FOO’D /fú-dō/: Accessible Italian Pop Cuisine by Chef Davide Oldani!

As featured 10 Most Awesome NEW (Franchised) Restaurants in Manila 2016!

FooDee Global Concepts (the same people behind the successful Tim Ho Wan, Todd English, Mesa, and Sunnies Cafe) has brought Michelin Star Chef Davide Oldani‘s pop cuisine concept FOO’D (/fú-dō/) to Manila.

Chef Oldani defines “pop cuisine” as accessible luxury cuisine with Italian roots, taking the simplest ingredients and turning these into a beautiful dish.

FOO’D’s unique selling point is that they offer Michelin-grade food, fine ambiance, and quality service at a reasonable price, from their P800 three-course menu to their P1,200 four-course menu. And because everything is upgradeable, you can start at P800 then work your way up (you can even go crazy with a P3000 menu and load up on the experience).

Here are some of the exciting world-renowned signature dishes brought to Manila by Chef Oldani…

 

FOO’D by Davide Oldani
Ground Level, High Street Park, Shangri-la at the Fort, BGC Taguig
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00pm
Mobile: +63917 711-4469
Facebook: FOODbyDOManila
Website: http://www.cucinapop.do/

(Note: The restaurant doesn’t have a strict dress code;  guests can come in smart casual attire)

FOO’D is located at the ground floor of Shangri-la The Fort, alongside the Sugar Factory, Pinks Hotdog, and Kerry Sports.

 

The fancy ambiance of the 60-seater restaurant may seem intimidating at first, but customers are always surprised by the fair pricing.

 

It has an intimate fine dining feel at night with white linen tables and mood music, but transforms into a more casual, laid back venue (without the linens) for lunch.

 

The best place to sit is at the private dining area called “tinello”, an Italian word for the table in front of the kitchen where you get a first-hand look at how the chefs prepare the meals in the kitchen.

 

Everything is made in-house, like their complimentary bread and crostini, plus their own ice cream.

 

FOO’D Menu: P800 three-course + upgrades | P1,200 four-course + upgrades | Drink list | Wine list

We had the 5-course meal of the best signature dishes of Chef Oldani for P2,000/head.

 

 

First course: Bagoss Mousse. Aged Grana Mousse, Balsamic Pearls, Caramelized Pear, Aged Grana Foam.

The dish is very light and kind of disintegrates in your mouth. Best to taste a little bit of everything in one bite.

The saltiness from the biscuit amplifies the sweetness of the caramelized pears. That light addition of the balsamic pearls also adds acidity and further enhances the sweetness of the dish.

 

Second Course: Cipolla Caramelata. Caramelized Onion, 24-Month Aged Grana Pedano Gelato, Grana Pedano Hot Cream.

This is a Chef Davide Oldani special with cipolla (meaning onion) and caramelata (meaning caramelized). It is one of our favorite dishes and takes three days to prepare.

The onion became a soft puffy pastry, topped with homemade 24-month aged Grana Pedano gelato, drizzled with Grana Pedano hot cream, and sprinkled with Maldon Salt.

You get the crisp from the puff pastry and soft texture from the sweet onion. It’s sweet, cold, and hot and has just the right amount of saltiness to it.

 

Third Course: Seabass D’O. Chilean Seabass, White Wine Sauce, Spinach, Caviar D’O.

The sea bass was cooked perfectly, with only a shade of transparency at the very center of the thickly cut filet. The skin is crisp and golden brown in color.

The seabass is the star because of its smooth texture with a light, buttery taste. Eat the Caviar D’O, the homemade balsamic pearls, in between bites to help cut through the taste of the fish.

 

Due Tigli Trebbiano 1GT (Glass – P250, Bottle – P1,200)

Pair your fish with a nice dry Italian white wine.

 

Fourth Course: Beef “All’Ollio”. Snake River Farms Wagyu Beef Cheek, Bordelaise, Asparagus, Trout Caviar.

The tender, melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu Beef Cheek was probably the best and most memorable dish I had that night. The beef cheek was highly marbled and came in a rich and deep savory sauce.

Eat the beef with the asparagus and the trout caviar, which cuts through the monotony of this delightful dish.

 

Tommasi Valpolicella 2014 (Glass – P350, Bottle – P1,800)

Make sure to order a dry red Italian mass to pair with the beef cheeks.

 

Fifth Dessert Course

Lemon Curd. Dehydrated Meringue, Cacao Crumble, Curry Almonds, Lettuce Gelato.

Another one of Chef Davide Oldani’s famous masterpieces is this beautiful coral-like dessert.

What’s new to me is the pairing of the bitter lettuce gelato placed on top of a chocolatey and crunchy mix. The bitterness of the ice cream and cacao balances the salty and sweet flavors of the dessert.

The meringue placed on top of the curd is chewy sweet and marries with the sourness of the curd.

 

Dark Chocolate Mousse. Cacao Crumble, Framboise Powder, Dark Chocolate Gelato.

For something classic, order the Dark Chocolate Mousse. The mousse is very straightforward in terms of flavor. It uses 71% dark chocolate, cocoa crumbs, dehydrated raspberry, and homemade chocolate gelato.

The pinch of Maldon salt completes the heavenly dessert.

 

Zuccotto D’O. Creme Anglaise, Toasted Seeds, Milk Gelato, Scent of Rosemary.

A classic Italian semi-frozen dessert made with sponge fingers soaked in liquor and ice cream.

We love that all the desserts aren’t too sweet.

 

Thanks to FOO’D, Filipinos can now experience and taste exciting gastronomic dishes at an affordable price point.

We recommend ordering the Cipolla Caramelata, Beef “All’Ollio” and Dark Chocolate Mousse. Budget: P800-P2000/person.

I honestly wouldn’t mind spending P1,600 for two for this crash course in fine dining. It’s also a great way to impress a date. 🙂

It’s best to order different set menus so you can try different dishes. Note that there’s no a la carte menu.

Congratulations to Eric Dee and the whole FooDee Global Concepts team for bringing FOO’D to the Philippines!

 

FOO’D by Davide Oldani
Ground Level, High Street Park, Shangri-la at the Fort, BGC Taguig
Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00pm
Mobile: +63917 711-4469
Facebook: FOODbyDOManila
Website: http://www.cucinapop.do/

(Note: The restaurant doesn’t have a strict dress code;  guests can come in smart casual attire)

 

Live an Awesome Life,

Abi, Nico, Boom and Sean of Team Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: Our dinner was courtesy of Eric Dee of FooDee Global Concepts. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights. 

P.S. Here are the 10 rules from the Cucina POP handbook of Chef Davide Oldani

1. The importance of the balance of contrasts, in the kitchen and in life.
2. In the art of cooking, design is the “container” which must enhance the contents.
3. Every business should be profitable, but prices have to be fair.
4. Curiosity and observation are the best tools to understand and interpret your guests’ needs.
5. There is an opportunity in each mistake, you just need to look for it.
6. The health and well-being of your guests is a chef’s priority.
7. Every ingredient, from the most humble to the most expensive, deserve the same respect and treatment.
8. Wine must be given its due: not too much, not too little.
9. Never buy food when you are hungry, it will reduce waste.
10. The brand should be easy to remember and have impact.