Why La Spezia Is so special

Aaron and Sean at La Spezia BGC

A simple but supremely unforgettable meal at the Italian coastal town of Cinque Terre, which Sean Yuquimpo and Aaron Shiu had enjoyed on separate occasions, became the inspiration for the two setting up La Spezia in Quezon City back in 2016. And they named it La Spezia as it’s the gateway to Cinque Terre, like what Mestre is to Venice. Fast forward nine years, and La Spezia now has a BGC branch at the GSC Corporate Tower. While my eldest son, who lives in QC, is a fan of La Spezia, I had not had the chance to sample their food—and that’s my loss!

For La Spezia is truly special. It’s Italian cuisine that’s been elevated in a casual setting, emphasizing the freshness, authenticity, and quality of the ingredients. The play on textures and the springing of little tweaks and surprises are what have me extolling the virtues of their dishes and how the two owners/partners have come up with something different enough within the Manila dining landscape. It’s definitely not your traditional pizza and pasta joint but something premium and upgraded, with price points for a discriminating clientele—a clientele that appreciates quality and unique flavor profiles.

Caprese

The antipasti I had was the Caprese—salad tomato with burrata foam, sprinkled with tomato powder. Very interesting, as the burrata had been turned into a frothy, airy substance that concealed the sliced tomatoes. With the mélange of ingredients, there was both a smoky and sweet aspect to the appetizer.

Goose Ravioli

The Goose Ravioli is roast goose, goose jus, foie gras emulsion, and extra virgin olive oil in fresh homemade ravioli pockets. There’s something delightfully decadent about this dish, and I was reminded of the times I’ve enjoyed roast goose in Hong Kong. That sounds surprising, but I defy anyone to say I’m wrong if they ever sample this delicious ravioli.

Pistachio Pasta

The second pasta course we had was La Spezia’s Pistachio Pasta. Anchovy, red pesto, pistachio cream, prosciutto chips, 18-month parmigiano-reggiano, and EVOO all combine for a pasta preparation that I would have called their upgraded version of carbonara—but they do offer their own carbonara. What was nice here was how the fresh pasta had the pistachio cream really adhering to each strand and giving each bite a wonderful co-mingling of all the ingredients.

Half Yellow Chicken

For my main course, I had the Half Yellow Chicken, which is three-day dry-aged Chinese yellow chicken with jus, morel mushrooms, and EVOO. This is one of the more subtle dishes at La Spezia, and I absolutely loved how there were real morel mushrooms in the dish. Their Hunter Lamb, which is lamb leg with a mustard sabayon and white beans, is on my must-try list the next time I’m at their place.

Apple Tart Tartine

Chocolate Mousse and the Shot of Chocolate

Leave room for dessert and order the Apple Tart Tartine with homemade rosemary gelato and their freshly churned chocolate mousse, served with olive oil and sea salt and with a shot of chocolate. If I hadn’t already used the word decadent, this would have been the right time—and I’d gladly spoon this mousse nonstop into my appreciative mouth any night of the week. It’s that good!

Sean and Aaron are Enderun graduates, and Aaron did a course at the Alain Ducasse Academy in Paris and has done stints at the Ducasse and Joël Robuchon restaurants in Hong Kong.