Mattei’s Tavern Chef Rhoda Magbitang Goes Out with a Bang

When I received the invitation to attend a Kamayan dinner at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, they described it as “an unforgettable culinary journey that pays homage to Chef Rhoda Magbitang’s Filipino heritage” — and indeed it most certainly was. What I didn’t realize at the time was that this dinner was not only a beautiful homage to Chef Rhoda’s family traditions, it was also part of her last hurrah at Mattei’s, as she is now on her way to another Auberge Resorts Collection property in Hawai’i, to be the chef at the CanoeHouse restaurant at Mauna Lani.

Our loss is most certainly the big island’s gain. Chef Rhoda’s culinary love letter to her maternal grandmother, Lola Magdalena, was one of the most memorable meals I’ve had in a very long time. The vibrant Filipino flavors — all eaten in traditional family style at two long tables, with just our fingers for the most part — tingled my senses in every possible way.

After cocktails outdoors at the resort’s charming outdoor bar, the lively evening began for the 50 or so lucky guests with appetizers of mung bean sprout fritters, kinilaw (hamachi ceviche with coconut vinegar), and pork barbecue skewers, all of which were accompanied by a delightful assortment of dipping sauces, from sweet and sour to the traditional toyomansi, and a liver sauce, which tasted much better than it sounds.

The meal was a zesty blend of sweet, sour, and salty tastes from start to finish, and the warm summer night air further conjured up dreamy images of traveling to Manila. Music by a four piece-band added to the buzzy ambience of excited foodies enjoying the night and excited about what lay ahead.

Our main feast featured a beautifully presented garlic rice in a pineapple dish, pancit bihon (a noodle dish that I used my banana leaf to help me slurp down — no utensils, remember!), pickled green papaya salad, roasted marinated eggplant salad, and chicken lumpia. There was also chicken adobo, a whole roasted pig (!) and three seafood dishes — my favorites of the night, and I’m not just saying that because Stephanie Mutz of Sea Stephanie Fish was seated across from me — garlic butter shrimp, a crispy whole rockfish, and baked mussels with butter, garlic, and breadcrumbs that were pure perfection. Seriously, if I were on a deserted island and could have one dish, I would happily have these forever!

A colorful assortment of bite-sized cakes and mochi treats capped off the night, along with a sweet and sentimental story from Chef Rhoda, who shared some memories of her grandmother with us that evening and more thoroughly on her Instagram:  “A lot of us have stories about watching our grandmothers cook and how much doing so influenced our cooking. My Lola was … something else. She was not affectionate or outwardly loving towards any of us. She grunted, mostly, as her main form of communication when asked questions about her ways mainly because she constantly smoked her unfiltered cigarettes with the lit side in her mouth. She drank straight gin at lunch. One time, when I was about 6 or 7, I mistook her glass for water, and I believe that started my slew of trust issues. She slaughtered our chickens with her bare hands, without flinching. She was tough, had a sharp tongue, and would cuss you out for the most trivial things. She did love cooking though. That’s where she poured her love and affection for her family. We all felt it. I’d like to think her and I had an unspoken bond formed over hours of dicing up kilos of pork lungs for my favorite dish bopis while watching a Van Damme movie.

“This Kamayan dinner is significant in so many ways. It’s a way to showcase my love for not only my grandma, but also my culture and last but not least, the incredible Filipino community who have shown up to support me, a complete total stranger who is somehow treated like kin because we all came from the same country. For titos and titas to come in and say they’re proud of me made my throat swell up and my eyes water.

“I’ll be forever thankful for Mattei’s for allowing me to do this.”

She’s not the only one who’s thankful to Mattei’s. Thanks to Chef Rhoda and the whole team for an evening we won’t soon forget. And paalam to Chef Rhoda. I hope you come to see us again soon!

The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern is located at 2350 Railway Avenue in Los Olivos. See aubergeresorts.com/matteistavern for details and reservations.