Street Food with Italian Flair: Takin' It To The Street with Cibo di Strada...

Street food takes on a cool Italian vibe and Asia's best female chef, Margarita Fores, shows the way at Cibo...

Drawing inspiration from her frequent travels to Italy, no Italian experience is complete for Margarita Fores without enjoying their traditional street food. From pizza, panini and a whole lot of golden and crispy fried food, Margarita Fores takes it to the street with her own take on Italy's favorite street food. Meet the new line of Italian-style street food prepared in that classic Cibo style, the Cibo di Strada.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Cibo continues to share the very best of Italian cuisine with a new line of dishes, Cibo di Strada, for another authentic Italian dining experience.  The new hearty and on-the-go dishes complements Cibo's current menu, providing even more tasty options alongside its popular all-time favorites (for more on Cibo's classic dishes, see my previous post, Celebrating Twenty Years of Italian Classics at Cibo SM Aura Premier).

Rustic, flavorful and filling, Italian street food offers comforting and familiar flavors in refreshing new ways with a handy and convenient on-the-go style of presentation. Margarita Fores takes guests through each step of each new dish for another taste of Italy, and soon the aroma of fills the streamlined interiors of Cibo.

As Margarita Fores and her team of talented young chefs prepared the new dishes, guests were served Cibo's popular starters like the Dip Al Forno with spinach, gorgonzola and crostini (P 270) and the Patatine Fritte (P 165 Regular/P 295 Medium), paper-thin home-fried potato chips with creamy garlic mayonnaise.

Authenticity has always been at the very core of Cibo's success, and the new dishes reflect this philosophy. Using only the finest Italian ingredients (L), Margarita Fores recreates the richness of popular Italian street food staples with each new dish for Cibo di Strada... 

...like the Pizza Fritta (P 249), a Neapolitan-style fried pizza dough pocket with two tasty filling options: Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil; and Smoked Ham, Bel Paese, Mozzarella and Fontina draped in Groviera Cream. One bite and the light crispness of the fried pizza crust's outer layer delivers a subtle yet audible crunch contrasting with the soft and delectably chewy texture of the inner crust. The Smoked Ham option offers rich and savory notes, while the Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil has fresh, clean and tart flavors. Wrapped in paper, it's a handy meal that you can take with you anywhere. 

And it's quite filling too, just what you need to recharge and complete your day. The fried pizza crust is light and crisp, and a whole new way of enjoying pizza. And I like it.

The Arancini (P 249), Sicilian-style deep-fried risotto balls, is yet another reason why anything fried just works. The contrasting textures, with the crunchy outer layer and the soft risotto filling, combine for tasty and satisfying light meal on the go. The Arancini is available in three fillings, Bologna-style beef, pork ragu and mozzarella; Al Telefono like Cibo's best-selling and popular pasta dish with its blend of tomatoes, mozzarella, parmigiano, and basil; and porcini mushrooms, gorgonzola, and mozzarella. Each filling has its own distinct notes, and the chili aioli pairs well with all three. It's another must-try dish at Cibo.

A traditional panini is always a tasty option, and if you want a bite of pork love in a crusty roll, the Panino Porchetta (P 299) just doesn't get any better. The Roman-style roast pig sandwich has all the porchetta richness you love, perfectly tempered by the sweet and tart apple and pear mostarda and subtle spicy notes of the arugula in between crisp panini for balanced flavors. Thia one's a personal favorite.

The Arrosticini (P 249), with juicy beef tenderloin on a stick seasoned with Italian spices, brings bold beefy notes followed by a whisper of soothing heat from the chili flakes guaranteed to satisfy any serious beef craving. Perfectly grilled, each order comes with three skewers with crisp bread for a light meal in itself.

Fresh seafood battered and deep-fried? Works for me. The Fritto Misto (P 249), with deep-fried shrimp, squid, zucchini, eggplant, and lemon offers fresh flavors with the briny notes of seafood and the natural sweetness of vegetables perfectly complemented by the chili aioli. Topped with fresh herbs, the flavors of the Fritto Misto takes you to the Italian coast with each bite.

And for dessert, the Pizza Fritta with Nutella and Banana (P 249) caps your Italian street food feast on a high note. Perfect as a light mid-afternoon snack, the layers of sweetness from the Nutella and bananas combine in a seamless blend pairing well with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. The diversity of flavors present yet another facet of Italian cuisine, recreated by Margarita Fores, and a welcome addition to Cibo's menu. The Cibo di Strada menu is available exclusively at their SM Aura Premier branch while the Pizza Fritta is available in all Cibro branches. And here's even more good news. Diners can enjoy a 20% discount on a single order of any of Cibo's pasta dishes for dine-in and take-out along with an order of Pizza Fritta for a winning combo. The offer runs from June 26 to July 27, 2017, Mondays to Thursdays only. Hit the streets with fresh and authentic Italian flavors with the new Cibo di Strada, only at Cibo...

Cibo is located at the Upper Ground Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

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