Holy Smokes

FIRE AND SMOKE

Holy Smokes serves up bold smokehouse classics with the flair and confidence of a seasoned Texas pit master.

REVIEW BY CHINO L. CRUZ

If you’re being finicky, the interiors at Holy Smokes (the hot new spot to smoke meat in Makati) are a little on the nose.

The walls are plastered with posters of all things barbecue. The counter, where the food is served to you cafeteria-style, is decked with corrugated metal roofing. Above it is a flat screen showing an endless loop of clips featuring Aaron

Franklin, the man who popularized Texas-style barbecue. Everything at Holy Smokes is all barbecue, all the time.

The thing is, if you love barbecue as much as the people behind Holy Smokes do, you wouldn’t change a single thing.

Co-owner and brisket mastermind Juano Gutierrez spent months learning everything he could about smoking meat. He built Holy Smokes’s impressive brick-red smoker from scratch, spent weeks testing dry-rub recipes, and even went to the US to taste as much authentic barbecue as he could. Everything he knows about barbecue, he learned through hours and hours of trial and error.

The food at Holy Smokes is testament enough to the long, slow burn that brought it to life.

The beef brisket is a thing of beauty, a spoontender, full-bodied slab of meat rich with the scent of coal and wood. It is the linchpin of their menu and is featured on a handful of other items like the mighty

Manimal Sandwich (brisket and vinegary onions in a brioche bun) and a decidedly more American take on poutine.

Beef Brisket

IN A NUTSHELL

HOLY SMOKES

BARBECUE 5834 Matilde Street corner Jacobo Street, Makati City (mobile no.: 0917-5036544)

MUST TRIES Beef Brisket (P270/100g), Pork Ribs (P180/100g), Homemade Sausage (P150), Manimal Sandwich (P350), Poutine (P270)

THUMBS UP Nothing goes well with meat quite like a cold beer, so feel free to order a bottle of ale from Joe’s Brew, whose HQ can be found right next door. Manimal Sandwich

It would be criminal, though, to mention only the brisket. The succulent smoked sausage drips with fat, smoke, and vinegar, and is best eaten with a side of tangy pickled onions. The pork ribs are just on the right side of tender and are the ideal vehicle for Holy Smokes’s three barbecue sauces (smoky, sweet, and spicy). The sides are tasty but not showy (think simple fresh green beans and egg-y corn pudding), unsurprising given how compelling the meat is.

From the very start, Holy Smokes has made it clear that it does one thing, and one thing only: barbecue. It is undeniably a space built from the ground up by people who want nothing else but to share the craft that they love. And sometimes, that’s all you need.

Small bites, big flavor

Make the most out of summer and host a cocktail party! Try this easy antipasto recipe from Alisdair Bletcher, Executive Chef of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila.

SMOKED SALMON AND HERB CREAM CHEESE ROULADE

Serves 6 Prep Time 30 minutes, plus chilling time

½ cup Boursin garlic and herb cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup plain cream cheese, at room temperature 2 tablespoons capers, chopped 2 tablespoons black olives, diced 2 tablespoons pimiento, diced salt ground white pepper 300 grams smoked salmon, sliced 1 Combine cream cheeses, capers, olives, and pimiento. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into a log, then wrap in plastic wrap to form into an 8-inch

2 Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a clean surface. Arrange salmon in one layer. 3 Lay cheese cylinder on top of salmon. Roll into a log, making sure the salmon slices cover the cheese cylinder completely. Wrap and refrigerate. 4 Unwrap, slice into rounds, and serve.

TRY THESE TIPS

Complete your experience

PAIR YOUR HORS D’OEUVRES WITH GREAT DRINKS. Take your cue from the Italians who enjoy aperitivo, the habit of socializing over good food and drinks. It’s all about matching awesome appetizers like cold cuts, cheeses, and croquettes with great wine and cocktails.

DON’T HESITATE TO MIX AND MATCH.

to come up with your own signature appetizers. Filipino, Spanish, and Mediterranean

well together.

FIND FRESH INSPIRATION. Treat yourself to an unforgettable dining

Bar and Lounge at Marco Polo to take part of their version of the aperitivo. There, you can indulge in a well-curated lineup of appetizers and pre-dinner drinks—an al fresco rooftop feast that lets you enjoy a breathtaking view of Manila!