Spices: My Kitchen by Chris Locher

I can still remember the wonderful meal we had in C'Italian at Pampanga. When I heard and read that the man behind C'Italian opened a restaurant in Manila, my wish came true. I excitedly went to dine in My Kitchen by Chef Chris. As I've mentioned in the previous post, Chef Chris Locher is the genius behind the Panizza.

Located at the Oasis Hotel, the restaurant is divided by a pool at the center. Just like our experience in C'Italian, the place was packed but luckily we had a table reserved.

At My Kitchen

We started with a bottle of an Australian Shiraz which I've tasted before and liked, a St. Hallet Shiraz Grenache. A medium bodied, subtlety sweet wine with an aromatic floral hint.

A complimentary bowl of warm bread with a pesto parmesan dip was served.

Complimentary Bread and Dip

While wating for our food to arrived, we took a peek at the kitchen. The chefs were so meticulous in creating perfect Panizzas one after another

Making the Perfect Panizza

The Spaghetti Con Frutti Di Mare was first to be served. The pasta dish looked and smelled great, there were huge chunks of Salmon, Snapper, Mahi Mahi. Prawns and Mussels. When the dish was served, the plate was still hot and we made a big mistake of letting the dish sit. When i took a bite, I found that the seafood and pasta were a tad overcooked but nonetheless it tasted good.

Spaghetti Con Frutti Di Mare - Php720

We chose to order the Antonio Panizza,  smoked salmon slices, mushrooms, tomato and basil topped the rectangular pizza.

Antonio Panizza - Php790

A bowl of Arugula and Alfalfa sprouts was served together with the Panizza.

Arugula and Alfalfa Sprouts

To those who are still not familiar how to eat a slice, this is how you do it.

Get a strip of Panizza

Place Arugula and Alfalfa sprouts on the Panizza.

Roll the Panizza and Take a Big Bite.

Just like my first experince, the Panizza was divine. The crust was crunchy outside yet it was soft and chewy. The combination of the smoky flavor coming from the Panizza and the zesty zing from the Arugula was so interesting and yummy.

When I saw the Lemon and Lime Cheesecake written on the board, I had to taste it. My favorite cheesecake has been challenge every now and then but it has been standing it's ground for quite some time. The Lemon and Lime Cheesecake looked promising, it had caramelized bits of lemon, lime and slivers of almonds on top, the cheesed cake was so thick and it looked so compact and dense plus the edges had a slight burnt, the crust based was mixed with something that I wasn't sure what it was, the whole cake was slightly doused with a citrus syrup that rendered the whole top to sparkle.

Lemon and Lime Cheesecake - Php320

The layers of flavors that came out from this cheese cake was deliciously mind-blowing. At initial contact,  I tasted the sweet citrus flavor from the syrup then the slightly sour cream cheese filling afterwards the nutty flavor from the crust and to end it all, the zesty flavor that came from the lemon rind that was mixed in the crust. The Lemon and Lime Cheesecake was divine and heavenly, my favorite cheesecake from the past is now forgotten, My Kitchen's Lemon and Lime Cheesecake is now my favorite.

My Kitchen's Lemon and Lime Cheesecake

I got to chat with Chef Chirs. A lot of people has mistaken C'Italian to be his, he told us that he was just the head chef of that resto. He already has quit his post in Pampanga and set up his own resto, My Kitchen.  I also found out that the restos smoke their own meats thus the smoky flavor that was seeping out from the Panizzas. He was such a man filled with so much gusto and passion for food. I asked him about his lineage, he brightly told me, "Grandma's Italian, parents are Swiss and I'm a Filipino by Heart."

I really enjoyed my meal in My Kitchen, and as Chef Chris told me to which I agreed, all the food he serves are cooked with love and passion.


My Kitchen by Chef Chris
Address: Oasis Park Hotel, Belen Street, Paco, Manila
Tel No: 521 - 2371
Website: http://www.oasispark.com/my-kitchen-chef-chris-hotel-manila-restaurant