IN ITALY, local markets are where people prefer to go when looking for home-grown and fresh produce.
A tiny piece of this Italian tradition can be found in a quiet space in Park Terraces Tower Makati. In the cozy and casual Brera Delicatessen, dishes may be chosen as if in a marketplace.
Brera Delicatessen was named after a posh neighborhood in Milan where many restaurants and popular fashion houses are located.
“It’s supposed to be casual, not fine dining, but not fast food either. We envision the customers to come in and select cheese, charcuterie, a bottle of wine, meat, fresh bread, and then sit down and dine,” Brera Delicatessen general manager Paolo Durante, was quoted as saying in a press release.
During the media launch in November, Mr. Durante — who is a native of Rome — explained that he was inspired to introduce a different dining experience in Manila when he visited the country in 2010.
The restaurant is designed with a rustic interior and built-in shelves where one can find 98 imported labels of wine. The deli is also equipped with a brick oven for cooking thick and crunchy Rome-style pizza, an indoor grill for skewers, and a glass-walled dry-aging room for meat which uses bricks of Himalayan salt to help capture the moisture.
Brera offers over 100 charcuteries from all over Europe (Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Greece and Turkey); over 250 cheeses including the 36-month aged parmigiano; and Mediterranean dips like hummus, tzatiki, baba ghanoush, and tabbouleh; and cakes and pies made at Brera Delicatessen’s commissary in Tagaytay.
“In Italy, it’s very common. You go inside and choose your cold cuts cheese, bread, whatever you want,” and take them home or have them right there is the deli Mr. Durante said.
Guests may also opt for dishes found on the menu including sandwiches, pastas, Italian, Spanish, French, and Dutch food platters, and grass-fed and milk-fed steak from the US and Australia.
“We can also create something new every time. This is the nice thing about finding all these ingredients. You never lack imagination when you’re in the kitchen,” he said.
For the holiday season, customizable hampers are available for a minimum price of P3,000.
Brera Delicatessen is located at G/F Park Terraces Tower, Arnaiz Ave., San Lorenzo Village, Makati city. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For inquiries, contact 478-7384. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman
