Northern Living: 2016 November

November 2016 Volume 11 | Issue 3

DARK ROOM

2016 1026 NOLI NOV COVER.indd 1

11/7/16 2:58 PM

Untitled-2 2

10/19/16 11:07 AM

CONT ENTS 16 FEATURE Hangover alternatives

08 COVER STORY Three artists find inspiration in the dark

Cover photo by Geloy Concepcion 25 EATS Heating up Filipino cuisine

NOVEMBER 2016 04 HEALTH Reasons behind night terrors

27 RECIPE Cooking with whiskey

06 NORTHERNER Making a difference through sound

28 THE GET Liquor made for gods

21 STYLE Layers of masculinity

EDITOR’S NOTE Sun Sets Ever experienced that light bulb moment, that needed bolt of energy, or that sudden groove once the clock strikes one (in the morning)? You’re up all day, trying to get all the inspiration and motivation to power through finishing an article, artwork, or any task, yet it feels like your brain is stuck, wasting daytime, actually waiting for nightfall. Rapper Mito Fabie attests, “I think at night is when most of my anxieties kick in. So, it’s kind of therapeutic for me to write instead of wasting my time worrying.”

He is not alone. In our November issue, we sought out people and places that thrive at night. The night scene is not only limited to the inebriated or the occasional violent acts we usually hear about or read about moments after we wake up. “They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night,” Edgar Allan Poe once said.

A whole different world comes alive at night, where uncommon characters living a different grind come out to play.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 1

Northern Living is published by Hinge Inquirer Publications. 4F Media Resource Plaza, Mola corner Pasong Tirad Streets, Barangay La Paz, Makati City. Visit www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine now. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @nlivingph.

We’d love to hear from you.

Email us at nliving@hip.ph.

For advertising, email sales@hip.ph.

This magazine was printed responsibly using recycled papers with biodegradable inks.

01

11/7/16 2:57 PM

C ALENDAR

GATHERINGS

NORTHERNliving GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA MANAGING EDITOR DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA ASSOCIATE EDITOR PRISTINE L. DE LEON EDITORIAL ASSISTANT OLIVER EMOCLING CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM ART DIRECTOR EDRIC DELA ROSA GRAPHIC ARTIST DANICA CONDEZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PATRICK SEGOVIA INTERN IANNE VILLANUEVA

Last few events before the year ends

Nov. 3 to 25, 2016

“Social Fabric” An exhibit by Karl Castro Vargas Museum, UP Diliman

Nov. 5 to 26, 2016

Nov. 18, 2016 | 12 noon Nov. 9 to 11, 2016

“People I Don’t Know and Places I’ve Never Been”

Scout Campus Tour Cinema One Originals Scout magazine goes Festivals 2016 to University of year’s The last stop for this Cinema One Originals Santo Tomas Campus Tour

An exhibit by Allan Balisi Blanc Gallery, 145 Katipunan Ave., Quezon City

UST Field (in front of Cine Adarna, UP Diliman Beato Angelico Building)

Nov. 17 to Dec. 17, 2016

“Invisible Gardens”

An exhibit by Yasmin Sison Art Informal, 277 Connecticut St., Mandaluyong City

Nov. 19, 2016 | 4 p.m.

Backyard Grill at the Park Food and fair Park 3 Football Field, Bel-Air Village, Makati City

Call 403-8825 or Visit www.hip.ph for more information

@nlivingph

Subscribe for free!

10/11/16 2:31 PM

nlivingph@hip.ph

Share your thoughts on our latest issue through comments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and get a chance to win this tote bag.

Call 403-8825 to claim your prize.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 2

SALES SUPERVISOR JOY SANTOS-PILAR KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ALETHEIA ORDIALES, ABEGAIL GINAGA, ERNEST EMMANUEL SY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANDIE ZUÑIGA, CHARM BANZUELO, LIZA JISON SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, MANILYN ILUMIN

PRODUCTION MANAGER JAN CARIQUITAN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MARICEL GAVINO FINAL ART SUPERVISOR DENNIS CRUZ FA ARTIST KRISTINE MAY PAZ MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER JELLIC TAPIA EVENTS SUPERVISOR BIANCA DALUMPINES EVENTS ASSISTANTS KIM MARIANO, MERJORIE MAY YOUNG GRAPHIC ARTISTS JANINE DELA CUESTA, ROI DE CASTRO DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER MARC RICHARD CHUA DIGITAL COMMUNITY SPECIALISTS ALLISA MENDOZA, MIGUEL LUIS VASALLO

