The Latest from Chef Chele Gonzalez: A Spanish Restaurant Without Tapas and Paella

Three days before it opened to the public, Asador Alfonso welcomed a small number of guests to a special preview upon the invitation of luxury car brand Lexus. The idea was to immerse guests in the latest creation of two brilliant minds: architect Carlo Calma and chef Jose “Chele” Gonzalez. The two collaborated before for one of Gonzalez’s first restaurants, Gallery, in Bonifacio Global City, and the chef has opened restaurants left and right since. 

Asador Alfonso is located about 70 kilometers from Manila, in the town of Alfonso, Cavite

But Asador Alfonso is special because not only is it located outside Manila—in a 9.4-hectare property in the Cavite town of Alfonso—but it marks yet another coming-together of the artistic and culinary visions of two leading masters in their respective crafts.

ALSO READ

Architect Royal Pineda Has a Few Things to Say About Modern Filipino Design

Chef Chele Gonzalez Looks to His Hometown For Inspiration in His New Restaurant

To make the experience even more special, Lexus provided guests with chauffeur-driven units to get to the location. However, I chose to drive myself and I was provided with a brand-new Lexus UX 300e. The all-electric Lexus, the brand’s first battery electric production model, ticks all of the boxes of a typical Lexus: striking exterior, premium interior, smooth and uncomplicated handling, and power and agility when you need it. The UX easily zipped past other vehicles along South Luzon Expressway and managed to perform flawlessly along the stretch of CALAX and in the backroads of Silang and Indang, Cavite. 

Chef Chele Gonzalez, posing in front of the restaurant with a Lexus, says Asador Alfonso is unlike any other Spanish restaurant in the country

I arrived at The Lava Rock, as Calma refers to the place upon which Asador Alfonso stands, just before a refreshing downpour drenched the thirsty earth. Sneak peeks of the restaurant that have popped up all over social media in the days and weeks leading up to the grand opening scarcely do the structure justice. Concrete, glass and wood come together in harmonious balance to create a space that stands out from the tranquil surroundings. 

“The place itself is an art piece,” Gonzalez says. ”The building itself is a work of art.”

The main restaurant space is in the ground floor, as is the open-plan kitchen. The tables look out into a view framed by floor-to-ceiling windows: a swimming pool and empty green fields that will eventually be developed with private living spaces, including Gonzalez’s own. There are also plans to open an art gallery and a small museum.

Striking architectural details in the restaurant are all from the mind of Carlo Calma

Detail of the second floor of Asador Alfonso

Elsewhere in the farm, Gonzalez and Calma plan on raising livestock to be used for the restaurant—lamb, pigeon, chickens, and others.

“This is a Spanish restaurant, but there’re no tapas, there’s no paella,” the chef says by way of introduction to Asador Alfonso. “We don’t want to do what everyone else is doing. There are a lot of things in Spain that is missing (here), and this is one of them.

Semi-private dining area at the second floor of the restaurant

The one-of-a-kind oven at Asador Alfonso

“The food is going to be a mix of flavors, very traditional,” he adds. “But in terms of execution, it’s going to be very fine, and very unique, I would say.”

Gonzalez points to the massive with oven used for roasting the restaurant’s specialties. He says it’s “the heart” of the concept as it’s the only one in Asia. 

“This is a roasting house, so we have a roasting oven,” he says. 

Esparrago

Jamon de Wagyu

The special menu Gonzalez prepares for the Lexus group begins with chunks of freshly baked sourdough bread served with extra creamy anchovies butter, followed by sliced asparagus drenched in extra virgin olive oil with celeriac toffee puree. It’s a light starter packed with flavor that serves as a good opener for what’s to come. 

Chef Gonzalez then brings out the first dish to elicit audible nods of approval: A5 jamon de wagyu is exactly as it sounds. While jamon is as traditional a Spanish meat dish as one can have, how many times have you had premium beef made to mimic cured pork?

Tosta de Boqueron

Carabinero

Next, the chef and his team bring out Tosta de Boqueron. While Gonzalez promised there would be no traditional tapas in this restaurant, there is a ghost of one in this dish. Boquerones are fresh anchovies that is the basis of a typical appetizer (or tapa) in Spain. In this version, the boqueron is marinated in vinegar, parsley and EVOO and placed on top of toasted bread. Whether it qualifies as a tapa is up for debate, but it certainly lives up to the chef’s promise of bold flavors.

Two pieces of grilled Spanish red prawns are presented next and quickly become a favorite among the diners. The chef suggests eating them with the hands instead of the provided utensils, and, for most of the diners, this adds a touch of character and whimsy to the experience. Not to mention that the succulent seafood tastes unmistakably fresh and of the sea, as some diners suck the juice out of the crustacean’s heads.

Setas y Trufa

Lechazo

Stew potatoes served with the lamb

After course number six—mushrooms sauteed with cured pork and egg yolk and fresh truffle shaved tableside—it was time for the main event. The baby lamb slow-roasted in the special oven is the highlight of the evening and it does not disappoint. The crispy skin is packed with flavor and falls of the tender meat. There are some who finish off the portions, including the chef himself, who pulls up a chair and joins the diners for more chit-chat. 

For dessert, the Asador Alfonso team keeps it simple and serve a delicate leche flan that is lighter and tastier than any commercially produced version of the custard sweet I’ve ever tasted.

“That’s what we want to do here at Asador Alfonso,” the chef says. “Very high quality of ingredients from Spain to do traditional cuisine but done in an innovative way.”

Chef Gonzalez says they have already gotten several inquiries for events. It’s not hard to imagine wedding receptions, intimate celebrations, and private functions in the space, exactly like the one Lexus hosted ahead of Asador Alfonso’s grand opening. It’s yet another example of how the Japanese luxury carmaker’s philosophy of “Experience Amazing” intersects with artisans like Chef Chele Gonzalez who provide these unique experiences as masters of their craft.