Yummy 201612

http://www.yummy.ph 91 December 2016

CAZUELA G/F The

Sapphire Bloc, Sapphire

Road, Ortigas Center,

Pasig City (mobile no.:

0995-5510424)

MUST-TRIES Gambas

al Ajillo (P328), Chorizo

with Clams (P264), Cerno

al Horno (P395), Paella

Cazuela (P358), Veal

Caldereta (P708), Lamb

Skewers (P388), Kesong

Puti Cheesecake (P220)

THUMBS UP For easy

holiday parties, turn to

Cazuela. The restaurant

can accommodate up

to 60 people, and offers

catering services, too.

IN A NUTSHELL

Chorizo with Clams

(top), Gambas al

Ajillo (right)

Cerno al Horno

N

estled among the pubs in Sapphire Bloc’s

restaurant row, Cazuela serves what they

call “Spanish colonial cuisine”—a menu

inspired by the Galleon Trade, with flavors

from Spain, Latin America, and Asia making

appearances. Think salty chorizo, amber-hued paella,

and grilled meats paired with sangria and cerveza—

all tweaked to please the Filipino palate. It’s a heady

mix that ought to tease the taste buds of anyone

looking to tour the flavors of the Iberian countryside

over a power lunch or after-hours dinner.

Start with tapas such as the Gambas al Ajillo and

the Chorizo with Clams. The first—plump shrimps

drenched in spicy olive oil and fried garlic—will whet

your appetite between bites of bread. The latter

features a small mountain of Manila clams and salty

homemade chorizo chunks tossed in a cazuela.

Make sure to scoop every last bit of the sauce from

both appetizers with your bread, or spoon it over

white rice.

From there, move on to the heftier dishes. Pick

the Cerno al Horno: luscious and crispy pork belly

arranged in a delicate stack topped with strips of

bacon, mango salsa, and alfalfa sprouts. Look out

for the chorizo de Bilbao stuffed inside. And, while

it’s served with a side of rice and white beans,

SPANISH

TREASURE

Familiar yet festive flavors stand out

in Cazuela’s Spanish-Filipino spread.

REVIEW BY RYAN FERNANDEZ

save room for the Paella Cazuela, a house
version of the popular Valenciana. You’ll
find bell peppers, boiled quail eggs, strips of
meat, and shrimp in this classic. A serving is
good for merely two to three people, so you
don’t have to miss out on this rice dish even
if you’re dining with just a small group. For a
taste of home away from home, order the Veal
Caldereta, a comforting stew featuring meat
that’s been slow-cooked in tomato sauce until
it falls off the bone. The Lamb Skewers will
hit the spot with familiar flavors—it’s meat
grilled to juicy goodness, best enjoyed with
mint sauce.
For the coup de grace, Cazuela serves a
mean kesong puti cheesecake made with
cheese sourced from Laguna. A thick slab of
cheese—not tart, but mildly salty—topped
with whipped cream and sweet meringue,
and drizzled with salted egg caramel sauce,
the dessert calls to mind leche flan with
every spoonful.
Not surprisingly, wine goes well with
the food. But whether you opt for a glass of
Spanish wine or not, Cazuela will stay on your
mind even when the taste of gambas and
PHOTOGRAPHY: paella no longer lingers.

MIGUEL NACIANCENO.

PICTORIAL DIRECTION:

ANNA FELIPE.