Food and fire during Earth Hour at The Avenue

As the world celebrated Earth Hour 2011 around two weeks ago, a number of establishments around Iloilo City supported this global effort by turning off their lights for an hour. With this, it raised local awareness towards the need to take action on climate change and global warming.

Among them was Iloilo’s premier dining and entertainment destination, The Avenue. “We have participated in this event since it became a worldwide endeavor in 2008.” informs Ms. Arvi Sumayo, Marketing Specialist of Great Foods Concept Inc. “For the past three years; our restaurants showed support by switching off most of the lighting fixtures and became candle-lit for an hour”.

True enough it was a play of light and dark two Saturdays ago when The Avenue marked this year’s celebration of Earth Hour. At exactly 8:30pm, restaurants namely Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine, Mojave Grill and Steak House, Amalfi Cucina Italiana, Nothing but Desserts, Terra Mediterranean Cuisine and Coffeebreak plunged into semi-darkness signaling the start of the sixty-minute campaign to help save Mother Earth.

While patrons enjoyed their respective dinner or coffee time in the shadows, I found myself having some delectable Italian specialties at Amalfi. Named after a coastal Italian town, Amalfi offers sumptuous Italian delights coupled with the luxurious Italian feel amidst the impressively plush setting oozing with understated elegance,. With minimalist interiors and black and white themed walls decked with gorgeous wall adornments, elegance shouts in every corner of the restaurant.

Amalfi’s distinct and exciting menu also makes it a top choice for cozy dining. It has a superb array of Italian dishes ranging from pasta and pizza, fresh salads and soups to mouth watering steaks. It also prides itself with an excellent collection of wine and liquor to those with discriminating taste.

My gastronomic hour started with the Insalata di Amalfi – a mix of Romaine lettuce, grilled bell pepper, shitake mushrooms and candied walnuts with honey balsamic dressing. The praline and walnuts gave the salad a unique texture and flavour complementing the fresh lettuce greens and the smoky peppers.

As if on cue, the smell of smoke started to fill the air indicating the start of a thrilling performance specially staged for the event. A series of fire dances performed by the Iloilo Fire Fantasy created quite a spectacle for the diners. Various routines and numbers involving acrobatic fire moves wowed the crowd and got their eyes glued to the fiery performances.

Not only did I see fire, I then really tasted something fiery when the Salsiccia pizza came next. Made with a variety of sausages and Fontina cheese, it was simple yet scrumptious with all those herbs and despite the fact that I inundated it with hot sauce.

Good thing the Al Frutta di Amare curtailed the burning sensation. A lip-smacking mix of sautéed seafood (shrimp, squid and salmon) and tomato sauce over pasta of choice - linguine for me.

The blazing atmosphere carried on with more showcases of acrobatic and calculated moves with fire paraphernalia and more feisty fire dancing. “This is our second year entertaining our guests with this kind of entertainment during Earth Hour” says Ms. Sumayo. “Our guests enjoyed it last year so we decided to have another one this year.”

“Another one!” These two words got stuck in mind when I tasted the Manzo alla Griglia con Funghi. It was grilled beef tenderloin with duo of a mushrooms, roasted tomato and potato puree served with potato risotto. As I always say, “Looks good, tastes even better!”. The perfectly grilled (medium rare, please!) beef was very flavourful on its own but even made better tasting with the sidings. It was soft and tender too, almost like a hot knife through butter. Certainly, I’ll have “another one” next time.

One more Earth Hour has ticked by and opened our eyes that even the simplest of deeds can make a difference. Yet it’s something that we can do everyday; in our homes, offices, everywhere. And I don’t have to wait for another year to have a taste of authentic Italian dishes for I can go back and satisfy my Italian cravings at Amalfi Cucina Italiana - any day, any hour.

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This article was published in the Lifestyle Section of The News Today (a local Iloilo daily) last April 5, 2011.

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