manila Hotel’s new executive chef Andrea Burzio cooks up a taste of Italy with "Pranzo e Cena: Italian Family Feasts" at S Kitchen, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant.
Burzio has been in the international food and beverage scene for 15 years. His cooking has brought him to exclusive resorts and restaurants in Barbados, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Thailand, and Provence. A highlight of his career was working under chef patron Stefano Gallo at the Michelin-starred restaurant La Barrique.
He is also no stranger to the Philippines as he has worked in Boracay during his globe-trotting culinary career.
With "Pranzo Y Cena," he serves food and emotion from where he calls home – Piedmont in Torino, Northern Italy near the French border. He described the region as rich partly because of the French influence, partly because of the availability of high-end ingredients like beef and butter which the region uses alongside olive oil.
With his flavors and rustic presentation, he wanted to serve the feeling of sitting down for family lunch or dinner in Northern Italy.
For example, the Torino region is known for stuffed pasta. Burzio’s ravioli is easily one of the stars of the buffet. Ravioli is rarely seen in a buffet since they end up too chewy and dry when left in the chafing dish too long. Burzio’s ravioli is still moist and pillowy soft to the bite accented by butter and herbs even when left at the station for some time.
Besides the ravioli, Burzio cites the rustic and filling Osso Bucco and the Chicken Cacciatore as must-trys as these are dishes that are usually served in any family meal.
The lasagna is hard to miss as the dish is served in an extra long pan. Burzio proudly explained that the lasagna is made the traditional way with just three components -- the beef ragu, the pasta, and the bechamel sauce. There is no cheese in this lasagna!
The cream is finished in a parmesan cheese wheel thoughtfully accompanied by bottles of herb-infused olive oil for guests to give their dishes extra splashes of basil, tarragon, and even ginger.
Right beside the parmesan cheese wheel is the pasta station where guests can choose from pesto, cream, cheese, carbonara, and pomodoro for al dente pasta dishes cooked a la minute.
And then there’s dessert. Besides the tiramisu and cannoli, Burzio is very particular about the pasticcini. These are bite-sized desserts like the rum boba and Chantilly that the chef likens to how Filipinos serve kakanin as desserts.
Burzio coming on board as Sheraton Manila’s executive chef to oversee the hotel’s F&B space is just one of the surprises the hotel has in store as it counts down to its fifth anniversary on January 14, 2024. Expect more events and surprises as it prepares for its grand soiree!
Chef Andrea Burzio’s "Pranzo e Cena: Italian Family Feasts" is available for lunch (12 noon to 3 p.m.) and dinner (6-9 p.m.) during Monday to Saturday Sheraton Manila Hotel and is priced at P3,200 (weekday) / P3,500 (weekend) nett per person.
Photos by Jeeves de Veyra