Cebu Living: 2016 October-December

CEBU LIVING

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2

JASON AND IRHA ATHERTON Michelin-starred chef writes a love letter to his wife...in good food!

DIY SET DESIGN

Inside the home and office of decorators Pinky Chang and Debbie Huang Page 08

DON WE NOW OUR GAY APPAREL

’Tis the season for layers and neutral colors Page 12

BRING YOUR OWN

Best potluck fare revealed by foodies!

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SOCIAL DIARIES SOCIAL DIARIES

FUTURE PERFECT

A peek into what will be The Residences

You’d think the dream is over once the fire dancers have wrapped up their performance and their flames have fizzled out. In this case, it wasn’t. It was just beginning.

Last Oct. 7, Johnny Litton hosted the launch of The Residences at the Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort. Guests, including DILG secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr., came

together to celebrate in the space where the development will soon rise. Come 2020, hundreds will be calling the 22-storey luxury condominium home, thanks to the joint effort of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and AppleOne Mactan, Inc. In the meantime, those in attendance enjoyed a virtual tour of what will soon be more than just a dream.

KATE AND MARCO ANZANI, KARL HUDSON, LANI PASQUET, AND CARLO CORDARO

KRISTALLE KEKERT, KUMIKO ONDA, KAYE SALA, AND QUEENIE AMMAN

SAMANTHA, RAY, VENUS, AND PATRICK MANIGSACA

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EPPIE ACUSAR, JHENG CABALLERO, JOY VELOSO, AND MARISON ABARINTOS

EELCO BOHTLINGK, HANS EULENHOEFER, AND ROY LOTZOF

MARK STEVEN GO, MIKE ACEBEDO LOPEZ, AND ERWIN LIM

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PROFILE

LASTING BLOOM

Pinky Chang mixes the ethereal beauty of flowers with the crafty repurposing of everyday items

By OLIVER EMOCLING Images by DAN ONG “Flowers can brighten up the day. Just by looking at them, you tend to forget whatever is bothering you,” Pinky Chang, who helms Pink Flora, says. I agree. Flowers are often given as a sign of adoration and as a show of consolation, and in some

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cultures, they’re regarded as deities; the Bagobos, for example, worship the blooms of Waling-waling orchids.

“I really love them,” continues Chang.

Aside from live flowers, numerous paintings of blooms adorn her office on Tojong

Street, most probably done by her mother.

“My family is on the artistic side. My mother is a painter,” Chang, who had trained to become a nurse, confirms.

Clearly, her passion for flowers drove her to open a floral shop, but beyond that, Chang found herself needing to own one after her husband had opened Majestic restaurant. Pink Flora is located in the same building as the restaurant, and Chang found herself juggling the two businesses. “I had to help my husband. [I’d spend] maybe a few hours in the flower shop and then, I’d go up [to the restaurant],” she recalls.

Chang describes her style as “naturally classic,” influenced by one of her style icons, the New York-based events stylist Preston Bailey. For her favorite bloom, she chooses the classic rose. With her posture impeccable, she leads me to the table she has styled to show me her DIY centerpiece.

“I used tulips because I like their elegance,” she says. “Tulips are clean and easy. They’re not overpowering. You can use rose, but [the result] might be stiff-looking.”

A repurposed egg carton lies on top of several mason jars, sheltering the flowers.

Around this central attraction, white plates and golden cutlery are neatly arranged, reflecting Chang’s classic style.

When asked what good styling is, she admits, “That’s very hard to answer.” She thinks for a while before adding, “It’s very subjective.” For Chang, styling is a personal pursuit that starts with one’s own style principles and spurred on by knowing what message the host would like to send to their guests.

Chang advises the use of clean lines, especially for smaller spaces. “There are people who tend to go [overboard], but you don’t have to put so many things on a table,” she says. To a consumerist culture that focuses on acquiring more and more, she gives a simple reminder: “You don’t have to spend that much just to have a nice arrangement.”

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PROFILE

STARTING IN 1995, PINKY CHANG GATHERS THE FLOWERS SHE USES LOCALLY.

GOLDEN CREST Materials Egg carton Glass jars or bottles Gold spray paint Tulips or any flower of your choice Procedure 1. Cut off the edges of the egg carton.

2. Punch holes on the dimples of the egg carton where you want to put the flowers.

3. Paint each side of the carton completely.

Let dry.