@nlivingph www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine

BOARD CHAIRPERSON ALEXANDRA PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ FINANCE ADVISOR AND TREASURER J. FERDINAND DE LUZURIAGA LEGAL ADVISOR ATTY. RUDYARD ARBOLADO HR STRATEGY HEAD RAYMUND SOBERANO VP AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER IMELDA C. ALCANTARA SVP AND GROUP SALES HEAD FELIPE R. OLARTE AVP FOR SALES MA. KATRINA MAE GARCIA-DALUSONG

MANAGING EDITOR ANGELA VELASCO ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR PAM BROOKE CASIN SENIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT PAULINE MIRANDA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS KHEENA ALELOJO, KRYZETTE PAPAGAYO, CHRISTELLE TOLISORA SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES SARAH CABALATUNGAN, SHANNA MALING, MICHELLE REGINA MAPA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INA MATEO GRAPHIC ARTISTS RACHELL FLORES, KATRICE MONTES, YAYIE MOTOS, NICO ORTIGOZA, JAYCELINE SORIANO

Read us online or subscribe for free.

NOLI Others.indd 6-7

CONTRIBUTORS WRITER CHARLIE CARBUNGCO PHOTOGRAPHERS BRENT CHUA, GELOY CONCEPCION, SAM LIM, TRISTAN TAMAYO STYLIST CHARLIE CARBUNGCO, ARIEL LOZADA COPY EDITOR PATRICIA ROMUALDEZ PROOFREADER PAM BROOKE CASIN EDITORIAL CONSULTANT RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO

FIND YOUR FREE COPIES OF NORTHERN LIVING AT

STARBUCKS COFFEE, EDSA SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, AYALA MUSEUM, LOPEZ MUSEUM, VALLE VERDE COUNTRY CLUB, SALON DE MANILA, AND FULLY BOOKED.

02

11/8/16 2:36 PM

Untitled-6 1

10/25/16 7:10 PM

HEALT H

Dev Banerjee states, “The main [solution is simply] to avoid sleep deprivation, or an erratic sleep schedule.”

The problem occurs when the normal muscular paralysis of the REM state extends beyond sleep.

Plaguing those with irregular sleeping patterns, sleep paralysis is symptomatic of younger adults’ erratic lifestyles: workaholics up until 4 a.m., yuppies shifting careers and taking on night shifts, and highrolling travelers consistently undergoing jet lag.

ON ELM’S STREET Decoding the implications of a nighttime horror

TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON ILLUSTRATION IANNE VILLANUEVA

Nighttime terrors are usually the stuff of childhood— as are improbable horror stories told around the campfire and babies suddenly waking in a fright. Sleep problems can extend to adult life, however, triggered by factors possibly just as chilling—think loss or trauma, increased stress levels, or prescribed drugs.

While some medications that trigger nightmares are also notorious for altering mental states (malaria medicines increasing anxiety or antidepressants inducing lucid dreaming), sleep problems may also indicate a need to examine habits in our waking life.

Hallucinations and sleep paralysis Often linked with narcolepsy, sleep paralysis involves waking up entirely immobile, or for chronic sufferers thrown into the limbo between sleeping and waking, it conjures ominous visual and auditory hallucinations.

While ancient lore would relate it to the nightly visits of the incubus, Sydney-based sleep physician Dr.

Sunday night insomnia According to a study commissioned by Travelodge, 60 percent of the people surveyed have their worst night’s sleep on Sunday, and 3,500 call in sick on Monday because of a bad night’s sleep. Sunday night insomnia was coined as a sleep problem caused by a lifestyle plagued with work-related stress and anxiety, worrying over work not done over the weekend or, as another study suggests, 10 percent of Sunday night insomnia cases also arise from worrying about the next day’s commute.

Like psychophysiological insomnia, it may also occur when, ironically, fretting over not being able to sleep is in itself preventing you from sleeping.

Physicians recommend following a fitness routine or engaging in aerobic exercise to make the body feel re-energized and to allow the mind to make way for pleasant dreams.

