I had the pleasure of being invited to La Piadina last week for the launch of their new menu.
Chef Giorgio Matera was reminiscing about his childhood during our interview. One of seven siblings, dinner times were filled with that beautiful family chaos. Following his mother around the markets, Giorgio recounts how she would pull him around in her hurry to get back to the kitchen. It is these family memories Giorgio says, that are “My fuel, to…continue”.
Located in the heart of Makati, La Piadina is indeed a family affair. The Go Tian family brought the restaurant from Chef Giorgio three years ago; however Chef Giorgio still keeps his hand in by consulting on the menu. This seems to be a partnership built around the love of authentic, unpretentious food. Like the way the balance of flavours in a fine dish creates unison, from the outside looking in it seems this friendship between the Go Tian’s and Chef Giorgio continues to be strong and successful.
Arriving at La Piadina I was at once struck by the friendly and intimate setting of the restaurant. This is a place you could come to on a date night or with a group of friends for a social evening. It is a place your children would be welcome and there is something on the menu for everyone.
The evening we went to the restaurant, the menu presented showcased a range of flavours from sardines, through to vegetables. Perhaps the most intriguing ingredient on the menu Chef Giorgio calls “The goat of the sea”. The Dry Tuna Egg, or Bottarga is a Mediterranean delicacy, and is simply dried fish roe. The roe is salted, pressed, dried and then, according to Chef Giorgio just needs “The sun and the wind and salt and nothing else, and then lots of passion…” for it to become a truly stunning ingredient. Intensely salty, the smallest amount brings the dish to life.
Sardines Cordon Bleu
Each dish presented was a show of Chef Giorgio’s passion for his craft. I am a believer that your intentions, your feelings flow through into the food you prepare. Passion and love fuel the flavour of the dish and I found the food here, prepared by Chef Georgio to be tender, intimate and beautifully balanced. The highlights for me were the Vegetarian Polpette, mushroom balls in gorgonzola sauce which were surprisingly delicate. Simply delicious, I could have eaten a whole lot more. The Tartar Di Carne was velvety and creamy, the way this dish is meant to be. I also surprised myself by enjoying the sardines Cordon Bleu. I have never in my life been able to let a sardine pass my lips, however these little fish, pan fried then stuffed with ham and cheese were so perfectly balanced I felt an intimacy in their combination that left me wanting more.
Passion just is Chef Giorgio and you can see this passion is shared across the Go Tian family. If the team of chefs at La Piadina are able to not just cook, but transfer this passion into the meals from this point on, I will gladly return. Chef Giorgio says “I want to give you pleasure. I want to give you good food, I want to give you healthy food and at the same time you feel happy about that”.
La Piadina, I feel happy.
La Piadina
Located at the ground floor of Solaris One Building at De la Rosa Street in Makati