4. Arrange the jars according to your preference. Position them in such a way that they will line up with the holes in the egg trays. Fill them halfway with water.

5. Once dry, position the egg carton on top of the jars.

6. Carefully place the flowers through the holes. Make sure that the water levels in the jars cover part of the stalks.

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PROFILE

GOOD ODDS

All bets are off with Debbie Huang’s whimsical holiday game night party

DEBBIE HUANG HAS PASSED HER PENCHANT FOR INTERIOR DESIGN TO HER DAUGHTER PATTY HUANG , WHO NOW WORKS FOR FURNITURE MANUFACTURER AND RETAILER PHILUX IN MANILA.

By OLIVER EMOCLING Images by MAI PAGES “My favorite flower, I think, is the phalaenopsis,” Simple Wishes owner Debbie Huang reveals with a smile. As I look over the myriad curios on display in her home, my gaze focuses on a cascade of white phalaenopsis blooms complementing a nearby Ito Kish Gregoria chair, also in white.

The flowers will stay fresh for about two months, just as Huang’s smile doesn’t leave her face for a while. “[I get inspiration from] everywhere.

When I travel, I see different inspirations,” she says. This is apparent with her collection of plates built from discoveries from different parts of the world. Ultimately, though, she culls most of her ideas from her

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kids: “When the kids were small, I prepared their parties. That’s how I started.” Though Huang’s background is in business and not interior design, her almost immaculate style resonates in every corner of her home.

A common party scenario is guests glued to their phones throughout the night. Huang aims to bring back a sense of togetherness in a gathering with her game night setup.

“When I saw my kids’ friends coming here and playing, I thought it would be fun to do something similar for a party,” she says.

There is not much space left on the table she has set up. Each of the eight white plates carries a letter from the word “Play,” and they are placed atop playing card placemats.

In the middle of the table, there’s a neat jumble of various board games, from Cards against Humanity to the classic chess. The whole setting exudes the same grandiose maximalist attitude of a medieval painting, but Huang has placed white tulips, pink cymbidiums, and green grapes to add soft touches. “Because the game boards are so colorful, I chose basic colors to add, like white and the little softness of pink,” she explains.

On the other end of the room, wedding stylist Stanz Catalan has set up a mimosa bar.

A big silver bucket cradles a few bottles of sparkling wine, and beside it, a repurposed Pictionary board contains instructions on

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PROFILE

DRINK TO THAT Mimosa Bar DIY

Makeup by JAY CASTILLO of MAC COSMETICS Hair by NIKKI GONZALES

MATERIALS Champagne or any sparkling white wine, chilled Apples, sliced Strawberries, sliced Grapes Orange, sliced Orange juice Grapefruit juice

Fill half of the glass with wine

how to make a mimosa. Slices of apples, strawberries, grapes, and oranges in bowls shaped like playing card symbols complete the picture. “People will be occupied [with this mimosa bar] instead of waiting for the wines to be served,” says Catalan.

Often, Huang uses elements that are readily available. “Start from scratch. Get whatever you have in the house and use them for decoration,” she suggests. When it comes to buying décor, she advises getting objects that really appeal to you and items that would work in any occasion.

Whenever she herself travels, Huang would collect unique and interesting objects: alphabetical plates from Europe, placemats from Hong Kong.

“You have to keep an arrangement really simple. If it looks too busy, it’s cluttered,” Huang says. While holiday meals present the right opportunity to impress visitors, there is no need to take out every new and lavish item from the cupboard. Thoughtfully placed simple objects can make any space impressive, even Instagrammable “I’m a spur-of-the-moment type of person,” reveals Huang with a laugh. For Christmas, she dreams of combining industrial design with traditional holiday motifs, with a color palette of red and black. It may sound eccentric, but she knows how to work her way around various, sometimes even clashing elements.

Top up with your preferred juice

Drop fruits in the glass

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Home Court Advantage Team Ford Forza Cebuano members’ familiarity with the territory

Words by ROMEO MORAN Images by TRISTAN TAMAYO

The primetime stage that is the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship Presented by Ford, is finally in the books. Team Ford Forza, the #BuiltFordTough collective of triathletes making big wave after big wave with every monumental Filipino race, seized the day with strong finishes all across the board.

Although Team Ford Forza are skilled enough individuals to go further in their own ways, some of their members are homegrown Cebuanos, and a life of growing up in the islands definitely helped in their performance last August.

