CHECK IT OUT: My Kitchen by Chef Chris in Paco, Manila

My Kitchen by Chef Chris
Oasis Park Hotel 1032-34 Belen Street,
Paco, Manila
Tel. No. 521-2371
Open 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily

Head to My Kitchen for Chef Chris’ famous panizza. Click for more.

(SPOT.ph) A thin-crust dough baked to a crisp, warm melted cheese with choice toppings, sliced and rolled with fresh arugula and alfalfa sprouts-Chef Chris Locher is credited with creating the original panizza and first served them in a Pampanga restaurant made famous because of the rolled pizza slices. Now, he serves his popular panizzas in My Kitchen, the restaurant of the newly refurbished Oasis Park Hotel in Paco, Manila.

Contrary to what most believe, Chef Chris does not own C'Italian Dining in Pampanga. "I was the chef, not the owner," he says. Now, he splits his time helming My Kitchen with his duties as the new executive chef for the hotel but has trained the staff in the art of churning out best-selling panizzas, as well as the Italian-Mediterranean fare that foodies in Manila used to drive out of the city for.

Choose from a selection of Chef Chris' panizzas, each layered with a blend of five different cheeses: Don Carmelo (P720), with spicy chorizo, anchovies, thyme; Primavera (P690), made with roasted red and green peppers, tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, artichoke hearts, caramelized onions and anchovies; Kristina (P690), topped with bacon, ham, caramelized onion, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms or the indulgent Millionario (P720), a decadent seafood treat topped with shrimps, scallops, tomato-infused five-cheese sauce and sprinkled with white truffle oil. Additional orders of arugula and alfalfa sprouts may be requested (additional P90).

Although you come here for the panizza, My Kitchen also serves a satisfying platter of homemade Italian sausages-plump, juicy sausages that hint of spices-and are served with caramelized garlic in red wine sauce, lentils, and potato wedges (P620). According to Chef Chris, the Bistecca is also a popular choice for family-style dining (P3,100). The US Prime Angus flank steak cooked with rosemary garlic marinade serves six to 10 people.

Chef Chris updates the menu every few months and has added new dishes since My Kitchen opened in mid-December. Soon, they hope to serve a wider selection of desserts (everything is made in-house, including the bread) and offer sweet treats via their own gelateria.

Photos courtesy of My Kitchen and by Trixie Zabal-Mendoza (panizza and sausages)