As we enter, we can't help but wonder how they manage to stay in operation after all these years. Lina Fernandez talks to us how they depend very greatly on their reputation to keep the 120-seat restaurant in successful operation over the years. But it has been nonstop busy since the recent soft opening in October, and this day is no exception.

A steady stream of diners walks into their restaurant as we are welcomed by a basket of bread consisting of a fragrant focaccia roll studded with bits of sun-dried tomato, basil and rosemary, slices from a crusty roll and parmesan baked bread sticks. This is accompanied by a trio of spreads and dips. A tomato salsa sits between a generous dollop of garlic butter on one side and basil spread on the other. Andreas Reider talks to us about his training as a chef despite holding a Masters in Hotel and Restaurant Management that rounds out his hospitality skills. We first met him at the Amari in Samui Island in Thailand where he lorded over what is acknowledged as the top resort there. “The Carpaccio depends a lot on our regular customers . . . . we are not located near a mall or a business district unlike other restaurants,” and this we can relate with as the Yakal street in San Antonio Village in Makati is a chokepoint for traffic getting out of the Makati City towards the Sergio Osmena Highway.

The lunch proceeds with a generous serving of the carpaccio. This would have to be their signature dish and is innocently enough a fairly simple dish to prepare so that it would have to boil down to a selection of the meat to be used in the offering. Aptly named Carpacio alla Cipriani, it obviously takes inspiration from the creation of Giuseppe Cipriani of Harry’s Bar in Venice where it was created specially for the Contessa Amalia Nani Mocenigo who had been advised to consume only raw meat. With a scant drizzle of oil and a squeeze of lemon, the shavings of aged parmesan are the only ingredients that lend some saltiness to the dish. The name itself is from an Italian painter Vittore Carpaccio whose hanging paintings at the restaurant was awash in bright reds and dull yellows, which are the dominant colors in the dish. Ideally taken from the center of the finest tenderloin, the fat and gristle is trimmed and the thin slices of beef in combination with the simple flavor of extra-virgin olive oil and parmesan shavings offer a refreshing and subtle side to red meat rarely noticeable when wolfing down a grilled steak.

After an appetizer it is natural to have some pasta. 90 grams would normally be a reasonably good quantity so as not to overburden the palate and fill the stomach; otherwise we could never come around to a main course. As a staple of Italian food, pasta lovers would generally accept the myth that Marco Polo introduced it into Italy after his trip to the exotic East. The fact is that even during Etruscan times before the Roman Empire, baked lagane (strangely sounds like lasagna) was already common dish. The real introduction of pasta particularly into Southern Italy may have been in the 8th century with the entry of Arab traders into parts of Sicily where up to now, there are still some pasta dishes with hints of cinnamon and raisins. Regardless, it has become a staple in any Italian menu and remains a true test of any Italian chefs’ mettle. Fettuccini alla Marinara is commonly served with a fresh tomato sauce but today it is presented aglio oleo with just a hint of garlic to highlight the seafood flavors even more. Take shelled prawn with the tails on, chopped clams, just a touch of anchovies and sliced kalamata and black olives then finally finish with a scant sprinkle of delightful caper buds. Refreshing and delightful, it strikes a startling contrast against the main course of lamb.

Unlike most other grilled lamb dishes, the customary mint jelly is not offered but instead a tomato concasse, which is nothing more than a peeled, cored and seeded tomato diced to a specific size. With just touch of olive oil and basil, it’s the perfect companion to the Costoletta di Agnelo con Rosemarino. A hint of rosemary and the tomato concasse provide an acidic foil to what to many seem like the off flavor of this generous portion of grilled lamb chop. Agnelo, a name that makes reference to the lamb of God, is quite appropriate for this dish and takes this combination to a heaven of taste and flavor surprisingly pleasing to the senses. The nutty hints in the caramelized fats in the lamb blend with the acid sweetness of the tomato, making for a well-balanced dish.

A Makati congressman, better known for his use of expletives more colorfully than a potential presidentiable, is surprisingly well-behaved and strikes us as an ardent student of photography as we take the final shots of dessert. A sweet ending goes straight to the jugular with an all too familiar favorite. A classic tiramisu is a rude awakening after a heavy Italian meal. It is adapted from the Zuppa Inglese created for the Grand Duke Cossimo de Medici III on his visit to Siena in the Tuscany region sometime in the 19th century. Owing no doubt to its history from the brothel above the Le Becherrie restaurant in Treviso, the lascivious combination of espresso and sugar can certainly pick up a “working girl” after a session to prepare for yet another customer. A quick search produces more than several hundred basic recipes for tiramisu, but no doubt the foundation of the dish consists of eggs, lady fingers, mascarpone, espresso, unsweetened chocolate powder and a fortified wine (marsala) or liqueur (kahlua) assembled a layer at a time and chilled (not frozen). A zabaglione is whipped to a velvet consistency to which the cheese is added, whipped further and heavy cream or egg whites are folded into the mixture. From then on, the layering starts with the Savoiardi or lady fingers dipped, or more like kissed, into strong espresso, the cream, the chocolate and once again in the same order ending with a healthy dusting of chocolate powder, decadent and seductive.

This is too much to bear as we wolf down a ripe chardonnay, which surprisingly washes down well with the dessert. Just in time, Andreas walks back in and declares, “ . .ready to go to the Chesa?” Huh? "Why, yes we will," we reply as our eyes roll back into our sockets. Can we manage?