One of Team Ford Forza’s popular Cebuanos is also the local triathlon scene’s most popular figures. Actor Matteo Guidicelli, who ranked pret-

ty high in the race’s 25-29 age group, took time out of his busy schedule to compete in the prestigious race.

However, Matteo claims that this year’s race was different, as he didn’t start training until two weeks prior to the race, and he wasn’t looking to break any personal records.

Despite that, he still put together a respectable performance, finishing 10 minutes better than he did in last year’s race.

“I’m just going to try to finish as fast as I can,” said Matteo. The base is still there. It’s just going to be a different kind of challenge.”

With Matteo in the race were family and fellow Team Ford Forza members Gianluca, Giorgia and Paolo Guidicelli. It also goes without saying that the rest of the Guidicelli family were also already acclimated to the Cebu environment. “I definitely feel like there is a home court advantage,” said Gianluca, also known as Team Ford Forza’s Capo, or captain.

Jomer Lim, Team Ford Forza’s other Cebuano member, agrees with

the Guidicelli’s, as he also had a great race that Sunday morning. “It gives us an advantage, living in Cebu,” Lim says. He’s been doing triathlon since 2011 in order to lose weight and stay in shape. “This is one of the best 70.3 [races] in the world. I race in other countries, but you cannot get this kind of crowd—spectators cheering you up until the last part of the bike and run course. It’s like a fiesta.”

Lim believes that Cebu is also quite the perfect location for training and these races. “[It’s] an advantage, especially in our bike training. We still have areas not so busy with traffic, or we go to Tubigon, Bohol so we have easier access to train in similar conditions.”

It goes to show that for Team Ford Forza, adaptability and versatility to the environment one finds himself or herself in—much like the Ford Everest and Ranger, the perfect accompaniment to a strong collective—can go a long way in living out the philosophy of being Built Ford Tough.

TEAM FORD FORZA’s GiORGIa, Matteo, Gianluca Guidicelli and Jomer lim

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COVER STORY

A DELICIOUS RETURN

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COVER STORY

THE ATHERTON BRIEF Behind the accolades and the Michelin stars, the Athertons have equal run of their growing culinary empire

By JUDE BACALSO Images by JIM UBALDE

Jason Atherton’s left leg is halfway out of his trousers, dress shirt unbuttoned, and right hand already grabbing the dapper blue double-breasted jacket in an interesting dance, a transformation, really.

He’s just shed his chef ’s daily garb for the kitchen of The Pig and Palm, the 16th of a chain of restaurants under his The Social Company, and getting ready to smolder for our cameras. He’s turning all rock star on us, minus the fuss. And without that dreadful attitude.

“One time, he was so upset at one of our staff that he started scolding them while he was still changing his clothes,” reveals his wife Irha (née Almodiel), who is seated across Jason and calmly watching the flurry surrounding the shoot. “I told him, ‘How do you expect them to take you seriously when you are in your underwear?’”

Yet the world apparently does. Three Michelin-starred restaurants in London (Social Eating House in Soho on Poland Street, which opened in 2013; City Social on the 24th floor of Tower 42, which opened in 2014; and the first one in the chain, the flagship Pollen Street Social, which opened in April 2011 in Mayfair) and, just recently, awarded as Best Restaurateur in the GQ Food & Drink Awards of 2016 solidify his reputation and give credence to the rock star status.

“A favorite among all my restaurants is easy [to name],” Jason quips, glancing at Irha. “Pollen Street Social. Because we risked everything we had on that one.” The risk paid off in just six months, when the restaurant was awarded the coveted star.

The look he shot Irha meant that she is one-half of the “we.” Both of them invested all of their money into their first restaurant in London soon after leaving Gordon Ramsay Holdings, which Jason had joined

in 2001 to launch Maze. Right around the same time, he had met Irha in Ramsay’s Dubai restaurant, where she worked at the hotel reception.

Lithe and fit, she’s quite the contrast to her heftier husband who is six years her senior. “I was 3 stone (42 lbs) heavier then!” Two children later (Keziah, 11, and 5-year-old Jemimah), the couple works out together and runs the company as equals, with Irha as co-director.

