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| Reviews | ||
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| Shift Drink November 22, 2006 Interview with Amy Besa & Romy Dorotan By Melody Lan Read Article | ||
| The New York Times August 3, 2005 Cooking Without Concessions By Frank Bruni Read Article (PDF Format) |
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| The Wall Street Journal, The Weekend Journal Friday, September 24, 2004 De Gustibus By Tunku Vandarajan ...I found a restaurant – Philippine, in this case --- whose menu touted an organic varietal of cooking that I’d never eaten before. I say “organic” because I wish to exclude the whole “fusion” idea. You know the sort of thing: Latin-infused Japanese food or Pan-Asian/New American -- deliberate exotica, as it were, dreamed up by metropolitan chefs to kick some life into our jaded palates. Continued... |
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What should you
try? We loved the mango tart, Romy’s version of the traditional
tarte tatin- its paper-thin, crunchy, torched crust resting on top
of a distinctly spiced sweet mango base. Buko pie- buko being young,
unripened coconut- came with a fruity, barely sweet rhubarb sauce
when we had it (accompanied by the chef’s own vanilla bean ice
cream). Buko sorbet accompanies a blueberry-and-ube (purple yam) tart.
Kalamansi meringue pie is made from a variety of lime Romy brings
in from the Philippines. For the most authentic experience- particularly
on a hot summer day- dip into the Halo Halo, a kind of ice sundae,
with coconut sport (a variety of very soft coconut flesh), agar-agar,
jackfruit, sweet red beans, cocoa gel, palm seed, and toasted rice
topped with ube ice cream.-Andrea DiNoto and Paul Stiga "New York's 50 Best Places to Eat Dessert" Rizzoli 2003 |
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Romy and Amy Dorotan's Cendrillon is a
haven for palate-challenging fusion fare with Filipino and Pacific-Rim
accents. The gently stylish space features walls of vintage brick
hung with intriguing artwork. Inlaid wooden tables add a casual charm
and votive candles cast a golden glow throughout. Dorotan's semi-open
kitchen produces consistent, complex and always imaginative cooking.
While respectful of culinary tradition, Romy redefines the genre with
confidence. Each plate is a skillful showcase of forthright food,
flavors and contrasting textures. Daily specials are indeed special.
The sophisticated wine list is an added complement. WWW $$$ Firsts--Squash soup with crab dumplings, goat curry with rice pancakes. Mains--Spareribs with mashed taro and sweet potatoes, salt-roasted duck with mango and tomatillo chutney. Finales--Banana crepe with banana flan and cashew ice cream, blueberry and purple yam tart. |
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 Cendrillon was featured on Martha Stewart's television program, Living, on July 20, 1998. |
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 "My mind was blown by the bibingka that Amy Besa perfected after a series of 'help please' calls to relatives in the Philippines. As my daughter and I devoured it, I thought, this is an Egg McMuffin in the Mind of God ..." - Peter Kaminsky, New York Magazine, September 1995 |
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 "Romy Dorotan is one of the unsung fine chefs of New York, and this is one of the city's unsung fun restaurants." |
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 "Cendrillon's owner, Philippine-born Romy Dorotan - who has been cooking in the U.S. for more than twenty years - is trotting out a staggering array of Philippine specialties, creating one of the most exciting brunches of any kind in Manhattan." - David Rosengarten, Gourmet Magazine, April 1998 |
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 "Cendrillon ... a fashionable SoHo bistro, where traditional Filipino fare is masterfully tweaked; where, with a wink and touch of culinary genius, the bibingka becomes a rich souffle of gouda and feta instead of the traditional water-buffalo cheese, and where the paella is a steaming cornucopia of shrimp, long beans and indigo-colored rice ..." - Somini Sengupta, New York Times, April 1998 |
phone:212-343-9012 fax: 212-343-9670
email:acbesa@prodigy.net