MANILA, Philippines ? Grassi?s, the European restaurant that once elevated fine dining to an iconic level in the ?90s, is back. And this time, under the same husband-and-wife team of Beat and Marisa Grassi, it caters to a bigger clientele of mall-goers at Alabang Town Center (ATC).

Food aficionados, of course, remember Grassi?s for its superb food and impeccable service when it first opened its doors in 1993 on the fifth floor of Benpres Building in Pasig. Despite its secluded location, people from all over the metro trooped to it for its famous Soft-shell Crabs and Lobster Bisque.

?Imagine, you had to drive all the way to Benpres and when you get there, we didn?t even have noticeable signage,? says Marisa, daughter of the late industrialist and media mogul Eugenio ?Geny? Lopez Jr. ?Yet, people came. Soon enough, it became a destination place.?

With the country?s economy then on the verge of taking off under the Ramos administration, it was a buoyant time as people were in a spending mood. Grassi?s gladly indulged them by offering the finest imported beef, wine, and seafood.

But that soon changed, recalls Marisa, with the peso devaluation. To make matters worse, the Asian financial crisis that followed soon after dashed whatever hopes the Philippines had of becoming the next Asian tiger.

?When the exchange rate was almost P50 to $1, it became extremely difficult for us to maintain operations,? she says. ?Events beyond our control forced us to take a different course.?

Grassi?s, in the wake of the economic crisis, soon reinvented itself as a café when it moved to Rockwell in the late ?90s until it closed in 2001.

Old and new

When it reopened at ATC on Labor Day, the couple once again had to tweak the restaurant?s concept without allowing the quality of food and service to suffer in order to appeal to a generally younger, more budget-conscious mall crowd.

?Our old customers are delighted to find out that we?ve reopened,? says Marisa. ?But there?s a difference between the old Grassi?s and this one. This isn?t a fine-dining restaurant, but more of a café bistro specializing in soul food.?

Apart from certain signature dishes like the Soft-shell Crabs, Grassi?s, led by executive chef Ramil Villaver, an old hand from the restaurant?s Benpres days, offers a mix of old and new items.

The list of classics includes Arugula Salad with Pan-fried Scallops and Green Papaya, Pumpkin Soup with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Slow-cooked Lamb Shank Moroccan-style with Vegetable Couscous, and Sautéed Cream Dory Fillet with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce.

At the same time, Grassi?s has beefed up its menu with new offerings such as Fried Risotto Mozzarella Balls with Wasabi Aioli Sauce, Baked Oyster Rockefeller with Spinach, Grilled Norwegian Salmon with Horseradish Crust and Beetroot Vinaigrette and Braised Ox Tongue in Horseradish, Caper Beurre Blanc, among others.

Providing the soul food component is a long list of pasta and risotto dishes, which include Basil Risotto with Sautéed Mushrooms and Chorizo, Crabmeat Lasagna with Grilled Prawns on Basil Chardonnay Sauce, Spaghetti in Chardonnay Cream Sauce with Salmon and Leeks and Bucatini with Gorgonzola and Basil Sauce.

Prices, ranging from P140 (Pumpkin Soup with Sun-dried Tomatoes) to P430 (Slow-cooked Lamb Shank), are unbelievably low. Pasta dishes range from P270 to P285, while main courses can set you back by P270 to P310.

There?s a ?science? to providing diners with value for their money. And the couple, together with their veteran team, seems to have mastered it.

?I want to get things humming by attracting all these people in,? says Beat, a graduate of a hotel and restaurant school in Switzerland and former GM of a five-star hotel. ?I don?t what to charge people an arm and a leg. As long as the place is full and turnover is high, we?re fine.?

One of the first things Beat did when they finally decided to reopen Grassi?s was to get most of the old boys back. He needed them, he says, if they were to come prepared on day one.

He called Villaver, who, in turn, notified his colleagues from the old Grassi?s, including waiters, if they wanted to rejoin the team.

?They know my standards and how demanding I am,? says Beat. ?Yet almost everybody came. Since all of them know each other, it was like one big barkada on a reunion.?

It doesn?t hurt that Grassi?s interiors exude, as Beat describes it, a ?yin-and-yang? feel as warm elements, such as the wooden floor and brick wall with mirror accents, act as ideal foils to the seemingly cold components such as the concrete floor and cable wire curtain.

?We have Luigi Sison and Cocoy Leyva of 3 Arkitektura to thank for Grassi?s new look,? says Marisa. ?It?s elegant yet inviting, chic yet casual enough to appeal to both our old and new clientele.?