Described as Jason’s love letter to his wife, who was born and raised in Cebu, the casual Spanish tapas bar at the ground floor of the MSY Tower in Ayala Business Park is snuggled nicely between his restaurants in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dubai, and Sydney in a nifty foldout restaurant city guide produced by The Social Company; it cannot get more global than that. “Irha said if I didn’t open [a restaurant] in the Philippines, she’d divorce me,” Jason had said in an Evening Standard interview in August. “This was the cheaper option.”

Although she’s the more photogenic one in the pair, Irha is clearly uncomfortable in front of the camera, preferring to sidle behind Jason who—in sharp contrast—is already posing. “We’ve never really had a pre-nuptial photo session,” she says with a smile. She tries putting an arm around him then taking a step down so she wouldn’t tower so much in her red Aquazurra sandals. Preferring low-key brands like the aforementioned one by Colombian designer Edgardo Osorio, the Canadian label Erdem (she wears one of their dresses for this shoot), and Yves Salomon, or her current obsession Gucci, she dresses not so much for flash but for substance. Even with her global taste for fashion, she reveals the roots of her appeal with an emphatic “Taga San

IRHA IN ERDEM AND JASON ALL DAPPER IN BRUNELLO CUCINELLI. “IF I HAPPEN TO BE IN CEBU FOR SINULOG, I WEAR THE ISLANDS SOUVENIRS SHIRTS,” IRHA SAYS..

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

PREVIOUS PAGE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOPLEFT): PIG AND PALM’S VERSION OF THE LECHON, ROAST SUCKLING PIG WITH SOYA ONION GRAVY, APPLE AND MUSTARD LEAF; COCONUT RICE PUDDING SERVED IN A COCONUT HUSK AND TOPPED WITH COCONUT ICE CREAM; CHICKEN TOMAHAWK WITH SMOKED FAT AND A “GRILLED” CAESAR SALAD; THE COFF MEDICINE: A CONCOCTION OF DON PAPA RUM, KAHLUA, AND ESPRESSO SERVED IN A MEDICINE BOTTLE (ALL THEIR DRINKS COME WITH THEIR OWN HASHTAGS, THIS ONE IS #SOCIALSURGERY); KINILAW OF SHRIMP, CALAMANSI, PICKLED PAPAYA AND CHILI SERVED IN CLAM SHELLS. THIS PAGE: IRHA AND JASON INSIDE THE CASUAL INTERIORS OF PIG AND PALM DESIGNED BY A CEBUANO, ARCHITECT LYNDON NERI.

Carlos intawn ko uy,” referring to the university known to be the oldest existing school in Asia, where she took up accountancy.

Irha makes sure her two daughters are in touch with their roots, bringing them to Cebu every year to be with her family for the holidays. It’s a tradition the Athertons have upheld for the past five years. “Adobo, crispy pata, lechon—it’s traditional Filipino food for us every holiday season,” she reveals. “But we’ve also adopted the British Boxing Day tradition.”

Considered a second Christmas day in some countries, Boxing Day centers on the giving of a Christmas box. This means the girls get twice as many presents for the holidays, a nifty perk to being biracial and having roots in two cultures that take gift-giving quite seriously.

“Two gifts for sure, sometimes even more.

Before we leave for Cebu, we’d have our own family celebration in London. We open our gifts there because we cannot bring those with us to the Philippines.”

When the subject of the descendants of his little culinary empire is brought up, Jason squints a little. “I don’t believe in forcing them into anything. They can choose to be whatever they want when they grow up.” This early, though, both girls take to the kitchen and enjoy it.

But there is one absolute: “Ah, boys.

When that time comes, [they] must know how to cook. Must. Otherwise what would we talk about?”

“If we had boys, the pressure would have been on me to be a good wife [so they’d have a great example],” Irha interjects. “[With having] daughters, the pressure is on him. But I trust Jason’s judgment. He’s only after the best for them. I [cut them more slack], but I’m also on the watch.”

Throughout the discussion about their daughters, Jason is gripping a knife—but only to carve his version of suckling pig. At least for now.

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COVER STORY

THE THEORY OF SIMPLEXITY As he mixes drinks, Jamie Jones changes the way we enjoy drinks

He pours the bourbon deliberately, enthralling me all the while with the story of the drink-making process as he measures each portion. “I like to incorporate a savory element and a local flavor favorite to the drink,” The Pig and Palm’s mixologist Jamie Jones says. He takes a pause before dropping a word he’s just invented. “Flavorite!”

