#cafe 1771

1771 Classics by Cafe 1771

A week ago I was fortunate enough to be invited again to shoot the 1771 classics which had been the foundation dishes of Chateau 1771 when it was still in Malate. So, I was really excited to try them. they're bringing back 7 dishes that maybe your mom or dad knows or would remember when they see it 'coz I know my mom knew some of the dishes because she used to go to Chateau way back in her college years.

here are the dishes:

Seafood Caesar Salad- Romaine Lettuce tossed in a garlicky lemn-anchovy dressing and topped with sauteed fresh shrimp and squid.

Blissful Bangus Belly- Pan fried bangus belly marinated in a tangy soy sauce mix. Served garlic-fried rice and beer cured mango and tomato salsa. Healthy and yet so good! From all the Classics this is one of my favorites, it reminded me of when my dad cooks Bistek na Bangus but much expensive and fabulous looking haha and much much yummier.

Simply Demi- Spaghetti cooked al dente tossed in a mixture of anchovies, capers, garlic, preserved lemon, chili flakes and extra virgin olive oil. Simple yet divine. This is really one of those dishes that you wanna whip up at home and serve to your family or that special person. But just bring them to Cafe 1771 to experience it. This dish reminds me of Puttanesca but without the tomatoes a much sophisticated version if I may add. There seems to be a lot of ingredients in there but trust me, everything compliments each other and blends really well.

Linguine Salpicado-Creamy linguine topped off with beef tenderloin cubes salpicado style. Just Lovely! By lovely I mean, bursting with savory flavor a dish that I couldn't resist not to eat. The aroma of it lingers in your head and would haunt you in your sleep. This is really god.

Pan Fried Chicken with Three Cheeses- Pan-fried boneless chicken leg, smothered with gravy topped off with a blend of mozzarella, parmesan and emmenthal cheese then broiled to a melt-in-your-mouth golden brown perfection. Served with creamy mashed potato and ratatouille. The process seems incredibly long but I tell you, this is really delish! All my favorite cheeses in a chicken dish, what more could I ask for? This isn't your regular fried chicken. Th sides are really yummy as well specially the mashed potato.

Spaghetti Chicken picatta- Spaghetti coated with a luscious sauce made with a mix of fresh cream and sour cream, topped off off with a crusted chicken fillet.THE BEST PASTA DISH EVER! Sooooo creamy just how I like it. Though I find  the chicken quite dry and uninteresting. 

I'm thankful for the opportunity that was given to me, that is, the chance to celebrate the 25th year of the Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants.

I'm happy I got to go, partly because of the business I was able to do, but more because of the experiences I had - from personally congratulating owner Ricky Gutierrez to having their book signed by Chef Vicky Pacheco to seeing relatives and finally having Chef Vicky's dishes, which had the signature comfortable good flavor - all by myself. I was supposed to be there more for business, but ended up being there more for the enjoyment. I networked very little given that people were busy mingling and enjoying with their own social circles. I spent more of the time looking at the people, observing their behavior and thinking how much people loved their food and service for the sheer volume of guests that came.

As I read their book, "Behind the Doors of Chateau 1771" upon arriving home, I realized then that I've dined in each of their restaurants, and each experience had a memorable story that came out of it. Sentro 1771 was one of the first restaurants I ate in during college, using my savings, with high school friends. It was there where we had our first "finer dining" experience. Portico 1771 was the place where I first tasted and loved Hainanese Chicken. I was sad to see Portico 1771 go. I've had some of the best times at Sidebar with high school and college friends, and had a long overdue dinner with a mix of high school and college friends at Wine Bar. Our team regularly met for education-related projects at Cafe 1771. Finally, Chateau 1771 was the place wherein I attended a meeting with two known chefs in the country, and it was really interesting to know Manila Society through their eyes.