My Dinner with Bella
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Bella Yuchengco whips up a feast.
An invite to her home is much coveted. The meal I had a couple of years ago still lingers, more than just for the tastiness of her food, but also for the overall experience.
A gustatory adventure awaits her lucky guests who expect to get wowed not just by her signature fare, but also by the way she masterfully presents them.
Plate Collection
Tita Bella has an extensive plate and tableware collection that consists of practically everything you can think of -- from teacup sets to candelabras turned to tempura plates.
She began accumulating them while living in Japan in the ‘70s.
Her passion for collecting table curiosities never waned. Her pieces are stored in a well-appointed storeroom that mimics a showroom.
Just last week, I was fortunate to have been invited, once again. This time, in the company of culinary greats and foodies.
I walked into a dining room adorned with colorful mums on blue and white vases. On the table amid the flowers were porcelain girls garbed in cheongsams, holding candles.
I sat on a table that was almost full. I came, shamefully a tad late, as the traffic from La Vista to Alabang was less than ideal; but, indeed, the long journey was well worth it.
For starters we had a cool and refreshing serving of Crab with Cucumbers. On a little bowl were large chunks of crab meat and cucumbers dressed in an oriental vinaigrette.
Then came the delicious Salmon Sashimi, Egg. The dish was made of diced fresh salmon tossed in a blend of rice vinegar, some sugar and soy, capped with a fried egg. It was so good, it hit the spot. Simple yet delicious.
Next was Tita Bella’s most creative potage of Corn, Grape Tempura and Potato Shrimp Tempura.
Corn potage, grape tempura and shrimp potato tempura
Corn soup from Japan has always been her favorite, and her rendition of it, was inspired by her travels to the Land of the Rising Sun, with her father, Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco. During their stay, they called the Imperial Hotel their home, where she would always have their corn soup, ordering it, even for breakfast.
The addition of grape tempura came to be when she chanced upon a magazine article on fried grapes. She thought, why not serve it with corn soup?
So, she did, and her kids loved it. Tita Bella intimated that her children are her “guinea pigs.”
“Every Saturday, I would always serve new dishes to my kids for lunch, and from there they would tell me what they like or don’t like -- and those that were pasado to them, I would serve to my guests.”
The Crème Brûlée at the Yuchengco residence comes generously topped with uni, salmon roe and caviar. It was an explosion of umami; a dish so decadent that it left an imprint on my palate.
Our main dish was a duet of Anago and Wagyu Prime Rib over Corn Sushi Rice with Ponzu Sauce.
Anago with corn sushi and wagyu prime rib on the side
A most interesting Panna Cotta with a ginger-aced Watermelon and Pineapple Granita punctuated a most memorable evening.
Tita Bella cooks dishes that are known to all but whipped up her way and majestically plated.
To the palate her creations are hearty, with a homemade feel to it. The manner in which she puts her edible masterpieces together, coupled with her graciousness as a hostess, are forms of art.
According to Tita Bella, her cooking style isn’t too complicated. But then again, that’s according to her.
Her Chinese menus are inspired by her late mom Paz Sycip’s dishes, mostly of meals she enjoyed growing up.
Her Filipino repertoire is homey with a little twist here and there. While her French and Japanese menus - are inspired by her travels.
Love for cooking
She confessed that her penchant for cooking came to her late in life.
“When I got married I didn’t know how to cook or even how to boil water.”
She first dabbled in it when she took lessons with the legendary Sylvia Reynoso and when she lived in Tokyo -- since in her words, “she didn’t have much of a choice.”
When she moved to Alabang and would entertain, her friends would ask if they could invite their friends, to partake of her food.
Front row: Glenda Baretto (Via Mare chef and owner), Jessie Sincioco (chef and owner of Chef Jessie), Bella Yuchengco, Micky Fenix
Back Row: Carlo Calma (owner of Vask restaurant), Myrna Segismundo (used to own restaurant at ABS CBN), Cecile Ang (she handles Diamond Hotel… has franchise of Royce Chocolate… daughter of Ramon Ang), Beth Romualdez, Reggie Aspiras, Pepper Teehankee (writes for Star newspaper)
Through the years, she grew in confidence and now is her own culinary star!
Meals at Tita Bella’s are summed up as good times spent in the company of good friends, overflowing with good food.
Unfortunately, meals at Casa Bella are by invitation only. To get an invite… “just make kulit,” she playfully quipped.
First published in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Tita Bella shared her Crab and Cucumber recipe here: The Happy Home Cook: Crab and Cucumber Appetizer
Reggie Aspiras is a chef and culinary instructor, columnist (“Kitchen Rescue,” Philippine Daily Inquirer), best-selling cookbook author and brand, product and food consultant.
