Classic recipes, familiar ingredients, and a trip to the cities with good food as the beginning. At Jones All-Day Bistro and Bakery, a relaxed and show-stopping experience awaits, where casual vibe and extravagance of flavors are harmoniously combined. 

That’s why this month, the country’s no.1 Olive Oil Doña Elena, brings another Mediterranean experience through its latest partnership with Jones All-Day  with Raintree Group of Restaurants corporate chef and Doña Elena chef ambassador as the helm, Kalel Chan. This limited edition three-course menu is specially priced at P1,200 net and can be ordered separately until November 10, 2023. The portion is impressive and the price is also made accessible to highlight the  Doña Elena Special Menu, featuring a  different twist on the Mediterranean.  

As one of the chefs with close familiarity and unparalleled trust in Doña Elena products, chef Kalel’s special Doña Elena menu is a game changer. The appetizer consists of a trio of an irresistible interplay of Mediterranean and Filipino flavors using different techniques, which chef Kalel describes as  “the cooking journey of being a chef.” The first dish is a  Grilled Barbeque Gremolata Pork Iberico using  Doña Elena Pure Olive Oil. Succulent and smoky, the rendition is inspired by the Filipino-favorite street side grill, using an intensely marbled secreto iberico, smothered with a gremolata sauce and Doña Elena anchovies as part of the mix. 

The second appetizer  Hamachi Crudo Pani Puri with Sinigang Aguachile features a delightful burst of fried golden hollowed semolina dough stuffed with minced Doña Elena green olives and capers, cucumbers and tomatoes, topped with a fresh hamachi fish  lightly drizzled with Doña Elena Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s finished with a light pouring of aguachile, a zesty sinigang soup base.  The last item for the appetizer is the Adobong Pusit Arancini with Grilled Pulpo and Bonito  Aioli. A dish inspired by the fried Italian appetizer rice balls,  it’s fried in Doña Elena Pomace Olive Oil to achieve its crisp, crunchy exterior and golden brown color. This bite-sized treat is a mouthful of umami-rich flavors added with Doña Elena green olives and a light drizzle of Doña Elena Extra Virgin Olive Oil to enhance its creamy and balanced flavor. 

Featuring chef Kalel’s favorite dish, consider the toothsome hunk of  Grilled Lamb Ribs using Doña Elena Pomace Olive Oil as the star of the show. Laid on a homemade harissa sauce with cold orzo salad added with Doña Elena Black Olives, this rendition brings out a tried and true taste of the Mediterranean. As a  staple Mediterranean condiment, the made-from-scratch harissa sauce heavily uses Doña Elena Pure Olive Oil, blended with warming and fiery spices such as chilies, cumin, and coriander balanced with a lightly sweet, red capsicum, which provides its bright orange color. The mixture makes the perfect pair to balance the smoky, charred lamb ribs, served with a light and cold orzo salad with Doña Elena black olives,  drizzled with Doña Elena Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Finished with a bright and citrusy gremolata made of finely chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon, it boasts a refreshing balance to the heaviness of the tender and smoky lamb meat. 

As a finale,  the labneh ice cream is both rich and refreshing, and an indulgent Mediterranean recipe. Its flavor note is a cross between cream cheese and yogurt with a delightful balance of tang and saltiness. For a sweet touch, it’s mixed with sesame-pistachio brittle for some crunch, drizzled with a fruity and fragrant rosemary oil using Doña Elena Olive Oil as its main ingredient. 

For a seasoned chef like Kalel, Filipino food is still a go-to dish at home. “Mediterranean dishes use a lot of herbs, which Filipino food usually doesn’t have. But I love to cook Filipino dishes because it’s very homey and I  infuse them with Mediterranean ingredients, such as  Doña Elena Olive Oil. For example, a simple adobo can be uplifted using Doña Elena Pure Olive Oil,” he notes. For Kalel, cooking oil is the foundation of good cooking, that’s why he puts a premium on the kind of olive oil that he uses.  “It’s easy to cook at home when you have good quality ingredients,” he adds. 

With Doña Elena’s 100% pure Spanish olive oil, it can easily elevate the taste of any dish with myriad health benefits. Packed with antioxidants and rich in vitamins A, E, and K, this exceptional olive oil is a kitchen staple—something home cooks and chefs reach for day in and day out. Additionally, aside from the extra virgin for dips and salads, pure for sauteing, and pomace olive oil for frying and roasting, Doña Elena offers a diverse range of Mediterranean ingredients to cater to every culinary need. 

The Doña Elena special set menu is available at the Jones All-Day Bistro and Bakery throughout the day from 7 am to 10 pm, Monday to Sunday at Serendra, BGC. For more information, visit Doña Elena Cuisinera Club on Facebook and Doña Elena Cuisinera Club on Instagram.