Seafood to Savor

Anybody who’s ever seen “Ratatouille” will definitely do a double take when they see Maribago Bluewater’s new executive chef. Portly, with a knack for coming up with fantastic tasting dishes, Chef Jose Miguel Lontoc is a dead ringer for the movie’s fictional yet celebrated Chef Gusteau. Exuding a charm and grace typical of an old-world gentleman, Chef JoeMike exhibits a culinary skill the cartoon chef and his creators can only dream of.

Chef JoeMike moved to Cebu from Manila about half a year ago, to take charge of culinary as well as administrative duties in Maribago Bluewater. Educated in Australia and having done consultancy work for several hotels both abroad and in the Philippines, the move to Maribago was a perfect one, both professionally and on a personal aspect. He says the laid-back lifestyle in Cebu is a welcome change from the hectic pace and pressure he was accustomed to.

The Cove is a seafood restaurant, and Chef JoeMike’s rule of thumb when it comes to seafood: fresh is always best. At the Cove, the seafood isn’t just fresh, it’s live! Crabs, prawns, lobsters, fish and mollusks are kept in aquariums, taken out only when they are ready to be prepared and cooked.

Dinner at The Cove was a multiple celebration: my wife Chacha’s 33rd birthday, my third year of writing for Sun.Star, and a reunion between Chef JoeMike and me. We had been classmates in grade school in LSGH and it’s been 23 years since we last saw each other. Incidentally, it’s also Sun.Star Cebu’s 25th Anniversary on November 25, so please allow me this opportunity to greet the Sun.Star family a very happy Silver Anniversary.

So back to the food: my wife and I started out with a simple clam chowder. Unlike most cream-based soups that tend to be heavy on the stomach, The Cove’s clam chowder was very light, yet still creamy. With diced potatoes, small pieces of clam as well as a whole white clam in the center, for both aesthetic and gastronomic purposes, it was a great way to begin a meal.

Raw oysters came next, with three different kinds of toppings. Sushi lovers will like the oysters with uni and tobiko roe, with the orange fish eggs and a sweet and sour taste. Those with more European tastes might prefer the horseradish and caviar topping, with the horseradish giving the bite and the black caviar a bit of a crunch. The topping I found most to my liking was the cocktail sauce. Most Cebuanos would find the taste very familiar, spicy and vinegary, perfectly complementing the taste of the oyster.

Abalone with jellyfish followed, tasting somewhat like mushrooms in oyster sauce, with a light undertone of pepper. It’s a great-tasting dish that’s not really part of the menu, although I’m sure Chef JoeMike will gladly prepare it for you as long as you ask nicely.

Diners will probably find the gambas al ajillo at The Cove a bit different from what they’re used to, although they’ll definitely be satisfied with what arrives at the table. Using huge prawns instead of the usual small shrimps, prawn lovers will be able to savor the flavor of the prawn meat itself, not just the sauce. When ordering, be sure to specify whether you like it mild or spicy, and Chef JoeMike will adjust the taste accordingly.

Another round of oysters was served, this time baked, with different toppings: creamed arugula and cheese, blue cheese and garlic, and lemon-butter sauce. The creamed arugula with cheese was interesting: while cheese is usually a mainstay when baking oysters and mussels, the cream and arugula provided a counterpoint to the saltiness of the cheese, not to mention a dash of color. The blue cheese and garlic topping was also different, yet comforting: images of grilled tahong with cheddar cheese and garlic at our back yard came to mind. Of course, you can never go wrong with a good lemon-butter sauce on seafood, and Chef JoeMike proves this with his own version of the ever-popular sauce.

The main courses were lobster cooked two different ways, and an incredible steamed lapu-lapu. The Chinese-style lapu-lapu, which practically melts in your mouth, has actually been part of the menu at Maribago Bluewater even before Chef JoeMike arrived. According to him, it’s the only item whose recipe he didn’t touch, save for making a few adjustments for consistency. He explains, “I don’t fix things when they aren’t broken, so there was no reason for me to alter the recipe of the lapu-lapu.”

Both the Lobster Thermidor and the Asian-style Lobster were delicious, giving my wife and me a chance to compare which way of cooking suited lobster better, European or Asian. The cheese perfectly accented the flavor of the meat in the Thermidor, and the lobster being fresh, it was no surprise that the meat was tender as can be. Traditionalists will definitely enjoy the lobster cooked this way, while those with more adventurous palates should try the Asian-style lobster. Cooked with coconut milk, lemongrass and chili, it gives diners a whole new perspective when they look at lobster. The lobster meat still tender and succulent, the coconut milk and chili gave a Southeast Asian twist to the already delectable lobster. If made to choose between the two though, I would pick the lobster, Asian-style.

The Cove sets a pretty good table, with Chef JoeMike, Food and Beverage Manager Douglas Berido, Daisy, Bert, Christian and the very efficient staff, cooks and all, working together to give guests a great culinary experience. As a matter of fact, a lot of people, me included, can honestly say that the food at The Cove Seafood Restaurant rank among the best in Cebu.

Food writers really have a tough job, weeding out the good from the bad, the bland from the flavorful, and writing about it. Chef JoeMike and his staff has made my job in this instance very easy, serving me and my wife a fantastic meal, and making our visit to The Cove a memorable one. I may not be an Anton Ego, the critic in “Ratatouille”, but I find myself paraphrasing him: “I will be returning to The Cove soon, hungry for more!”