Benassi: A delicious slice of Italy

MANILA, Philippines - People who go to Italy inevitably find themselves looking for the best pizza and pasta the place could offer — surely, these Italian plate staples have captured the global palate.  Well, on a Roman holiday not too long ago, my niece and I were eating pizza and pasta every day, like there was no tomorrow, and never did we meet a bad pizza or pasta.  I guess it’s a cardinal sin in a country that stakes its claim to culinary fame on these time-cherished specialties. You’ll be delighted to know that you’ll get the exact same experience we had in Italy when you dine at Benassi Alimento e Caffe, a 35-seat charming little Italian restaurant in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, that’s big on all-time Italian favorites.

Say ciao to Benassi, owned by young couple DJ de Guzman and Katia Benassi-de Guzman who share a passion for good home-cooked food. Katia grew up amid the delicious aroma of glorious Italian food cooking in the Benassi kitchen. She’s heir to the jealously-guarded, distinctly-Benassi family recipes from the town of Massa, Italy, that have been passed on from generation to generation.

Amid a warm, relaxing ambience, backed up by superb customer service, savor the best of Italian homecooking.  As the Italians would say, Buon Appetito! Bound to stir the taste buds is the selection of zuppas, among which are the crema di zucca (cream of baked pumpkin soup, P150); crema di funghi (cream of wild mushroom soup, P160); crema di mare (cream of crab meat, squid, bell pepper, and mushroom, P170); and Di Fagioli  (Barlotti beans, carrots, onions, fresh Italian herbs, P170).

Italians love salads and you’ll love Benassi’s fresh offerings, such as the insalata di casa of fresh greens drizzled with strawberry vinaigrette and olive oil-based dressing, and topped with Parmesan cheese (P185). Of course, there are other antipasti to choose from as a prelude to your meal, like the salmon carpaccio  (smoked Norwegian salmon sprinkled with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and topped with capers and Parmesan flakes, P395); crostini ai funghi porcini (mushroom porcini cream cheese dip served with homemade crostini bread, P225); salsa firma (Benassi signature cream and spinach dip with toasted bread, P225); prosciutto e melone (Parma ham wrapped in fresh cantaloupe, P295); muscoli (mussels sautéed in white wine, garlic, and Italian herbs, P295); and salsiccia (sautéed Italian garlic sausages with caramelized onions, P295).

And now, we’ve come to the main event: From Benassi’s great brick oven come its assorted pizzas. You’re probably quite familiar with the margherita pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil). On top of that, Benassi has its really yummy salami e funghi (tomato sauce, mozzarella, salami Milano, and mushrooms, P470); frutti di mare (squid, shrimps, mussels in tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella, P580); pomodoro e acciughe (tomato sauce, mozzarella, and anchovies, P410); and prosciutto e rucola (tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parma ham, and arugula, P490).







But of course, there’s no way you’ll pass up on the pasta when you’re in an authentic Italian resto like Benassi. There’s a lot to choose from at Benassi — like the aglio olio e peperoncino (garlic, olive oil, parsley, and a hint of crushed chili peppers, P190); Pesto alla Genovese (pine nuts, Parmesan, basil, and garlic, P230); arrabbiata (stewed tomatoes, pimientos, onions, and crushed spicy chili peppers, P240); Ragu alla Bolognese (ground beef and stewed tomatoes, P240); carbonara (bacon, onions, garlic in light cream sauce, P250); vongole (fresh clams in white wine with garlic, parsley, chili pepper, and olive oil, P325); Tuscana (Italian garlic sausage slices in tomato sauce, P280).

Between the pizzas and pastas and the gelatos we chowed down on in Rome, we had no more room left for the risotto, that Italian creamy rice dish (though just to try it, we bought a ready-to-eat version at a grocery near the Vatican). Thus, it’s welcome news to know that Benassi has its risotti, like the risotto con funghi porcini (porcini mushrooms, P370).

For Italians, fresh is certainly best and Benassi proves just that with its fresh homemade ravioli or filled pasta.

Italians are, indeed, big, hearty eaters. But at Benassi, light eaters can opt for the grilled paninis, like the panini con tonno (chunky tuna in Benassi olive and caper spread with lettuce and tomatoes, P280) or the panini con verdure (grilled zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, and eggplant seasoned in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pesto, and topped with mozzarella).

This great little Italian resto is not just about pizza and pasta and risotto. It’s also big on Italian dishes such as pollo alla cacciatore (chicken fillet, tomatoes, and black olives on top of fettuccini pasta, P340); polpetta con pomodoro (classic Italian meatballs seasoned in herbs and spices and fresh tomato sauce, served with pasta or bread, P380); carne alla pizzaiola (beef sirloin strips slow-cooked in tomatoes, olive oil, parsley, and capers, with a choice of mashed potato or steamed rice, P320); arrosto di manzo (chopped pork, olive oil, garlic, and Italian herbs served with sautéed garlic potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini, P340); and baccala (salted cod fish cooked in stewed tomatoes, black olives, capers, and fresh rosemary, and served with mashed potato, P550).

