In the fashion world, D&G may refer to Dolce & Gabanna, but for any discriminating foodie here in Manila, D&G means Dough & Grocer—a gourmet grocery that started online, and now has a wonderful brick and mortar store on the Ground floor of Capitol Commons. In fact, with its Capitol Commons branch, Alyanna Uy and Chef Hiroyuki Meno have changed up the game a bit, so that D&G is so much more than a "grocery upgrade times ten."

So, yes, just like it’s online counterpart and straight grocery set-up on Sct. Gandia, you’ll find the finest of grocery items and ingredients from France, Italy, and Japan. And, by this, I mean, seasonal items such as white asparagus spears, the most choice of butters, chocolates, teas, clotted cream, and wines. And here at Capitol Commons’ D&G, you’ll also find a Bread and Pastries section, a Gaggenau kitchen display, Japanese rice, and a plethora of other truly unique finds. 

To up the game even further, the Gaggenau kitchen showcase is a functional mini-showroom; and there are plans to do cooking demos, small intimate parties, and interactive culinary events. The big idea here is that how does a shopper appreciate and understand the premium prices, if said shopper can’t see how easy it is to use these ingredients in the comfort of their homes. Why a particular brand of olive oil, vinegar, baking chocolate, or salt will enhance what you or your cook can replicate at home, would be the key to encouraging regular purchases.

Issa and I were treated to a sumptuous, yet deceptively simple, feast one evening. First up, and this was Issa’s special request; before the season of white asparagus is over, Chef Meno offered up a platter of these ‘babies’, smothered in hollandaise sauce that Meno had made from scratch. For Issa, these spears already made the drive though rain-induced traffic worth every minute.

Alaskan Codfish, super-soft and succulent, had just arrived, and along with wild asparagus and cherry tomatoes, this fish dish became our main course. The great thing about this was that we witnessed Chef Meno prepare this with such simple steps. It’s the freshness of the ingredients, the high quality condiments and seasoning that made this such a winner. He popped the tomatoes and wild asparagus in the oven after he had seasoned them, and the fish was cooked in a pan and placed on top of the tomatoes. 

D&G recently introduced platters of sushi-to-go. And I tried the shrimp tempura sushi which hit home in a big way. No doubt, Chef Meno has a hand in these sushi creations and they make for perfect light meals, using real Japanese sushi rice—and that makes all the difference. 

Dough & Grocer has a stupendous Bakery section and I’m eyeing the earl grey croissant and their scones. Plus, I love how they sell clotted cream to accompany the scones. Laudemio is considered one of the most prestigious of extra virgin olive oils from Italy, and you’ll find it on the D&G shelves. 
There’s really so much happening at Dough & Grocer if you want to upgrade your home cooking, and have the best of supplies for your kitchen. That one can actually enjoy meals there now is a bonus that comes from culinary heaven.