Lucid nightmares Studies have long hinted at coffee being the main culprit, being a psychoactive drug conjuring dreams à la David Lynch. Studies show, however, that staying up late consuming carbo-loaded snacks also plays a part in how we remember nightmares.

Night lurkers eating away their after-hour revelries can experience gastrointestinal problems, causing them to wake up in the middle of the night, and remember lucid dreams right after they occur.

According to Medical Daily, consuming meals or snacks that are high in carbohydrates can increase brain activity and body metabolism, leading the body to sweat as heat is generated, which in turn causes the sleep to become fragmented.

While science can explain away the correlation between bad lifestyle habits and unpleasant dreams, we can also consider nightmares as cautionary tales from an imagined sandman.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 4

04

11/7/16 2:57 PM

Untitled-2 1

10/10/16 6:56 PM

NORT HERNER Mito Fabie considers Curtismith as the magnifying glass of certain life stages. His mixtape “Ideal” is about his dreams and aspirations while his next project, “Soully, Yours,” is about a relationship and how it affected his life.

MAKING SOUND WAVES

Curtismith brings back rap to the local music scene TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY TRISTAN TAMAYO

“Did you go to Paradise [International Music Festival]?”

Scout magazine’s graphic artist Grace de Luna asks Mito Fabie, popularly known as Curtismith, as we walk through the side streets of Meralco Avenue. He tells us that he was locked in his room that night, writing a track for his upcoming album “Soully, Yours.” While festival headliner Kanye West was spitting out rhymes onstage in Manila, Fabie was at home weaving words to create a new song aptly called West, his homage to the rapper. “Maybe I’m going to meet him someday,” he says. It’s not an impossible dream. After all, he already made waves when he released his first mixtape in 2015—even garnering the attention of entrepreneur Richard Branson.

“I’ve got all these dreams,” he says in his song For the Love. His optimism is apparent in his music, but it’s more evident in person. At one point, he talks about how correct posture can help alleviate depression. Then, he discusses his aspirations for the music industry. “Now, my mentality is––it’s like a Chance the Rapper type of thing––I’m trying to penetrate the mainstream scene, but not give in to just making hits or just making a catchy jingle.

“Rap isn’t a chant. When I rap, it’s a story of visions or aspirations.” He finds mainstream songs lacking in substance and authenticity, further describing them as “the same thing in a different toilet.” Along with

other independent artists, Fabie gives listeners different options. “I’m trying to make it catchy, but I’m trying to make it genuine, I’m trying to make the lyrics pure.”

For Fabie, the experiences of rappers told through their songs helped him get through tougher times.

“When I was younger, the rappers were like my older brothers.” Fabie lists Jay Z, J. Cole, and Frank Ocean as some of his influences. He realizes that the same privilege has been bestowed upon him. “I’m just trying to be the shaper of the audience that I have now.”

Night draws near, but Fabie’s day isn’t coming to a close yet. He still has a video shoot for his next project and he’s probably going to write as well. ​“I think at night is when most of my anxieties kick in. So, it’s kind of therapeutic for me to write instead of wasting my time worrying.”

We are on the deck of a high-rise condominium overlooking the whole of Ortigas. Across is a construction site of a new condominium. Buildings here rise higher every time. He’s been on the edge of the deck for the shoot. Is he afraid of heights? “No,” he answers. “I’m afraid of falling.” Some might say that he is writing a modern myth patterned after Icarus for dreaming too far, but he assures me, “I am somebody who seeks balance between liberty and structure.”

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 6

06

11/7/16 2:57 PM

“Rap isn’t a chant. When I rap, it’s a story of visions or aspirations.”

2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 7

11/7/16 2:57 PM

COV ER STORY

MIDNIGHT COUNTRY Exploring the worlds of three artists in the hours after dark TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY GELOY CONCEPCION

There are certain spaces emerging only at night, where a free-spirited mood hovers over the white noise of a room or the clinks of beer bottles, and rituals are enacted in a world governed by a tyranny of routines. Existentialists had CafĂŠ de Flore.

