Sunday Lunch at My Kitchen by Chef Chris

Ever since I ate at C Italian Dining in Pampanga two years ago I’ve been wanting to go back. I was so happy to hear that Chef Chris opened a new restaurant in Paco, Manila which was still far but much more manageable than Pampanga. C is still open from what I’ve heard but Chef Chris is no longer connected with that restaurant.

My Kitchen is located at The Oasis Park Hotel, a boutique hotel right across Paco Park.

Chef Chris’ restaurant wasn’t in a popular location like Bonifacio High Street or Rockwell but it was still full. I think wherever Chef Chris opens a restaurant people will follow. That’ says a lot for a city with dozens of new restaurants opening and closing at a fast rate.

I made a reservation for our big group of 9 more than a week before but they didn’t have a record of it.

Thankfully they had extra seating at the bar across the pool.

Chef Chris

I wish the bread was warmed up but it was still ok specially with the delicious free pesto with cheese.

pesto with bread

Chef Chris is known as the creator of the panizza, a thin rectangular pizza cut into strips and served with arugula and alfalfa sprouts. How he came up with this combination escapes me but it works.

I already reserved the restaurant to treat my friends Jenny and Vivian and their families for my birthday when I saw Deal Grocer’s offer of 50% off for My Kitchen’s newest panizza flavors. I quickly bought two coupons.

Many have imitated his panizza and the ones I’ve tried here and here were very, very pale comparisons to the original. The crust was thin, crisp yet flexible enough to be rolled.  If you look at the picture it would seem that there wasn’t a lot of toppings nevertheless the flavors were bold and just perfect. You can taste all the ingredients with every bite. The combination of cheeses were spot on too.

✔ ✔ ✔ Fra Diavolo panizza P792

Our favorite among the new flavors of panizza was the Fra Diavolo  – olive oil marinade tuna flakes, kalamata olives, capers, anchovies, roasted pepperoncini and fresh Italian parsley. It was the perfect combination of salty and spicy. Even the kids loved it.

I ordered the Hotdog panizza for the kids – spicy homemade Italian sausages, smoked bacon, fresh sage, assorted mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes. The ingredients were just what I liked in a pizza but somehow the Fra Diavolo just tasted better.

✔ ✔  Hotdog panizza P792

The food in My Kitchen wasn’t cheap but the servings were big and perfect for sharing. The seafood pasta had huge chunks of fish and lots of other seafood. Vivian and I even commented that we wish there was more pasta.

✔ ✔  spaghetti con frutti di mare P720

Jenny’s hubby Raymund doesn’t eat lamb but he loved the lamb ribs.  These lamb ribs were like little meat lollipops bursting with flavor. If I didn’t order anything else I can just eat a whole order by myself. It was finger lickin’ goooood. Braised lentils, olive fried potatoes and Italian style broccoli were served with the lamb ribs. An order was more than generous for 5 adults to share. I think I ate about 5 ribs.

✔ ✔ ✔ slow roasted lamb ribs with garlic & rosemary rub P1,100

I love ox tongue but I’ve never thought of pairing it with risotto. This dish was sheer genius and something I want to try making. The ox tongue was tender but not overly so. The sauce was rich from Marsala wine and tomatoes and not wimpy cream of mushroom soup like other restaurants make.

As good as the ox tongue was I found the whole dish a bit overwhelming and too tasty that you can only eat so much. The kids even ate this with white rice. Nevertheless we all gave the risotto with ox tongue our stamp of approval.

✔ ✔  risotto ox tongue P820

I really liked their cheesecake. It was the perfect balance of creaminess without being too dense and overpowering. The lemon lime sauce was a nice touch too. Even the crust was delicious. My only gripe was the price. P320 for a small slice of cheesecake? Really?

They served Vittoria coffee which was pretty good.

✔ ✔  lemon lime cheesecake P320

I highly recommend eating at My Kitchen. Sunday is a good time to go since there’s no traffic and parking was easy. This was one of my favorite meals of the year and I want to go back again and again. I just can’t get the Fra Diavolo panizza and lamb ribs out of my mind.

My Kitchen by Chef Chris
The Oasis Park Hotel
1032-34 Belen Street Paco, Metro Manila Philippines
Facebook
My Kitchen’s Menu

✖ skip it
✔ not bad
✔ ✔ do try
✔ ✔ ✔ MUST order