I found out through a friend's repost on Facebook that Chef Margarita Forés was serving white truffles from Acqualgna, Italy in two of her restaurants; Pepato and Lussso. Being a big fan and user of truffle sauce in a jar (Salsa Tartfata al Funghi), I was always very curious on tasting the real thing, I didn't waste any time making a reservation at Lusso.
We asked the waiter how the truffles were going to be served, he said it would be shaved on three items: The Lusso Foie Gras Burger, The Spinach Tagliarini with asiago and parma and the three egg omelette.
We started dinner with some lumpfish caviar foam, simply caviar with foam made from cream cheese with some fine potato chips. Simply delectable.
My first bite of a small piece of white truffle didn't amount to anything. It was just texture and hardly any taste but then I realized that the truffle needs to be mixed with other items for its aroma to be released. Usually, that is cream, eggs and cheese, considered the truffle's best friends. My first bite of the pasta (which was already garnished with some truffle sauce).....wow! Apparently, truffles are very rich in glutamatic acid or 'Umami'. The compound that enhances flavors in other foods. The one that makes our tongues salivate. In case you didn't know, truffles are found under the soil by female pigs and/or trained dogs. Female pigs find it because there is a chemical compound which gives the truffles its aroma which is also the same compound found in the saliva of the male pig! I remember watching a show on the Asian Food Network where two men went truffle hunting with a female pig. The female pig went wild when the two men were eating it with some eggs and cheese. They could not restrain the pig. Hence the aphrodisiac lore of truffles. No wonder its taste is orgasmic.
We were three and we shared each order amongst ourselves. Every dish was already a stand out on its own (I believe the Lusso burger is one of the best in the city) but the white truffle just kicked it up many many notches higher. The truffle was best on the pasta and i suspect the truffle sauce had something to do with it. The food was an umami trip at its finest. We were quiet at the beginning of the main course which is always a good sign. A bit later, the quiet turned into slight moans and gasps and "ooohs" and "aaahhs", you get where i'm going, the flavor of truffle is really a bit sensual.
To top it off, we had some ice cream made with truffle oil and topped with truffle sauce. This was very remarkable and something that I didn't expect; truffle flavor on dessert. W-O-W!
See the photo? Tell me there is no sexual connotation.
Lusso
Ground Floor Greenbelt 5
Legaspi Street, Legaspi Village
Makati City
Philippines
Tel: +63 2 7565893
2 comments:
Would you know until when the truffles will be available? Cicou had a truffle festival months ago and I heard it was heavenly, but I missed it. I would like to catch this one.
Not sure, i guess until supply lasts and when I had dinner there last sunday, there was only one piece of truffle left on display. Its best you contact them.
Truffle festival at Cicou? I missed that too. Its truffle season and hopefully more restaurants bring some in,
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