I was delighted to be invited by a dear aunt and friend, Chef Beth Romualdez to sample her best friends cooking prowess. What an honour it was. Tita Bella Yuchengco is a self taught culinary wonder. She was never formally trained and has only attended her best friend, Tita Beth’s short (culinary) courses. Everything Tita Bella says she knows, is ouido and breaking down ingredients when she samples some of the best restaurants she visits.
She has no plans of opening a restaurant, although she has thought about it. She just likes to feed people and I am glad she fed me! Some of you may say, why blog about it if we won’t be able to sample her meals? It is simple, here is a woman living inspired. She loves the kitchen as food is her love language and she continues to learn as she fuels her passion. A way of life we should all embody by living out our desires passionately.
Today’s theme was a typical Japanese Omakase meal. Omakase style is where guests expect the chef to be innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes, and the meal can be likened to an artistic performance by the chef. And artistic it was. Here is our awesome lunch.
Japanese Set Lunch
appetizers: unique tableware surprised us with each course. here is some foie gras miso soup served in a thin cylinder and a cute bowl of delicious & naturally sweet tomato salad. the soup was so good we wanted big bowls of it!
savoury asparagus spears coated in japanese crackers
sashimi: the perfect marriage of unagi, pineapple and avocado mousse
steamed: uniquely good mushroom and apple gyoza
boiled: delicately seasoned seabass, cauliflower and pickles
fried: crispy nori chicken, so juicy and flavourful
gohan! tita bella’s cute rice bowls
grilled: sirloin, garlic chips, japanese glaze
dessert: tapioca, pomelo, sweet coconut, mango. so refreshing
sunshine pengsons fun and decadent chocolate fantastical cake. for orders, email gourmandisebysunshine@gmail.com
tita bella’s well trained staff
her japanese inspired kitchen
our gracious host, the svelte and talented bella yuchengco with her pretty daughter, chef sunshine pengson of the goose station and gourmandise cakes and confections
foodies unite! standing from l-r, sunshine, aimee fuentes (tita bellas other daughter) ,tita bella, tita beth romualdez, jin perez, me, ana de ocampo, marielle santos-po, via romualdez-reyes and rossini pesengco. seated from l-r, patrick pesengco of nespresso, chef jj yulo and anton barretto
Thank you, Tita Beth for organizing this lunch and inviting me along with these happy and serious foodies. We had a wonderful time. Credits to Jin for our group picture. May all your meals be special. Let us make it a point to use our God given talents in all we do.
Thanks so much Nicole! I’m glad that You snd the others were able to come to the lunch inspite of the distance. It was nice getting to know all of you more intimately and that you all appreciated my food. I was worried at first about the menu I had chosen and asked my kids several times if I should change it. Thank you for the very nice article!. Hope that you will come again to the next one?!
No, it is I that is most thankful, Tita. I will happily and most willingly be available for the next one. Ha ha! Everything was perfect! And, delicious!
Very talented indeed! Yummy Japanese food! Menu was very well thought of!The gyoza and the refreshing dessert look so good! ♡♡♡