Cycle 5 – Item 45

19 (Wed) February 2014

Spinach & Artichoke Fondue

4.0

at Cyma Greek Taverna

(Robinsons Place)

-Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines-

with YL, various K interns, IA, MG, DS

Try Every Restaurant in Robinsons Place (18) (see also TERRP)

Cyma Greek Taverna is a Greek restaurant chain.  8 locations around the Philippines, all in shopping malls.  Wide-ranging menu covers all the classic and then some.  One of the most popular restaurants in the neighborhood among WHO staff.  Current ranking on TripAdvisor: 91 of 729 restaurants in Manila (this seems to cover various branches).

The final final farewell dinner for YL.  This time with my favorite people, staff from the HSD unit, where YL has been working for the past couple years.  I tagged along (self-invited) as an honorary HSD member (self-designated); in fact, I’ve been working with HSD as a consultant for nearly three years, so I’m not a complete stranger.

The food was amazing.  Not only were the flavors spot on, the deft application of technique in every dish evidenced a masterful executive chef with a well-trained kitchen crew.  The chicken breast souvlaki, grilled shrimp, grilled salmon: all cooked to juicy, tender goodness, laced with a delicate touch of char, so good that seasoning wouldn’t be necessary.  But the highlight of the meal was the Spinach & Artichoke Fondue, which tasted like neither spinach nor artichoke, both blended into a cheesy/buttery/gooey melange that was nice in itself, but when paired with the grilled garlic toast – again, that char made the essential difference – synergy, absolute perfection.

I may have to break the rule and return to Cyma to explore more of the menu before completing TERRP.

(See also BOOZE)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN PHILIPPINES)