Jones continues his story: “We cook bacon in butter, put it in the bourbon, and put everything in the freezer. The process is called fat-washing: the oils rise to the top and solidifies, chilling and reconstituting at the very top. This creates a thick skin of fat—not so appealing at that point—which we then skim and filter to remove smaller particles; we don’t want it to spoil. What we are left with is a flavor profile with the salinity of the bacon and the viscosity of the butter, and we end up with a smooth, soft-flavored version of the bourbon we began with. Then, we add a hint of maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt to complement the bacon’s salinity.”

Jones finally places the drink in front of me and admits it is his new flavorite. The Notorious P.I.G. is as much a reflection of the flavor profiles he leans towards as the music he listens to. “This drink has never been anywhere else in the world. It was made specifically for The Pig and Palm.”

Two other specialty drinks can be found in any of The Social Company’s 16 restaurants worldwide: the McBanDaq, which comes in a McDonald’s-inspired takeout paper cup, and the Dill or No Dill, which reveals Jones’s proclivity for puns. “McBanDaq is inspired by the McDonald’s banana milkshake. We’ve taken it and made it into a banana daiquiri.

In London, we make the same drink but here, we use Tanduay, fresh banana, and a locally produced banana liquor, and it’s served in the paper cup ready to go.”

Dipping into local flavors is not a disingenuous condescension, as Jones approaches them with respect. “It’s about being open-minded and not arrogantly believing that everything I know will be the same every time.”

The humility allows room for his arsenal to grow exponentially, with Jones drawing heavily on his mental library as The Social Company’s Group Bars Executive. “I study

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smells, aromas, and flavors, and built a library of those in my mind. I can [describe] from memory a smell, a flavor, or viscosity. I draw a lot from memory.”

As for alcohol’s unfortunate reputation for blurring memories, he is quick to quip: “Alcohol creates memories; it does not lose them.”

The key, really, is a concept he calls “simplexity.” “The menus are simplex, as I call it. Too many drinks overwhelm, so condense and simplify. Let the customer choose from head to toe. Everything is in a particular order.

Aperitif style, there are pre-course drinks. there are mid-course drinks, and there are

JAMIE JONES IS ONLY 5’9”. “THAT MAKES ME A COCKTAIL HOBBIT, NOT MIDGET. I’LL CERTAINLY TAKE THE HOBBIT.” SELFDEPRECATING, LACED WITH BRITISH REFERENCES, A NOD TO HIS TWITTER HANDLE, @COCKTAILHOBBIT, A LOVER OF ALL THINGS BOOZY.

after-dinner drinks. They both set and cleanse the palate.” Notorious P.I.G. pairs well with their version of lechon, which is certainly a local flavorite. “Simplexity: lead in people with flavors they know and trust. Don’t reinvent the wheel.”

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STYLE

WARM UP Going into the cold days in light and long wear Styled by MEG MANZANO Images by JOSEPH PASCUAL

LAVENDER DRESS, P3,990, CREAM TURTLENECK, P1,990, BOTH H&M, AYALA CENTER CEBU. SWEATER, P1,595, FOREVER 21, SM CITY CEBU.

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STYLE

TOP, P1,990, H&M. WIDE LEGGED TROUSERS, P6,950, AMERICAN VINTAGE, RUSTANS. SANDAL HEELS, P2,995, CHARLES & KEITH. ALL AYALA CENTER CEBU.

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STYLE

Makeup by CHUCHIE LEDESMA Hair by JET BABAS Modeled by JADE OF ELITE MANILA Shot on location ASCOTT BGC DOUBLE-BREASTED JACKET, P6,950, AMERICAN VINTAGE. LONG DRESS, P2,250, TROUSERS, P1,950, BOTH LADY RUSTAN (PRIVATE LABEL). ALL RUSTANS, AYALA CENTER CEBU.

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A COMMUNITY MEDIA SOLUTIONS COMPANY Have your free copies right at your doorstep!

For inquiries, call 403.88.25 local 302 or visit go.hip.ph/subscribe

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STYLE

GRAY HALTER TOP, P2,450, LADY RUSTAN (PRIVATE LABEL). PLEATED HALTER DRESS, P2,795, BLACK PINSTRIPE DRESS, P2,995, BOTH MANGO, AYALA CENTER CEBU.