Leave some room for some dolci without guilt. Your sweet tooth just can’t say no to Benassi’s mascarpone cake (authentic tiramisu cake recipe from the Benassis’ hometown, P220, good for two).

To wrap up a truly great Italian dining experience, have some freshly brewed coffee or hot tea or hot chocolate. Benassi also has a fine selection of red and white Italian wines.

And so, as another new year unfolds, Benassi shares this hearty wish: Pizza on earth and good food to all men!



Benassi Alimento e Caffe is at the ground floor, The Exchange Regency Building, Exchange Road corner Jade Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. It is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., Saturday. Call 310-8566 or 09176203932.

source: philstar.com

Customize your pizza at Project Pie

MILLIE: Karla and I are always on the lookout for something new to try.

Recently, in our area, we noticed something going on and before we knew it, a pizza place called Project Pie was open. It is located right next to Starbucks along Shaw Blvd. where the former Laurel Mansion was. Curious as we were, we decided to drop by one evening and were surprised to see the place packed with young and old pizza lovers. To think they had just opened and it was only their second day of operations! It’s a whole new concept wherein you order by number or build your own pizza to your liking.

The place is very casual and the staff well-trained, super friendly and accommodating so you become instant fans. Unfamiliar with the system, the staff assists and takes pains to explain how things go.  Service is brisk and the wait isn’t long. The seats are simple but comfy and there is even a photo booth station to record one’s visit. The focal point is the workstation, a huge counter where all the pizza toppings are showcased and a big oven from which the freshly baked pizzas emerge.


The only thing that bothered me is that the acoustics of the place isn’t quite right, so you can’t hear your order being called out when the noise level reaches a certain high, especially when the place is fully packed.

KARLA: The whole concept of Project Pie is to be able to customize your own pizza, from ordinary pizza ingredients to fancy ones like prosciutto and gorgonzola. It is set up in a way that you will have to go through an assembly line to be able to order your pizza. There are actually two ways to get your order in: you can either order by number or build your own pizza. By building your own pizza, you will have to start from scratch and choose between red sauce or white pizza with only olive oil on the dough.

The next step would be to choose the cheese: gorgonzola, ricotta, parmesan, feta and mozzarella. For the meats, the choices are pepperoni, crumbled meatballs, chicken, prosciutto, Italian sausage, bacon and Canadian bacon. Then comes the other toppings, including some vegetables and herbs such as green bell peppers, jalapeños, roasted red peppers, red onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, black olives, garlic, pesto, pineapple, cilantro, fresh chopped basil, artichokes, rosemary and sea salt. The ordering line is very interactive since you can tell the crew on the spot what ingredients you would like to add.





Ordering by number you get the tried and tested pizza toppings created by Project Pie. If you don’t know what to order, check out the seven diverse flavors they have assembled.  No. 1 is the classic cheese pie, which I am sure kids who like plain pizzas will appreciate. No. 2 is a red sauce pizza that has pepperoni, Italian sausage, crumbled meatballs, mozzarella, and garlic, which is what mom and I shared our first time there.  No. 3 is a white pizza with tomato, artichoke, red onion, pesto, feta and mozzarella. No. 4 is kind of like a Margherita pizza with sliced tomatoes, fresh chopped basil, mozzarella, parmesan and garlic.

MILLIE: On another occasion, after watching the movie Red 2, Karla and I, together with my nephew Benjo Guingona, dropped by for a late dinner. I let them do the ordering and thought we were just going to share a pizza. To my great surprise, they ordered a pizza for each of us! Karla had the No. 5, which consists of mozzarella, ricotta, gorgonzola, parmesan, cracked black pepper, olive oil, garlic and fresh chopped pizza. Since everything was pretty much just cheese, I had them add pepperoni and crumbled meatballs. I had the No. 6 with grilled chicken, sliced red onion, cilantro, mozzarella and gorgonzola topped with BBQ sauce. I wanted to have the gorgonzola changed since she felt that it would leave a very strong taste on the pizza, so I had it changed to feta instead.

Benjo had his own No. 6 with prosciutto, caramelized onions, mozzarella and parmesan. I was amused and said to myself, “Ah, for sure Benjo will take home the leftovers for his baon the next day.” What leftovers? We finished it off!

KARLA: Aside from pizza, they also have salads, including a classic Caesar salad and mixed greens, but what intrigues me is their pizza salad, which I have yet to try. If I had been with friends, I would have definitely ordered a beer or some wine to go with the pizza, but I figured it wouldn’t be fun to drink alone.

