 |
| Flatlay by @johnbunag |
“food that I like to eat and I like to cook…. “
-Chef Bernadette Olivarez
Chef/Part Owner
For a Chef of her caliber, it was indeed a pleasure being at the receiving end of her creative passion. This gem of a place in Eastwood is certainly a destination restaurant. One seeks the restaurant out for their beef bourguignon , sourdough pizza, beef ragu pasta, kouign amann to name a few.
Origins
The restaurant just opened in September. The name COMMUNITY KITCHEN was carried over from the name of the whole building which is COMMUNITY whose owner is also one of 7 partners in the food venture.
“We really want local suppliers to be able to display their ware. We want to get local suppliers for our ingredients.Vegetables come from Laguna delivered every other day…”
– Tin Santos (co-owner)
Ms. Tin also relates that originally they wanted a showroom cum small cafe on the space for their other venture VIDA MANILA which sells rtw online. But one of the owners suggested a full range restaurant instead because feng shui was against the idea. Having acquired the space already , Tin and her hubby Lou Santos decided to push through with THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN. With the help of their family friend Mr. Oman Tanchinco, they were connected to other investors.
To date there are 7 partners to this food venture including the owner of the building Mr. Oman, Mr. Paul Perez of the Papa Diddy’s Ice Cream fame and Chef Bernadette Olivares formerly of Beluga and Lavigne restaurants…
Chef Bernadette Olivares
Formerly a Chef of Lavigne and Beluga in Makati in the late 80s -90s, trained in Le Rosche Switzerland for 4 years and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, currently a teacher in Fatima University, Chef Bernadette wears two hats- owner and head chef in THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN. A far cry from her fine dining restaurants decades back, she found her calling in cooking food that she likes to eat and to cook …. French and Italian cuisine casual style
The Space
The restaurant sits in a sprawling 100 sq meters area. The lay out is simple . The color palette is muted almost drab. A small open industrial kitchen called my attention as I entered the room.
THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN can sit a maximum of 60 – 70 persons including the alfresco area.
The almost generic look of the restaurant though worked in their favor because with nothing to distract the diner, his or her whole attention centered on the food
The Food
Predominantly French-Italian, we enjoyed the following…
BEEF SHANK RAGU P380
beef, red wine, marinara
One of the most sought after dish , Beef Shank Ragu is reminiscent of Osso Bucco and Beef Bourguignon with pasta. The shank was fork tender with complex flavor that was balanced by the linguini.
CAPRICCIOSA P420
ham, artichoke, mushrooms, topped with salted cooked egg
They had me at sourdough crust haha. Chewy and flavorful , it complemented the o ham, artichoke,olives and mushrooms .
CLAM PIZZA P385
clams, white wine sauce
Certainly another winner in my book. Alas I can only eat so much carbs. This is best for sharing.
CHICKEN WITH CREAM PASTA P370
chicken, tarragon cream
Simple , scrumptious and filling
SEAFOOD STEW P445
prawns, snapper clams, fresh chorizo, tomato broth
This is best with rice or pasta. For its price I will just order the puttanesca
SEAFOOD STEW PASTA P495
One of my favorites, I loved their version of puttanesca. Pasta was al dente. Shrimps were succulent and fresh . I can taste the sea from the simmered-for-hours tomato sauce.
Overall…
A destination restaurant, this gem of a place somewhere in Libis is worth a second visit. I would love to try all the items in their menu. Its a good thing they also deliver via honest bee. Home-made everything, what’s not to love? Well maybe the location haha.
People in Libis are one lucky bunch.
THE COMMUNITY KITCHEN is located at the ground floor, The Community Building, Metropoli Drive, Libis Quezon City 