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FOOD TABLE FOR ONE

HOLIDAY CHEAT SHEET An insider’s guide to the best Christmas must-haves in the city

By JUDE A. BACALSO With an entire issue devoted to holiday treats, tips, and scenes that you can replicate at home, my last column for 2016 is meant to be your cheat sheet. After all, I am not known for my domestic prowess, and I’m admittedly much better at wheedling secret eats out of people and storing their sources in my speed dial.

I’ve also been trained rather well by my mother, who would send me off on fantastic food hunts for items she had read about in

Antong Inting Bank manager HOLIDAY MUST: Paella from Arano’s, a home-style Spanish restaurant marked only by a discreet wooden sign on a vine-covered wall.

MUST LOVE: Arano’s off-thebeaten-path rustic appeal that remains unchanged through the years.

WHY: “I’ve been ordering Arano’s paella for Christmas dinner since high school. My father loves to eat there, so this Spanish dish is always on our menu for big occasions.”

29-31 Fairlane Village, Guadalupe, Cebu City. Call (032) 256-1934.

newspapers and magazines. Many Christmases ago, the Inquirer ran a story on a woman who made an interesting rellenong manok in her home in Alabang. “Can you drop by for one before you fly home?” Mama asked, oblivious of the holiday rush in Manila and the waitlist for the stuffed chicken. Thankfully, I also inherited my father’s charm. After dropping by unannounced on the woman’s doorstep and telling her of my Mama’s special request for Christmas dinner (there may have been

Sheila Dy-Tiu Fashion blogger and entrepreneur www.sheiladytiu.com HOLIDAY MUST: Nena Montenegro’s apple cinnamon rolls, an item from the iconic bakery’s limited offerings.

MUST LOVE: The fact that the Montenegros have kept their business homebased even though they started making their famous silvanas in 1979.

WHY: “When I was still in grade school, my mother received a box of these rolls from my aunt in Cebu for Christmas. Since then, we’ve been ordering them to send as holiday gifts to friends and family in Butuan.”

crocodile tears involved), I flew back home with one of her coveted birds in tow, skipping a weeklong list and enjoying a special discount.

In honor of Mama and her cravings, here are three of Cebu’s not-so-secret ready-toeat gems from three gourmands who take absolute pleasure not only in having these on their tables but sending them as gifts to loved one as well.

And this is my way of sending them your way, too. You’re welcome!

Mary Anne Alcordo-Solomon Governor, Rotary Club International District 3860 HOLIDAY MUST: Crispy pata from Alejandro’s MUST LOVE: Since 1991, this restaurant has lived up to its tagline of “Home of the Best Crispy Pata in Town.”

WHY: “It is our comfort food and our favorite crispy pata, especially my husband Tito’s.”

Century Plaza Commercial Complex, Juana Osmena St., Capitol Site branch.

Call (032) 253-7921.

No. 20 Dr. Tojong St., Lahug, Cebu City.

Call (032) 232-2902.

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FOOD

FIRE AT THE HEARTH A new restaurant plays with food while keeping the warmth of home

ABOVE: PAN-SEARED PARROT FISH WITH WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT, BROWN BUTTER EMULSION, AND SQUID INK. BELOW: BEETROOT SALAD WITH GOAT’S MILK RICOTTA, TZATZIKI, GUAVA GEL, ORANGE, AND GARAM MASALA VINAIGRETTE.

By DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA Image by MAI PAGES “Rules? There are no rules,” emphasized three-Michelin star chef Grant Achatz with a smirk on his face in the first episode of Chef ’s Table season two. Eating for nourishment and eating for pleasure are two different things. Why else do chefs transform into mad scientists and think of the oddest ways to prepare and present food? Case in point: Achatz serves a helium-filled balloon made of green apple taffy for dessert in his restaurant Alinea, urging foodies from all over the world to reserve a table simply to experience this bizarre food firsthand.

With the city becoming more cosmopolitan, the rise of business developments has also opened up more progressive food concepts. The dining scene has become more dynamic and the people are more receptive to trying something

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beyond the usual lutong bahay fare.

Kayu is one of the first restaurants that opened in 32 Sanson by Rockwell. Often mistaken as a Japanese term, the restaurant’s name is derived from the Cebuano word kalayo, which means fire or passion. After training under the wing of iron chef Masaharu Marimoto, chef Francis “Izzy” Sy went back to Cebu and conceptualized a modern-fusion restaurant that would rise in the heart of the city. “I wanted to break that chain where Cebuanos don’t get to see what’s outside. They’re used to the food that’s just here, and I wanted to show them what’s out there, that there’s still more,” he says.