Toulouse-Lautrec planted his easel at cabarets, sketching obsessively every evening over several bottles of wine. Kafka wrote when everyone was dead asleep. Past the throwback, we visit the artists who take inspiration from the hours outside nineto-five: recounting inebriated nights at Cubao’s forgotten bars or in a quiet room watching scenarios from the world of computer screens. There are certain spaces emerging only at night, heralding lawless hours, creative spirit, and a bit of fun.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 8

08

11/7/16 2:57 PM

Untitled-2 1

4/21/16 4:19 PM

COV ER STORY Thirty-four-yearold Allan Balisi once related the act of creating to people describing “an elephant in the room.” To Balisi, whose influences include Wilhelm Sasnal and Michaël Borremans, his viewers’ perceptions complete his works.

Disappearing Act Any outsider may easily ascribe to Allan Balisi the common moniker of a hermit. At home in a sleepy street in Quezon City, he rarely leaves the room at night except for when he goes to friends’ exhibits or to one of Lena Cobangbang’s file-sharing HOHOL sessions. On quiet evenings, he’s likely inside the room taking screencaps of one film scene after another—images that may make their appearance in one of Balisi’s next exhibits.

“Mga painter, madalas lumalabas sila para magpaint ng scenery, ng tao,” he says. “Pero digital age na rin naman, ito na ’yong window ko para makakuha ng scenery.”

The Isabela-born visual artist, who first knew art by way of comics and cartoons, watches films, wakes up at 10 a.m., paints, and works on a piece for two weeks or so. With 10 years in the art world, Balisi has made a name for himself through one-man shows at Silverlens, Richard Koh Fine Art in Singapore, and, this month, at Blanc Gallery with a show called “People I Do Not Know and Places I’ve Never Been.”

Balisi’s paintings are derived from either screencaps or old film photographs from the ’60s or the ’70s. In the humble thrift shops in Kamuning and Cubao, Balisi digs through the scrap pile of yellowing 10peso photographs—like pools of nameless ghosts or discarded memories, as how he sees them.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 10

10

11/7/16 2:57 PM

COV ER STORY

“Hindi natin alam kung sino sila, o kung ano’ng nangyari. Lagi akong nagbabawas. Sa original photo, may mga image pa doon, pero lagi na silang bawas.”

“Hindi natin alam kung sino sila, o kung ano’ng nangyari. Lagi akong nagbabawas. Sa original photo, may mga image pa doon, pero lagi na silang bawas.”

Painting the photos on the canvas, Balisi deliberately omits a few details: a few buildings, some podiums, or even faces, leaving us with faceless strangers eerily staring at something that isn’t there. In washed out hues reminiscent of an aged photograph, figures stand in the limbo between fading memory and photomediated reality.

He shows us one of his references from a show done years ago: one of the few old family photographs saved in his computer. There, women in long skirts walk across a field towards distant buildings. “Sina mama, galing silang office. In the near future, may itatayong ospital dito,” he points to where the buildings are. “Doon din namatay ’yong papa ko. Gustong gusto ko lang ’yong shot. Ang ganda lang na naglalakad sila palayo.”

Allan Balisi may be staying in for the night, but as he watches the images moving or frozen in the digital frame, the artist intrudes and recreates the many lost and imagined worlds where he’s never been.

Balisi recreates scenes from films or old photographs, like the above artwork from his exhibit “Beggars Fortress.”

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 11

11

11/7/16 2:57 PM

Lena Cobangbang works across all mediums, from painting to video to installation.

Here she holds an exhibit “Revisiting Hangovers and Other Schitze” at Project 20, the gallery she partners with for next year’s Marikina Contemporary, along with Air Aurora.

COV ER STORY

SHOT ON LOCATION PROJECT 20

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 12

12

11/7/16 2:57 PM

COV ER STORY

Shifting Cities Even after its heyday when the rents were cheaper and Cubao X carried the allure of a bohemian district, the Cubao X we now know still holds some of its kitsch from the previous decade: vintage wares from UVLA store opening at night, art shows lasting well into the evening, and drinking revelers enjoying the mishmash of art and music.

Visual artist Lena Cobangbang has been witness to the district’s countless subculture movements. Along with founders Louie Cordero, Cocoy Lumbao, and Gary-Ross Pastrana, she was part of the now-defunct independent gallery Future Prospect. “We’d sell beers because that’s what would make people come and hang out,” she recalls. “Minsan nagluluto kami nina Buboy [Cañafranca]. Every Friday, [there’d be] a listening party.”

