It is a different kind of fairy tale.
Brod Romy Dorotan's Cendrillon (French
for Cinderella) is an Asian Grill & Merienda
Bar which The very unique signage of
Cendrillon has been acknowledged by
critics (such as the New York Magazine)
as "one of the best Pan-Asian
restaurants in New York City." Moreover,
the New York Times described it as "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 ..." (S. Sengupta,
New York Times, April 1998)
Brod Romy Dorotan belongs to Batch
'68. He hails from Irosin, Sorsogon
and has a BS Business Economics from
the University of the Philippines.
More than twenty years ago, he
went to the US to pursue post-graduate
studies.
Instead, he has now become, in the
words of a New York critic, one of
the "unsung fine chefs of New
York." But the road had not been
easy. Brod Romy did a variety of odd
jobs -- including that of a dishwasher.
He eventually became a cook before
he and his wife, Amy Camara-Besa, who
had resigned from a secure financial
management job, decided to pool their
resources and combine their culinary
talents to establish Cendrillon in
August 1995.
A sample of Brod Romy's mouth-watering
spread for dinner can be a course
consisting of Manila clams with blackbeans,
leeks & shitake mushrooms(appetizer);
spareribs with mashed taro & sweet
potatoes marinated, spice-rubbed
and cooked in Chinese smokehouse ;
and black rice paella with crab,
shrimp & Manila clams (rice).
And for dessert, try the exquisite
chocolate mangosteen ice cream with
butterscotch & date brownie.
On Saturdays and Sundays, do not miss
the Brunch (11am-4pm).. This is an
Asian style breakfast & merienda
featuring tocino (achuete-cured pork),
pancit luglug, suman (steamed sticky
rice wrapped in banana leaves), halo-halo
and bibingka (Philippine rice pancakes).
 Cendrillon
is the only Filipino restaurant listed
in the prestigious ZAGAT Survey of
New York City Restaurants, otherwise
known as the bible for fine dining
in the city The 2002 edition of the
ZAGAT described Brod Romy’s fare
as “Challenging but delicious” cuisine
coming out of the SoHo kitchen of this “worldly” Filipino-Pan-Asian
with a vaguely “French colonial” air.
Given the “warm hospitality”,
this “serene” spot is a “great
de-stresser.” Truly, the place
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. The semi-open
kitchen produces consistent, complex
and always imaginative cooking.
Brod Romy personally selects the ingredients
and often goes to nearby Chinatown
to get the freshest produce. One can
see him whipping up one dish after
another, with great passion, while
supervising four chefs at the same
time. Together with his wife Amy, they
go around the tables to  greet
guests and to ensure that everybody
is having
a good time. Some of the celebrities
who have savoured Brod Romy's specials
include Mel Gibson, Christina Ricci
and Brooke Shields. If you are not
a celebrity but introduce yourself
as an Alphan (provided, of course,
that
you are able to do so convincingly),
then you are in for a round of your
favourite drink with Brod Romy, on
the house!
Cendrillon also hosts and promotes
a variety of events such as in-house
wine and beer tasting to exhibitions
of local Filipino artists and other
cultural events. Filipino and South
East Asian cookbooks, some not available
elsewhere in the United States, special
Cendrillon T-shirts and playing cards,
are for sale.. Homemade preserves and
Achara are also available..
 Cendrillon
is located at the fashionable SoHo
area with the following address:
45 Mercer St. (Between Broome & Grand
Sts.) New York, NY 10013. Tel (212)
343-9012 and Fax (212) 343-9670. Visit
its website http://www.cendrillon.com
or send your email to acbesa@prodigy.net.
Better still, visit Brod Romy Dorotan,
whenever you are in New York and have
a real nice day.
For Valentine's Day, Brod Romy lined
up several treats including his amuse
bouche of sweet potato pizza. The five-course
menu starts with a complimentary glass
of champagne to pair off with Quilcene
oysters and tuna kinilaw (ceviche)
with pomegranate & horseradish
ice. Followed by a serving of black
cod with Serrano ham which was inspired
by a dish in one of the restaurants
that Brod Romy and wife visited in
the Burgundian city of Beaune, in France
And for dessert, the light, tangy kalamansi
(Philippine lime) soufflé tart
being the perfect palate cleanser to
end the meal.
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