If food be the language of love

Two food-related events I attended last week could very well stand as testimonials to the saying that food is the language of love given the enthusiasm, the audible sighs of satisfaction, and the break-out of smiling faces that the events elicited.

- PHILIP CU UNJIENG

One was the Venchi XM Dining tasting menu collaboration, while the second was the formal opening of Streetscape at Shangri-La Plaza Mall, a dedicated row of curated dining options found at the mall's ground floor.

The Venchi event was the premium Italian chocolate's foray into creative food pairings. Creative, because what Global Ambassador Giovanni Battista 'GB' Mantelli enthusiastically led us to sample, were pairings of the iconic Venchi (hard C, so pronounced as Veng-Key) chocolates with traditional Filipino dishes, and complemented with Don Papa Rum cocktails. And not just one dish or two, but an array of dishes associated with meals that Filipinos would partake of throughout a typical day.

'GB' Mantelli is a direct descendant of Venchi founder Silviano Venchi, and it would be hard to find someone more affable, friendly, and engaging a most effective Brand Ambassador. He must have a gift for languages as well, as I saw a video of him in Indonesia greeting viewers in Bahasa. Here in Manila, words like kutsinta, puto, manggang hilaw, liempo, and laing, all rolled off his tongue with an Italian accent; and it was utterly charming. He rolled off full sentences in Pilipino; and smiled, attributing it to his many visits here.