MY KITCHEN by Chef Chris

For fans of C' Italian Dining in Angeles Pampanga, you'll be glad  to  know that Chef Chris Locher has opened a restaurant here in  Metro  Manila.... I've never been to their Pampanga resto so I can't  really  make a comparison. (all that I heard about is that their Panizza  is one of the best)



It  was quite fortunate for us to actually meet Chef Chris when we visited  My Kitchen one fine Sunday morning. He makes it a point to greet most of  the diners who walk in.

Our dining experience started with some complimentary bread (they say  its freshly baked) and this pesto-cheese-olive oil dipping sauce.



I wasn't sure how heavy our meals were going to be so I just took a bit  of the bread dipped in the olive oil mixture.... All I tasted is the  pesto.


Cream of Tomato Soup



Very  creamy but you can still taste the flavor of the tomatoes. it was a  bit  too sour for me but it kinda balanced out if you take it together  with  the croutons.


Panizza St Jacques
Us Scallop flakes, sun dried tomatoes and chili flakes





Looking very much like your regular pizza except that the dough is  very very thin. You top it with some Arugula and Alfafa Sprouts ......



then roll it up and enjoy.

I  have to admit, my only other experience with Panizzas is with this  pizza establishment named Yellow Cab (which by da way, were a bit  soggy). For Chef Chris' version, the dough is still a bit crispy on the  outside and quite chewy on the inside. Lots of flavors (and textures)  going on in this panizza ...... the creaminess of the cheese, the  saltiness from the scallop flakes, the crunch and subtle bitterness from  the arugula and alfafa sprouts and a bit of a punch from the chili  flakes at the end. And all this worked pretty well together.


Chef Special Pasta (Mushroom Pasta)
As recommended by the friendly server, this pasta dish is not part of the regular menu.



If you love the flavor of different kinds of mushroom, you are going  to love this pasta dish. For those looking for something a little extra  in taste, then I suggest giving the menu another glance. On the  flipside, for just a simple mushroom pasta dish, the price (of 500++  pesos an order) can be a bit of a letdown.

Tender Braised Lamb Shank in rich Red Wine Sauce



Lamb meat  is so tender that it will literally fall off the bone. Flavor  is slightly on the salty side but is almost perfect once you mix it  with what we initially thought were mashed potatoes. Turns out they were  Polenta (made from ground corn)

This was also my first time to try Polenta and they were quite good with its smooth and subtle grainy texture.


*****************************

MY KITCHEN is located at the Oasis Hotel in Paco, Manila City.



I'm not all that familiar with the ins and outs of Paco Manila .....  I'll just leave here a section of the map (the one with the red object  is where My Kitchen is located.