For dessert, they have cinnamon sticks, which I wanted to try but then I saw the banana and Nutella dessert pizza and thought, “Can’t go wrong with Nutella!” And just because we shared a pizza during our first visit, we had another second dessert pizza, peanut butter and Nutella. In the end, we were only able to consume half of each dessert pizza so we had it boxed up. We hand-delivered the leftover pizza to Benjo’s doorstep and made sure we left with a big “tip” or rather, a promise that he would go back with us.

The taste of your pizza will rely solely on your choice of toppings and therefore choose wisely. If you need some help, the well-trained and enthusiastic crew are friendly enough and excited to help out and answer your questions. There is a certain thrill from watching the crew behind the counter prepare your pizza that leaves you salivating in anticipation, and that is the Project Pie experience.

source: philstar.com

Grab a pizza, make that two—it’s National Pizza Day today, August 15

Who says you can’t celebrate another favorite national treat besides the phenomenally popular fried chicken? Mark August 15, Thursday, as pizza gets its share of the spotlight via California Pizza Kitchen’s (CPK) all out declaration of National Pizza Day.

On its second year, CPK diners get free pizza from a selection of five new flavors for every order of its regular or thin crust pizza. Have your super fill of “made from scratch” pizza choices such as Untraditional Cheese Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, Wild Mushroom, Garlic Chicken Pizza, and Caprese Pizza.

“National Pizza Day is a promo that we’ve created to send a thanksgiving note and our appreciation for the public’s patronage. It’s been 16 years since we opened the first CPK restaurant in 1997 and it’s still progressing, it’s still expanding. It continues to be successful,” said Manuel Zubiri, vice chairman of Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc. (GRC), the same group behind international franchise brands PF Chang’s, IHOP, Morelli’s Gelato, Gyu-Kaku, and Mad for Garlic. “August 15 is one big thank-you day to all our loyal patrons.”



Last year, the successful celebration had long lines of customers from morning till closing time—all for the love of CPK’s pizzas. Zubiri estimated about 1,000 pizzas sold in each of its nine branches.

This month, patrons have a new outlet to turn with the opening of CPK’s 10th restaurant, which has a fresh design to set the pace for CPK’s new look for all its branches. For a bit of history, the Philippines is the first international franchise to be granted by the US pizza chain. Considered a premium pizza restaurant, CPK continues to dominate this category by opening two more outlets before the year ends.



Brighter and with more light coming in, CPK’s new look has more of California beach vibe to it. “We have about three or four more restaurants scheduled for refurbishing. We want to redesign the restaurant interiors to make it look more like a California pizzeria,” shared Zubiri. “The old restaurants are dominant with the dark and yellow tones of CPK. Now, we want it to be lighter. Even the uniforms of the staff were all black. Now, it’s in a pleasant green color. “The colors of the interiors are earthier. It has beige, white, greens—we feel it’s more acceptable to our patrons.”






As the first franchise brought in by GRCI to the Philippines, Zubiri added that CPK is considered the flagship store of the company especially since it has remained successful since it first entered the Philippines. Another brand, IHOP (International House of Pancakes), which opened its first restaurant at the Bonifacio Global City last year, is currently the company’s strongest brand though, noted Zubiri, “It’s very strong, very popular, it’s a brand to watch out for. One of the powerhouse brands in the market today.”

A second IHOP restaurant is scheduled to open this year at the soon-to-open Ayala Mall along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City (where the old UPIS used to be). For now, the GRCI vice chairman disclosed, there are plans to bring in more international brands though the priority is to continue expanding outlets based on the company’s commitment to their brand’s principal companies.



Sixteen years later and still growing, It’s all about putting customers first and making prices accessible to consumers, said Zubiri. “Of course, we all love pizzas, chicken, salads, desserts. Filipinos generally love food. But more than that, we kept the price points to a minimum. For us, we don’t mind the 20 percent margin for us long as we are selling our pizzas. We are looking more into volume.

“So we have quality ingredients, we try to give the best service, and make the price points very attractive. It’s always been about putting consumers first. Based on surveys, we’ve in fact penetrated a broader market, which now includes the upper C market. We’ve had studies, showing they’ve dined at CPK with their families and consider CPK besides the popular fast-food chains for their special occasions. It’s also perhaps because the moment one comes in, for instance, that person is not considered as a customer but more of a guest. We try to make the experience more personal as much as possible. I guess that’s also why CPK has been successful throughout its 16 years.”

source: interaksyon.com

Going beyond a pizza slice at CPK

“I’m a big believer in texture. I like tasting flavors… (feeling) the crunch. Whenever I bite, I want it to be a rollercoaster in my mouth. I want it to be a funhouse,” Archie Rodriguez says with a smile. “You know what I mean?”