Dining here is like stepping into an old friend’s house turned into a modern restaurant with a full view of what’s going

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FOOD

AFTER PURSUING A CULINARY DEGREE AT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA IN NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, CHEF FRANCIS “IZZY” SY SPENT TWO YEARS TRAINING UNDER IRON CHEF MASAHARU MORIMOTO.

on inside the kitchen. Apart from the warm ambiance, food and service are chef Sy’s highest priorities. Servers approach in their gray long-sleeved shirts and black aprons, offering a compact menu that features homegrown produce, and seasoned with Japanese flavors.

Start with a simple beetroot salad that does not lack in flavor and texture. The subtle saltiness of the goat’s milk ricotta, the freshness of the tzatziki, the sourness of the guava gel, and the hint of spice from the garam masala vinaigrette present a different flavor altogether, creating a whole new symphony in the mouth. Kayu also offers a vegan option with their quinoa salad.

The glazed salmon is their bestseller, which is basically a serving of seared salmon atop perfectly cooked sushi rice and bokchoy, and drizzled with teriyaki sauce. Their pan-seared parrot fish, though, is a definite must-try.

Similar to the beetroot salad, added elements to the humble fish elevate the dish: creamy wild mushroom ragout, brown butter emulsion, and squid ink.

There are more and more reasons to eat out in Cebu; no need for an occasion to arise first, and no more treating it as a second option because cooking at home is too much effort. “Food is not anymore [about] just feeding people. You have to add a surprise,” says Sy. “Like, why do people go out to eat?

Maybe there are a few who just want to fill their bellies, but a lot more want to have new memories. That’s what we’re trying to do: make memories with more exciting things.”

KAYU: KITCHEN + BAR. 32 Sanson Road, Lahug, Cebu City. (032) 406-3095. www.facebook.com/kayukitchenbar.

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RECIPE

FINE CRISP Complete any feast with home-cooked pork belly Image by DANICA CONDEZ

Although a recent innovation of Cebu’s famous lechon, the boneless lechon belly is fast becoming a favorite alternative because of its more intense yet evenly distributed flavor and manageable portions.

Merelyn Chua’s version is a favorite, primarily because she has kept her 10-yearold Kusina ni Nasing small while retaining its charm and attention to details. Named after her late mother, the business began in 2006 offering only roasted quail. In 2008, Chua introduced her popular liempo and slowly built up the menu to include fish cooked in banana leaves, until finally introducing the lechon belly in 2013.

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To date, her hole-in-the-wall along V. Rama Ave. offers only eight items on the menu, and a small inventory means each item is done exceptionally well—so well that at peak season, close to 150 lechon bellies are sold daily, each still painstakingly made home-style.

To order, call Kusina ni Nasing’s V. Rama branch at (032) 255-4213 or its Gorordo takeout stall at 0925-5001299.

KUSINA NI NASING’S BONELESS LECHON PORK BELLY INGREDIENTS 6 kg slab pork belly 4 stalks of lemongrass 6 spring onions 5 tbsp. salt 5 tbsp. white sugar 1/2 tbsp. black pepper 6 laurel leaves 20 native chili peppers (siling labuyo) A handful of finely chopped garlic Butcher’s twine

PROCEDURE 1. Wash the pork slab thoroughly with water.

2. Rub salt, pepper, and sugar on the pork belly.

3. Spread the garlic, roughly chopped laurel leaves, and finely chopped chilies on top of the pork belly.

4. Arrange the spring onions at the center together with the stalks of uncut lemongrass.

Fold the lemongrass to fit within the width and the length of the slab.

5. Fold the belly and stitch the sides closed with butcher’s twine or food-safe unbleached cotton twine to keep the stuffing inside.

6. Skewer the belly and keep it suspended at least 12 inches above the charcoal grill. Cook for 3 hours. Another technique is to make vertical mounds of hot charcoal on either side of the roast instead of directly under it to ensure that the pork belly’s skin does not burn while its inside gets cooked.

7. Keep the heat even by replacing the coals whenever they die out. For the last hour of roasting, leave the pork belly to roast until the remaining coals are extinguished.

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