After their initial foray into the restaurant biz a decade ago, actor Matteo Guidicelli and family take the enterprise several notches higher by opening their first fine-dining Italian restaurant, eponymously named Guidicelli.
By ALEX Y. VERGARA
If you’re a Metro Manila-based foodie living in the south, you don’t have to venture far to savor fine-dining goodness, Italian-style. The same group behind Da Gianni Cucina Italiana, the bistro-style Italian restaurant managed by Matteo Guidicelli and family at Westgate in Alabang, recently opened Guidicelli, its first fine dining-concept restaurant at nearby Molito.
Unlike its older sibling, Guidicelli exudes a more refined and modern vibe in keeping with its fine-dining concept. As such, its interiors are decidedly neutral, low-key and minimalist. Apart from its name, one of the few giveaways behind its ragione d’essere (reason for being) is an eye-catching ceiling treatment by the entrance composed of a series of dangling Murano glass balls. Gianluca, Matteo’s Italian father, happens to hail from Venice, capital of the Veneto region, which is famous for its Murano glass.
(FROM LEFT) Murano glass balls hang from the ceiling; Caviar Ars Italica, or Italian caviar sampler served served with a medley of herbs and spices
Family affair
“Yes, there are plenty of nice, casual-dining restaurants and bakeries here. But as far as I know, there are no fine-dining restaurants in this area,” says Matteo on why the family, including mother Glenna, chose to expand by opening Guidicelli last December.
East-meets-West touches extend to the locally made plates and tableware from Pampanga. As for its dishes, Matteo describes the restaurant’s changing menu to food that reflects the best of Italy. The menu’s foundation was laid out by a real, honest-to-goodness Italian chef, but to keep diners excited, the family has decided to regularly fly in and tap the expertise of other Italian chefs based in the region or even from as far as Italy.
“We plan to change our menu every quarter,” says Matteo. Such a move also reflects the family’s philosophy of using only fresh, available ingredients if possible. But staples such as Australian Wagyu steak, sirloin, tenderloin, porterhouse and tomahawk steak will always be available, he assures.
Clean and simple interiors
On the day we visited, for instance, Neapolitan chef Antonio Tardi, a first-time Manila visitor, was calling the shots in the kitchen, preparing a new set of dishes from an updated menu he helped create.
The menu features such dishes as Burrata de Napoli, Maguro Marinato (Italian-style ceviche dotted with egg roe and cream), Paccheri al Guazzeto (shrimp and asparagus on a bed of fat, al dente-cooked paccheri pasta), Filleto di Manzo alla Griglia (grilled and juicy beef tenderloin) and Caviar Ars Italica (Italian caviar sampler served served with a medley of herbs and spices). For dessert, chef Antonio capped it off by serving us classic Italian Tiramisu. But don’t forget to go through Guidicelli’s list of in-house made gelatos and order a scoop or two.
(FROM LEFT) Beloved Italian classics Tiramisu and Burrata
It all began in Cebu
The Guidicelli family’s involvement in the restaurant biz began much earlier in Cebu, home province of Glenna, a member of the prominent Fernan clan, when Gianluca established Trattoria Da Gianni. It all started, Matteo shares, after his paternal grandparents, who chose to retire in the Philippines, died one after the other a decade ago.
“Our two Filipino yayas, Antonia and Jean, who cook and speak fluent Italian and have been with the family for nearly 40 years now, had nothing to do when my grandparents passed away,” he says. “That was when we thought of putting up a small restaurant with Antonia and Jean cooking traditional Italian food. They became Trattoria Da Gianni’s head chefs and part owners.”
It didn’t take long before they took and expanded the concept of authentic, home-style Italian cooking by bringing it to Metro Manila via Da Gianni Cucina Italiana. Guidicelli, the restaurant, is a culmination of that original and humble idea. This time though, the family has taken it several notches higher by fully embracing the fine-dining concept. And its decision to feature Italian chefs from here on further attests to that vision and commitment.
But going back to Guidicelli’s interiors, the family tapped architect Anna Sy to articulate their vision. The absence of heavy padded furniture pieces, framed photos of large Italian families and a bold red-and-brown color scheme so typical of old Italian restaurants often depicted in films was done on purpose.
“That’s old-school Italian,” Matteo says with a smile. “Nothing wrong with that. We simply decided to go modern.”
Wines and spirits
Molito’s latest addition
That decision to go modern, aside from setting Guidicelli apart from the usual, is perhaps also in keeping with the restaurant’s location: on the third level of Molito’s newest building alongside Commerce Avenue.
With such an extensive range of restaurant-tenants Molito is turning out to be one of the biggest food meccas down south. Diners, drawn by the scale and variety of Molito’s offerings, may be flocking to it in droves, but the flipside of such a positive development is the stiff competition.
“Competition isn’t confined to the restaurant scene,” says Matteo. “There’s competition in every business.” But he’s confident that their philosophy of pushing for “Italian elegance [with] Filipino warmth” will continue to resonate well with diners. And that elegance extends to, as much as possible, the restaurant’s use of authentic Italian ingredients, from the pasta to the cheeses, sauces to the spices.
“You come in to savor good food made from some of the best Italian ingredients and the Filipino warmth and hospitality courtesy of our staff,” he says. Then on certain special days, such as Guidicelli’s recent Valentine’s Day celebration, the restaurant endeavors to hire live musicians. Couples, for instance, were treated to the live music of a harpist while enjoying Guidicelli’s restaurant offerings. And if you’re lucky, you might even encounter a certain winsome actor accompanying you to your table, bringing you the day’s menu and even taking your order.
“The response so far has been good,” Matteo discloses. “Business is great. But I don’t let our revenues dictate what we do. Instead, I always remind our people of our real goal, which is to see clients smile as we welcome and show them to their tables and escort them later to the door. That, to me, is an embodiment of Italian elegance and Filipino warmth.”
A view of the kitchen
Photography by MANUEL GENEROSO
Dining and Cooking