Well, we may not exactly fathom his thought process, but the president and CEO of Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc. (GRCI)—the local franchisee of the successful California Pizza Kitchen (CPK)—sure does seem know his business.

Additionally, he displays intimate knowledge what goes into every dish served to our motley group of media practitioners gathered for a gastronomic introduction to some new additions to CPK’s local menu.

The brand turns 27 years, and marks 15 since entering the local scene. In connection, Rodriguez and his team are holding the very first National Pizza Day in the country on August 15—the exact day that GRCI opened its first CPK restaurant here.

Commandeering and unilaterally appointing a “pizza day” seems a bit bold and forward, but CPK is aiming for domination. Rodriguez looks at it as a way to reclaim “pizza authority.” The restaurant is seeking to reinvent itself, he maintains, and what better way to do so (and make a splash, too) then by introducing up to 20 new menu items—including, of course, “pizzas that stand above the rest.” You could say that some CPR is being performed on CPK.

Economy willing and bedamned, the restaurant is trimming its formidable array of choices from around 125 down to 85, a move that Rodriguez says will enable the chain to “focus on delivering consistently good products.”

He underscores: “We’re really focusing on making people understand that we deliver quality.”

The process took much time and back-and-forth between GRCI and CPK’s US principals, but CPK regulars and newbies will surely be in for treats familiar and peculiar. GRCI browsed CPK’s database and looked at what would be received well here, and interpreted them appropriately.

We start with big fingers of fried mozzarella cheese in spring roll wrappers—nothing surprising but guaranteed to be a hit with kids of all ages. It’s an oriental take; the US version has the cheese fingers dipped in breadcrumbs alone then fried.

It’s actually a recurring theme—all of the new items have been “Filipinized” to suit Pinoy palates.

Take the quesadilla, for instance. Rodriguez applies his funhouse ethics and adds crispy wonton strips into the mix to make it more interesting. It now explodes with crunch and flavor—the latter chiefly imbued by cheese and black olives.

Next up is Spinach Salad with Grilled Spicy Sausage Links on the side. The caramelized nuts are counterpointed with the tangy-sweet raspberry vinaigrette. Rodriguez reveals that the idea for the dressing actually came from CPK’s pastry department, which creatively made use of some raspberry coulis. The sausage pairs up well as a meaty, tasty companion to the greenery.

Seafood Pomodoro with Tagliatelle Negro is a creamy mélange that features squid ink pasta—not overpowering as you might expect.

The Lasagna Milanese is a more conventional (read: kid-friendly) choice that is jazzed up with some fragrant basil.

Health nuts will surely flip over the Vegetarian Pizza with Gorgonzola. I love the still-crunchy broccoli on the crispy-thin crust. Meanwhile, flavorful ham distinguishes the simple but indulging Prosciutto Pizza. Mental note: getting fuller by the minute.

The Asian Chicken Wrap with Wasabi Dressing and Teriyaki Sauce on the side is a welcome break with its light, delicate taste (I tried it sans sauces). Nori and beansprouts change the taste profile into Japanese.

I am too stuffed for the Cheese Steak Sandwich with Homemade French Fries, but I welcome the S’mores Pizza for dessert—topped as it is with ice cream.

Old devotees of CPK need not fret about having their favorites nixed. Fast-moving products such as the Barbeque Chicken Pizza and Barbeque Chopped Salad remain on the menu.

Still, Rodriguez explains that it’s all part of the natural course of the restaurant’s evolution. For example, the Peking Duck Pizza and Adobo Pizza fell off after some time. “They already had their 15 minutes of fame,” he says, grinning.

By the way, even the plating of CPK’s new creations didn’t stick without an imprimatur from a triumvirate of Filipino, American, and Chinese chefs. “A lot of our R&D happens six to seven months before launch,” the GRCI head adds.

Aside from the new selections, other treats are in store for CPK patrons visiting on National Pizza Day. For every dine-in pizza order, customers get another pizza for free (any of five flavors is available as freebie). Shell out P50 and you get bottomless Coca-Cola, too.

More changes are forthcoming even in the kitchen. “Our pizza chef is going to be our operating partner… giving him/her due respect for being the artisan behind the meal that you’re having,” shares Rodriguez.

This means each of the seven CPK outlets (with five more coming this year) will highlight its pizza chef. The name of the game is customization and a more personal experience. Diners can ask to have what they want, how they want it.

Rodriguez says that people may have forgotten, but CPK had the following motto when it started the business: “Be adventurous. Try something new. If you don’t like it, we’ll replace it.”

• California Pizza Kitchen has branches at Glorietta 3, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenhills Promenade, Trinoma, Power Plant Mall, and Greenbelt 5. Visit http://www.cpk.com.ph.

article source: interaksyon.com