Porterhouse Steak
SALLE a Manger, which means “dining room” in French, is International Culinary Arts Academy of Cebu’s (ICAAC) in-site training restaurant operated by students in shifting schedules, preparing and serving food to staffs, students and guests. This prepares the graduating students for the Two-year Culinary Arts Chefs Program’s culminating dinner.
The training restaurant is committed to exceed the guests’ dining experience in every way possible. Adjustments of selections for dietary or allergy restrictions are accommodated. The restaurant is open 6- 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday only.
Inspite of the distance from north to south, we braved the traffic to ICAAC’s building in Guadalupe. Driving to dine here is worth all the effort.
As we enter the building, culinary students in their crisp white chef’s uniforms and the service staff in button down white shirts with black bow tie welcome us.
The Salle a Manger is beside the glass-walled kitchen with state-of-the-art equipment where Chef de Cuisine Justin Mechill supervises the students preparing the food. Dean/Chef Jeremy Young welcomes guests and keeps an eye on the impeccable flow of service. The table setting is always impressive, with silverware, plates and glasses in place.
The menu, with a cycle of change, includes Starters (soup and salads), Main Course, Sides and Sauces.
They are currently offering Certified US Angus Beef Rib Eye All-You-Can-Eat which includes side salad and soup for only P1,299. There is a friendly “No leftover,” “No sharing” and “No take-out” policy. Not big meat eaters, we chose to go ala carte.
While deciding on our choices, we enjoyed artisanal breads, baguette and poolish with fresh tomato and pesto spreads. Poolish bread uses pre-fermented dough, is moist with open-holed crumb with pleasant fermentation flavor without the sourness.
Our student food attendant carefully took our orders with undivided attention.
My granddaughter Sophie and I shared the Ceasar Salad of Romaine lettuce, anchovy-parmesan dressing, croutons, fried dilis (in lieu of bacon bits) and a perfectly poached egg on the side.
My husband Ed and our daughter Stephanie started with the Minestrone Soup, a thick soup of Italian origin with vegetables, beans and pasta. Typical of me, I shared the Sous Vide Braised Shank on a bed of mashed potatoes with Ed.
The meat was deliciously fork tender but firm.
Sous Vide is a method of cooking in which food is vacuum-sealed in plastic pouch and then placed in water bath or steam environment for longer than normal cooking time (1 to 7 hours or longer) at an accurately regulated cooking temperature (55 to 50 degrees C or 131 to 140 degrees F).
The result is perfection! Sophie chose Chitarra (spaghetti like pasta with square cross section) flavored and rendered black with squid ink with whole shrimps, plump scallops and clams (locally known as punao).
Light-eater Stephanie had the Miso-Glazed Chilean Bass in dashi broth, braised enoki and bak choy. The presentation was so stylish that I had to stare at the fish dish.
Pastry Chef Fatima Young (better half and partner of Jeremy) personally served her pastry creations: Blondie Bailey’s Cheesecake served with homemade chocnut ice cream and Belgian Chocolate Tart. S
crumptious! As we relished her creations, Fatima and Stephanie warmly renewed ties since they were schoolmates in UP College Cebu.