Having lived on 18th Avenue for art residency programs in the early 2000s, and having recently served as the exhibition coordinator of Post Gallery, she says, “every time I go to Cubao, there’s a mix of disgust and fascination for the place. There are [developments] that happen instantly and constantly.

Pero may mga segments ding nakakalimutan; makikita mo na lang siya hanggang mabulok nang mabulok.”

Documenting the city’s countless strange and striking incarnations, Cobangbang will be releasing a zine called Cubao Biennale (a play on Cuba Biennale) which gathers stories, illustrations, and images from contributors Jake Verzosa, Czar Kristoff, Electrolychee, and Ian Lomongo, among others. From the modest heyday of COD Department Store (“We’d go there for the animatronics display, the Philippine fiesta scene, the roasted pigs,”) to gay beauty pageants in Brgy.

Soccoro and girlie bars, Cobangbang’s Cubao Biennale captures the spirit of a city ever in a state of transit.

As Cobangbang prepares for the zine’s launch late this year, she’s either organizing the 2017 Manila Art Hop or nonchalantly carrying around and creating her burda for this month’s Viva Excon in Iloilo. That, or

drinking beer at Project 20. After going to countless opening parties held at night, she shares, “When [friends and I] see each other, we drink. That’s when we talk about many ideas, about future art projects, future life projects. Anything.”

In 2017, Cobangbang is set to launch Marikina Contemporary, a series of residency programs in the other part of town where she now stays. By the time it opens, Cubao Biennale will have already made the rounds in Manila, and the ageless district will have again reinvented itself for the next generation of dreamers worthy of its welcome.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 13

13

11/7/16 2:57 PM

COV ER STORY

“It doesn’t need to be about superheroes or mangas or American interests when you have stories told about people here.”

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 14

14

11/7/16 2:57 PM

COV ER STORY

Baguio-born comic artist Rob Cham, when not completing his book projects, makes illustrations for different magazines, gig posters, and zines in collaboration with other artists. He works at night with oldies music and Manille Liqueur.

Mise-en-Scene “Back in college, I’d be doing school work in the day and then at night, that’s when I’d do my art. It kind of affected how my brain works. During the day, I feel like I’m [in a] coma. It became a habit where I’d only ever work at night. It’s a lot less hectic or hot, and everyone would be active online and I could just feed off everyone being in a frenzy.”

Smoking a cigarette outside Mow’s bar one night in October, Rob Cham says that the music scene has largely influenced his trajectory as a comic book artist.

Beginning from his college days of posting drawings on Tumblr to peddling his works at the slowly bourgeoning scene of Komikon, Cham admits that possibly his strangest slice-of-life ideas were birthed in these spaces: in the middle of board games, local bands, and bottles of beer.

Now a recognized comic book artist in his mid-20s, Cham’s book Light—conceived initially as a video game and then a set for trading cards—was nominated for the National Book Awards last September. Already followed by his second book Lost published earlier this year, the locally published Light is now slated for its first

international release. These days, Cham—possibly at Mow’s, Route 196, or in his room listening to the Who or the Velvet Underground—is working in collaboration with a writer on his next book, set to be launched next year under the wing of a foreign publisher.

“I love the whole energy of the scene,” he says. “[But] one pet peeve of mine is when people don’t really see the local comic book scene as it is. There’s less demand for comics compared to local literature.

We’re already a niche within a niche. It doesn’t need to be about superheroes or mangas or American interests when you have stories told about people here.”

As part of a motley crew of artists comically named Chamtamaria, Cham and fellow artist Apol Sta. Maria hold events at Uno Morato, doing live comic book readings and posters for one gig after another.

It’s within these scenes that Cham’s art is made. “It’s Wide Eyed Records’ fifth year anniversary,” he says.

