La Collina
Started in January , La Collina literally means the hill in both Spanish and Italian. Although originally envisioned to open in Tagaytay, time constraint led Chef Anita to opt for this location in the quiet side of Poblacion instead
Fabada Asturia
Fabada asturiana, often simply known as fabada, is a rich Spanish bean stew, originally from and most commonly found in the autonomous community of Principality of Asturias, but widely available throughout the whole of Spain and in Spanish restaurants worldwide. Canned fabada is sold in most supermarkets across the country.
Fabada is a hot and heavy dish and for that reason is most commonly eaten during winter and at the largest meal of the day, lunch. It is usually served as a starter, but may also be the main course of the meal. It is typically served with Asturian cider or a red wine (Wiki)
La Collina’s Fabada was a delightful concoction of complex flavors originating from 3 kinds of home made chorizo, jamon serrano and pork hock. It was so good, I can not stop eating it. It is the very essence of comfort food.
It is a complete meal in itself considering you have your carbs, protein and veggies from the beans and tomatoes.
I would suggest you order this with a carafe of either white or red sangria. It must be said though that I have a new favorite in La Collina’s White Sangria. Made with Viura, the White Sangria is more refreshing and crisp and clean on the palate relative to its more colorful sister the red sangria.
Bruschetta Assorted P160 4 pcs P290 8 pcs
We were served two variants – Artichoke and Eggplant Bruschetta. I knew from the get go that I am in trouble when I tasted both Artichoke and Eggplant and can not for the life of me decide which I like best. They are both scrumptious in their own way
Artichoke was salty , creamy and almost cheesy while the Eggplant Bruschetta had complex flavors only an eggplant can deliver.
I suggest you order both. Do stick to just 4 pieces though. Remember these are just starters and you still have a lot of food to explore in La Collina
Fritto Misto P450
“A very classic Italian street food usually found near the areas by the sea like Genova…. “
– Chef Owner Anita
Literally translated FRITTO MISTO means mixed fried.
Chef Anita relates that they used to have tawilis in the mix but when it was declared endangered they replaced it with shrimps. She shares that in Italy the Fritto Misto she experienced had anchovies alongside seafood that were in season.
Sourced from a friend of Chef Anita who makes them home-made, these chorizos are delicious. Do not forget to eat them with the caramelized onions for more flavor.
Blue Crab Ravioli
The Blue Crab Ravioli is a personal recipe of Chef Anita and inspired by her love for Italian cuisine. The ravioli was delightfully al dente providing the bite to the creamy filling that was the Blue Crab inside.
Note that La Collina uses only the alimasag which is the deep sea crab and they source it in Bacolod from a a friend who is also an enviromentalist
Paella Mixta 4 pax P1950, 8 pax P2950, 12 pax P3950, 15 pax P4950
Sensitive to the comments of their regular patrons, Chef Anita has included PAELLA for TWO.
Loved how colorful the paella was. The highlight for me was scraping the soccarat from the bottom of the pan. Soccarat or ‘tutong” in local parlance is where I usually find the concentration of flavors in paellas.
Cochinillo Black Pig P1350 per kilogram
The highlight of our lunch, it did not disappoint with its thin, crunchy crackling and almost melt in your mouth meat.
I highly recommend you order this and eat it with Paella. The bountiful spread actually felt Christmas (y) all of a sudden
I would not mind having this for Noche Buena.
Overall…
Spanish Pintxos and Bruschetta side by side? Why not?
Can I just say they were all scrumptious. Can not make up my mind which one is my favorite. The chorizos, gambas and battered-fried-seafood were winners . So where the artichoke and egg plant bruschetta. Lest I forget, the cochinillo and paella were exceptionally good.
Make sure you order carafes or either red or white sangria to pair your starters with. Would highly recommend the white variant too for its crisp, refreshing taste. Definitely returning with the piggery in tow.
LA COLLINA is located at 4558 Molina corner Quintos Street Poblacion Makati. They are open from 11 am onwards