Italian Flair: An Italian Affair at FABTECH's Gelateneo Launch

Cars. And Gelato...leave it to the Italians to execute both with flair and panache.

FABTECH Kitchen Unlimited Inc., the country's pioneer and leading supplier of complete commercial kitchen solutions, recently launched its latest venture, Gelateneo, a training program for artisanal gelato in an elegant dinner. And for one evening, I got to experience real Italian flair with Italian gelato. And a cool Italian ride...

And there's no better way to kick off an Italian affair than with a classic Italian thoroughbred to complete the Italian experience. A bold red Maserati Ghibli was our Italian ride to FABTECH's showroom, shown here parked at the Fairmont Makati Hotel. An authentic Italian ride and freshly-made Italian Gelato, now how cool is that? 

FABTECH's industrial showroom was transformed into an elegant Mediterranean enclave with a mini-museum detailing the history and art of gelato, the perfect setting for a classic cocktail reception with a live string quartet, a champagne fountain, and gelato tasting bar. And a pair of elegant Maseratis (more on the Maserati Ghibli on my other travel blog here). The event was hosted by Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, chef and TV personality, weaving her own elegant style to the evening's dinner.

Inside FABTECH's spacious kitchen, the latest state-of-the-art gelato machines by Cattabriga were displayed and used for the gelato demo, with each step of the process monitored by FABTECH's expert staff. And if you know your Italian gelato, the name Cattabriga should be familiar, it's the name behind Italy's best gelatos. 

Master Gelato Chef Giacomo Schiavon, the genius behind Sorbetteria Castiglioni in Bologna, was the evening's special guest, as he shared his knowledge, passion and artistry for gelato in an interactive demo at FABTECH's kitchen. Seeing a true master at his craft up close is an experience in itself, as the evening's Italian vibe continued. The Gelateno program reaffirms FABTECH Kitchen Unlimited Inc.'s position as the country's premier commercial kitchen solutions expert and fabricator, exclusively marketing the world's leading brands in the food service industry, supplemented by innovative programs like Gelateneo.

Assisted by Cattabriga's Team Ice and FABTECH's staff, Master Gelato Chef Giacomo Schiavon prepared a classic Italian gelato favorite, Stracciatella, a rich gelato infused with fine shreds of premium chocolate. After pouring the ingredients, the Cattabriga gelato machines then come alive and the gelato magic began with the slow yet deliberate churning of milk, slowly transformed into a velvety smooth form inside the stainless steel drums. To see all this happening before your eyes is definitely quite an experience...

Master Gelato Chef Giacomo Schiavon proceeded with pouring chocolate, slowly turning with the gelato until thin crisp chocolate shreds are formed, now resembling the gelato classic. After a few minutes, the gelato was ready, and it doesn't get any fresher than this. Sampling a scoop, the flavors slowly burst in your mouth as it melts.

Indulgently smooth, there's nothing that can equal freshly churned gelato. As guests arrived for the formal dinner, scoops of freshly made gelato were served by FabTech's staff at the gelato tasting bar conveniently set up near the entrance. For the guests, the Italian experience began with a scoop or two of freshly churned Italian gelato. 

Some of the invited guests that evening included blogger and good friend Ray Reyes and Zarah Zaragoza-Manikan (L), the genius behind Bono Gelato; Discovery Primea's Executive Chef Luis Chikiamco, and David Pardo De Ayala, Discovery Primea's General Manager; and photographer Sandra Dans and writer Yvette Tan (R). 

The evening's dinner was specially curated by Margarita Fores, one of the metro's celebrated chefs, with an elegant five-course menu, starting with the Insalata "La Delizia," (L), with Davao pomelo, red grapes, and Parmigiano-Reggiano Frico shards drizzled with pommery mustard; and Handmade Spinach Ravioli (R) with truffle cream.

The evening's third course was a masterfully executed Pan-Seared Sea Bass Fillet "In Cartoccio," with Italian fennel and onion confit, Sagada orange, extra virgin olive oil, and Tagaytay French beans. The delicate sea bass was perfectly pan-seared, remaining buttery soft capped with just a layer of subtle crispness, with its fresh and clean notes.

Before the fourth course, guests were served a refreshing Limone Sorbetto to cleanse the palate, freshly prepared by Master Gelato Chef Giacomo Schiavone minutes earlier. Unlike the usual sorbet, the Limone Sorbetto's texture was satin-smooth, sliding down with ease coating your mouth with the sharp and vibrant notes of lemon.  

For the main course, we were served the Braised & Grilled US Angus Short Ribs in red wine jus, porcini cream, cambozola potato torte, and minted zucchine threads. Braised then grilled, the US Angus Short Ribs were incredibly tender, with each slice seemingly melting in your mouth releasing its rich and beefy notes.

As guests enjoyed their main course, host Stephani Zubiri-Crespi and Master Gelato Chef Giacomo Schiavon proceeded to the kitchen to create the evening's dessert. The whole process was shown via a live feed in monitors, allowing guests a peek into the art of gelato.

That night, the Cattabriga gelato machines were fired up once more, churning the next batch of fresh gelato for the evening's dinner finale, an indulgent dessert with gelato. The culinary team then prepared and plated each dessert, supervised by Master Gelato Chef Giacomo Schiavon.

And in an impressive parade, the staff then served the Tiramisu Gelato to cap an elegant Italian evening at FABTECH, paired with freshly brewed espressos prepared with WMF Espresso Machines by RICMAS. An elegant Italian flair threaded the whole evening, from the ride in the classic Maserati, the transformation of the FABTECH showroom, the gelato demo all the way to the elegant dinner and dessert.

With another successful collaboration launched, FABTECH Kitchen Unlimited Inc.'s management and their program partners ended the classic Italian evening with a toast, with even more exciting new programs to come.  

Master Gelato Chef Giacomo Schiavon, host Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, and FABTECH's Kelly Go joined the guests in another toast to end the evening on a high note. The richness of the evening's Italian flavors continued to linger as I head back for one final ride in the Maserati...

FABTECH Kitchen Unlimited Inc.'s showroom and service center are located at Phase 1, Block 3, Lot 2 and 3, Santiago Street, Paseo de Magallanes Commercial Center (beside Dunlop and Koi Village), Makati City or call (632) 851-0333 for inquiries and more information.

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