“We’re celebrating the new EP by The Strangeness, another band’s digital release, and the international release of Light.” It’s only apt that his most popular creation be celebrated among the swelling crowd that gave it its spirit.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 15

15

11/7/16 2:58 PM

FEAT URE

THE AFTER PARTY Power-packed alternatives to help cure the worst hangovers

TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA STYLING CHARLIE CARBUNGCO PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM

MSG-Filled Instant Noodles Vs. Shirataki Noodles It’s time to replace your favorite instant cup of comfort with these miracle noodles. The zero-calorie noodles contain 97 percent water and three percent fiber. Glucomannan, a viscous fiber found in shirataki noodles, reduces blood sugar and lowers cholesterol levels.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 16

16

11/7/16 2:58 PM

FEAT URE

Goto Monster Vs. Adlai Caldo Drank too many cocktails in the club? These teardrop-shaped grains called adlai are known to have sugar-lowering properties. A good amount of garlic and ginger may also help ease nausea and alleviate pain and headache.

Non porere qui undaerum eribusandel maximaiostio et eos verro berionsequam que antiur?

Us net quamus, omnimus netur sum debit eversperum et harchit vel idem facestiassit ommolup tatibus si officias ilitibuscid evelend isquam sust, comnimet utat antemporpos sitis ut ad qui alitem qui aut aut ped quatur,

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 17

17

11/7/16 2:58 PM

FEAT URE

Tapsilog Vs. Tuna with Upo and Okra Seeds Skip random trips to the nearest tapsilogan and prepare a healthy version at home before going to a party. Instead of rice, cook upo and okra seeds, both good for digestion.

Rich in minerals and omega-3 fatty acids, tuna is said to replenish lost energy and nutrients.

Optional: Add eggs, which have the right amino acids to decrease toxins.

SHOT ON LOCATION ASCOTT BGC

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 18

18

11/7/16 2:58 PM

7.25 x 10.indd 1

5/22/15 3:12 PM

FEAT URE The Greasy Burger Vs. The Real Mushroom Burger Portobello mushrooms make good buns, too. Instead of using white bread buns, pop the huge mushrooms into the oven for a few minutes. Mushrooms are packed with selenium and B vitamins. They are a good source of antioxidants and nutrients vital in detoxification processes.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 20

20

11/7/16 2:58 PM

ST YLE

MASTER

MIND

The contemporary take on military-inspired wear PHOTOGRAPHY BRENT CHUA STYLING ARIEL LOZADA CLOTHING CADET

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 21

21

11/7/16 2:58 PM

MODEL IVO BUCHTA OF WILHELMINA NYC GROOMING MARI MATSUMOTO

ST YLE

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 22

22

11/7/16 2:58 PM

MODEL IVO BUCHTA OF WILHELMINA NYC GROOMING MARI MATSUMOTO

ST YLE

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 23

23

11/7/16 2:58 PM

EATS

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 24

24

11/7/16 2:58 PM

EATS

TEST OF HYPOTHESIS Habanero reimagines Filipino fare and inebriating drinks with a spicy hint TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 25

25

11/7/16 2:58 PM

EATS

I once spotted a habanero pepper plant at a garden center.

Unfamiliar with the different varieties of capsicum then, I thought it was a variety of bell pepper. Unlike the sweet bell pepper, habanero measures 200,000 to 350,000 Scoville heat units, making it one of the hottest peppers.

Although its heat measurement implies that it may not be as versatile as other peppers, Habanero Kitchen and Bar at Cubao X defies this notion.

“Habanero has a distinct flavor, unlike other chilies that only give us heat,” says chef and owner Ryan Dimapilis. The idea of Habanero was conceived after Dimapilis tried El Diablo Habanero mustard. Like a switch, his fixation with habanero pepper grew until he came up with the Habanero Vodka. With the right distillation process, Dimapilis was able to remove the heat from the pepper.

The pepper doesn’t entirely dominate Habanero’s menu, but their mango habanero sauce and chili oil are constant companions of most dishes. For starters, try Habanero’s Mussel Pizza. One bite gives an overload of cheese over the thin crust pizza. A drop of chili oil may be too much for some people, but a few drops of the mango habanero sauce renders a combination of sweetness and mild heat.

For most of the menu, Habanero finds itself rooted in Filipino cuisine starting with their Lechon

Habanero. The lechon is cooked sous vide style, then thinly cut and presented like a platter of bread. The tender meat unleashes herby flavors and only a mild pungency, allowing diners to get more of the popular pig’s goodness.

