Cibo

What better way to break the dry spell than with thoughts of Cibo. It feels like a lifetime since I last posted anything on this blog. The past few months have been tough as I engineer a million things for work and work-related projects, my own research and even my own personal life as I attempt to move temporarily to the Land Down Under for studies. In between the madness have been thoughts of food. And the thought of food that keeps buzzing in my head comes from Cibo, one of my more reliable favorites.


Cibo is modern Italian but avoids the trappings of other modern Italian restaurants by being a little bit more whimsical not just in décor—as evidenced (again) by the superfluous use of circles and balls throughout the space just like its sibling Café Bola—but also the manner food is conceptualized. I love their elongated pizzas and how you can bite into a meal without losing touch (or taste) of the various cheeses used in constructing that very dish. I love how their food isn’t over-seasoned and how everything welds in the tongue through subtle flavors. I love how Italian is transplanted here using fresh local ingredients as much as possible and not canned and industrialized pre-packed stuff which most Italian(-American) wannabes in this part of the world keep doing. I love how it is chunky and the ingredients can be made out still and not an amalgamation of overcooked, velvety and oil-drenched sauces.

The pizzas in Cibo are some of the best in the city. The shape is a little bit unusual as they’re elongated and—I suspect—made to maximize oven space (so it’s a neat trick to do when you make your own dough at home) and make slicing a little easier. If my hunch is right, it just proves that you don’t need a wood burning brick oven to come up with great pizzas. Regardless of shape, the crust is crisp and provides a good base especially for non-tomato based sauces. My favorite—though I have yet to take a photo of it—is their Funghi Trifolati, mushroom pizza.


Fiori Di Zucca is another favorite: zucchini (sometimes squash) blossoms on a mozzarella and olive oil base. I was a little hesitant when I saw the pizza the first time. I thought it would just be pretty and wondered how some often ignored edible flowers would fare as a pizza topping. I took my first bite and was in love instantly. There’s something balmy and sweet about the flowers that plays with the earthy and salty flavor of the cheese.


Another pizza that I like is the Caviole Salmone. It’s made of salmon, cream cheese, chives and caviar.


There are lots of pasta dishes to try. I like the Penne All'Ortolana (grilled veggies with sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies) and the Linguine Alla Siciliana (which features shrimps) but my ultimate restaurant comfort food is Cibo’s Margherita: the no-frills tomatoes and basil pasta. There’s something reassuring about how this sauce has been executed, and it is perfect for rainy days—literally and figuratively. Other comfort foods to try: the Spinach Zola (bread dipped in a pate of spinach and gorgonzola), their roast chicken, and the mushroom soup.


Cibo also serves a nice array of salads. My favorite is a bevy of grilled zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms and other veggies bathed in sun dried tomato pesto. Their Insalata Pacifica—heart of palm and nice crisp parmesan shavings on a bed of greens—is another favorite.


And never leave Cibo without savoring their desserts. Their carrot cake is the best I’ve had in the city. Other things I love are their flourless chocolate cake and the lemon tart.



The only thing I hate about Cibo is that their overwhelming menu is made even more overwhelming by a string of Italian names. It’s hard to compose a meal for yourself or for your friends when you come there the first time and allow yourself to be frazzled by the language. I sometimes pick the heads of the waiters and ask them to bundle together a meal with an antipasto, two main courses, and dessert. I’ve learned it’s better to find the things you really like before going adventurous and matching them with other things that stir your fancy. Fortunately, it’s hard not to find something likeable in Cibo that you’ll end up coming back for more and more and more.