After a series of savory and spicy dishes, there’s no other way to conclude a meal but with sweet notes. Presented like an egg in its nest, Habanero’s Leche Flan steals the spotlight. Upon cracking the egg made from sugar, we’d expect something to ooze out, but instead a firm flan is revealed. Infused with makrut lime, a spoonful of the creamy dessert leaves a refreshing aftertaste. If the palate still yearns for the heat, try the Turon. A hint of cinnamon and habanero jam distinguishes this from the regular turon. Served with a strip of coffee cotton candy, the Turon is a reminder of an after-school snack. It starts sweet but ends with a gentle heat that is easily tempered with the cotton candy.

“Wala lang, nag-experiment lang kami,” remarks Pia Dimapilis, Ryan’s wife, about their Chocolate Lavender Vodka made from the excess lavender from their wedding. With an end goal to introduce dishes that make a difference, their passion for discovery keeps them thriving in one of the most innovative and creative spaces in northern Metro Manila.

Habanero Kitchen and Bar. Cubao Expo, Gen. Romulo Ave., Araneta Center., Cubao, Quezon City.

0917-3551583. www.facebook.com/habanerokitchenbar.

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 26

26

11/7/16 2:58 PM

SHOT ON LOCATION ASCOTT BGC

Previous page (Clockwise): Habanero’s Leche Flan with coffee cotton candy; Habanero Vodka; Lechon Habanero.

This page: Habanero only serves local beer and spirits.

RECIPE

DRUNKEN SOUP

An unconventional pairing of carrots and whiskey in a bowl TEXT AND STYLING CHARLIE CARBUNGCO PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM

INGREDIENTS

4 medium-sized carrots 1 white onion 1/2 cup ginger 4 cups chicken stock 1/4 kilo shrimp 1/2 cup all-purpose cream 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup whiskey Salt and white pepper, to taste

SHOT ON LOCATION ASCOTT BGC

CARROT SOUP WITH GINGER, WHISKEY, AND SEARED SHRIMP

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 27

PROCEDURE

1. Slice the carrots, ginger, and onion into small pieces.

2. In a medium pot, sauté onion, carrots, and ginger until the vegetables sweat.

3. Add the whiskey and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Pour the chicken stock then bring to a simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables soften.

5. Using a blender, purée the soup until smooth, then add cream.

6. Pour into a fine strainer. Reheat.

7. In a small pan, sear the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes.

8. Transfer soup to a bowl. Add seared shrimp and drops of cream on top.

27

11/7/16 3:40 PM

T HE GET

YOUR MAJESTY

A sacred drink of the gods and monarchs is also a drink of love TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

Mead or honey wine is considered the oldest alcoholic beverage—one that only gods and monarchs could drink. The Greeks call mead “ambrosia” and regard it as the message of the gods, delivered by bees. For Martin Martinez of Ilustrado Brews, mead is a message of love.

Thus, Ilustrado Brews’ mead is rightfully named Sinta, the Tagalog word for love.

Every sip of their mead is a reminder of the plight of bees, from the creation of honey to the long fermentation.

“Honey bee populations have reportedly been declining globally for quite some time,” says Martinez. More than its distinct sweetness, the creation of Sinta Mead aims to bring back the abundance of bees, the “messengers of gods.”

Once exclusively enjoyed by gods and kings, the mead’s flavor is a language that even ordinary human beings can understand. As Sinta Mead travels from the throat to the stomach, the flavor of raw honey lingers. Drink Sinta Mead on its own or as the base for a cocktail—Queen Elizabeth used to add rosemary, bay leaves, and thyme to her mead. But the best way to enjoy this libation is with your sinta.

Available at Roots Katipunan, Unit 106, FBR Arcade, 317 Katipunan Ave., Brgy. Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines. 0917-8013907

NORTHERNliving 2016 1107 NOLI NOV INSIDE.indd 28

28

11/7/16 2:59 PM

Untitled-2 1

10/6/16 12:55 PM

ROCKWELL ADDS COLOR TO THE SOUTH See the South like never before as Rockwell transforms Tribeca.

828-9888 HLURB TLS No. ENCRFO-16-10-025

, October 3, 2016 Completion Date: 2Q 2020 • Official Address: KM 21 East Service Road, Sucat, Muntinlupa Owner and Developer: Rockwell Primaries South Development Corp.

10/19/16 2:03 PM

southern living.indd 1 Untitled-4 1

10/19/16 2:03 PM 10/19/16 4:23 PM

PM

southern living.indd 1

MP