Let's Eat April-May Issue

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

L E T’ S E AT

ON T H E COV E R

ON SUMME R

“Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker.

Drinks get colder. Music gets louder.

Nights get longer. Life gets better.”

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y favorite “start of summer” meme: author unknown.

I post this every year, right after Easter, on my social media channels, and I’m always tempted to add “Meralco bills get higher”. But that will almost certainly throw shade on all the good vibes.

Speaking of which, Boracay is on everyone’s mind. There are endless debates about its closure, but the opinions that matter most, as far as I’m concerned, are the ones from my friends there. And they’re not optimistic; frankly, most are frantic. The forecast is for cloudy skies over the island for the next six months. All I can do is be forever the optimist, and hope that there is, literally and figuratively, a silver lining. I pray that by November, the sun will shine bright again, and I’ll be able to have some of those calamansi muffins from Real Coffee once more. They’ve been my favorite Boracay breakfast since 1996.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep my heart singing and my belly smiling at two of the city’s best new breakfast-all-day joints. I suggest you visit them soon. Breakfast after all, is the most important meal of the day.

Let’s Eat!

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SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ Editor

PATRICK DIOKNO Art Director

GABBY CANTERO Photographer

LUCKY LEOPARTE Photographer’s Assistant

LUCIEN DY TIOCO Executive Vice President

ANNALYN DELGADO Editorial Assistant

Let’s Eat is published by The Philippine Star 202 Roberto Oca St., Port Area, Manila For inquiries, call 5277901 local 132 or email letseat062013@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/LetsEatPhilStar Instagram: letseatph

OMG – Oh My Goto Fried Rice with 10 Toppings from Goto Believe Photo by GABBY CANTERO

LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

It’s the heart and home of every Filipino celebration

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By MICHAELA TANGAN

espite being geographically divided, there are two things that connect and unite Filipinos—celebrations and food.

We have been too familiar with this inseparable combination because it has been witnessing significant occasions in our lives — from the day we were born, to the moment we throw our graduation caps in the air until we move forward and say ‘I do.’

With excitement and glee in our hearts, we find every opportunity to combine these main ingredients and spend a grand time with our family and friends. Known for being hospitable and gregarious, we also put a ton of effort to make any celebration memorable and worthwhile.

Filipino celebrations have also jazzed with modernization.

From holding occasions in our own houses, we now opt for convenience and look for restaurants that can provide heartwarming meals while accommodating the needs of guests.

Today, Gerry’s celebrations will make you feel like you never left the comforts of your home. As the new home of Filipino celebrations, Gerry’s have built 36 restaurants that are designed to host momentous celebrations such as baptismal, birthdays, weddings, and corporate meetings.

Alongside new amenities and relaxing ambiance installed exclusively for customer’s pleasurable experience, Gerry’s food packages were created with the Filipino taste in mind. The function service provides, not only enchanting arrangements, but also the well-loved Gerry’s combinations at an affordable price.

The three food packages, with various food choices, can

satisfy everybody’s cravings as it include comforting soups, refreshing iced tea, and rice.

For the main dish, celebrants and guests can share stories while devouring delicious Lumpiang Shanghai, Beef Kaldereta, Pancit Palabok, Gerry’s Fried Chicken, Beef Kare Kare, Chopsuey, Inihaw na Liempo, Green Mango Salad, Pork Barbecue, and a whole lot more. Buko Pandan is also served for a sweet and satisfying ending.

True Filipino celebrations can only be enjoyed with great food. Make your momentous occasion at Gerry’s photo album-worthy, one that you will always remember while you’re at your grandchild’s seventh birthday party. Learn more about Gerry’s exciting food packages, visit www. gerrysgrill.com or call 332-1111.

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

How a humble Pinoy congee can become magical.

PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

Goto

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Believe

LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

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“ nstagrammable”.

I’m beginning to hate that term.

I hate how lazy P.R. people throw it around with wild abandon, using it as an easy, unimaginative, and derivative way of describing a restaurant dish --- one that may disappoint because the actual product doesn’t look remotely like the mouthwatering food porn on IG, or worse --- seem like a waste of money because the item looks very good, but doesn’t come

close to tasting good.

Okay, I admit, I can be very harsh sometimes, especially when it comes to meeting expectations in the food industry.

I’m very opinionated, but I do listen to contrary views… if they come from people I respect. One such person is Ian Carandang, CFO (Chief Flavor Officer) of Sebastian’s Ice Cream. He opined that perhaps I shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, because thanks to “Instagrammable” food, he’s discovered some of the best tasting food in a very competitive and cluttered Metro Manila restaurant market. And I had to agree, because I realized that I discovered “Goto Believe” because of the yes… very photogenic shots of the restaurant’s signature “OMG” (Oh My Goto!) dish that Ian himself posted on Facebook.

OMG sounds simple enough: it starts with a giant bowl (think of Rai Rai Ken’s largest ramen serving, but even bigger) of extremely tasty beef tripe/beef

1 Goto Heaven with 10 Toppings 2 Sizzling Goto Sisig 3 Japanese Tofu with Grilled Pig’s Face 4 Interiors 5 Lecheng Avocado Shake 6 Champorado Cheesecake with Candied Dilis

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

intestine/beef fat congee (actually good enough on its own with a squeeze of calamansi). But then, diners are given an option of “toppings” to choose from, no minimum nor maximum, to elevate their goto experience. There are at least 25 of them, starting with eight kinds of eggs: scrambled to sunny side to century to a six-minute soft-boiled egg that’s essentially the “Aji Tamago” found in legit Japanese restaurants. And then, there’s the plethora of proteins: grilled for that smoky flavor, or deep fried for that addictive crispiness. It’s your choice. There’s isaw ng manok, bituka ng baboy, tenga, atay, bagnet, calamari, and more, much more. But everyone’s favorite is the chicharon bulaklak, and inevitably, thanks to the irresistible pitch on the menu, most people point to the “Kim Kardashian” (dahil laos na si J-Lo chicken ass). Quote unquote.

There are no rules. Want to order a bowl of goto along with ten skewers of chicharon bulaklak? Sure. Have them served on the side or dunked into the bowl? Your call. How about goto with four, six, or eight different types of eggs? Why not? Or just go all out and order a bowl with all 25 toppings? How would you like

that, ma’am/sir, with Goto Heaven (their signature “wet” goto) or Goto Dry (rice cooked in goto broth, Hainanese style, then fried as sinangag)? The possibilities are exponential.

Don’t forget dessert. Goto Believe has a killer cheesecake that’s truly one of a kind. It’s a Champorado Cheesecake made from premium tablea, topped with, in this restaurant with no rules, Candied Dilis!!!

The magicians who make this happen are a pair of cousins, Vincent Juanta and Sandra Santiago. Vince is not an industry newbie; he’s the founder of Kanto Freestyle, a Filipino Breakfast chain that now has seven branches. Sandra, the artistic visionary, is the partner with the imagination to turn the ordinary into extraordinary. But every magic trick has a third part: “The Prestige”. And in Goto Believe, the man responsible for that is Executive Chef Obet Navarro, with over 20 years’ experience. He’s been a Chef De Partie in the Mandarin Oriental and the Makati Shangri-La. He’s also the former Sous Chef of Aubergine in the BGC. So what’s a five-star industry stalwart doing in a humble goto eatery? The answer’s simple.

He’s making magic. Believe it.

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Goto Believe is Open daily from 5:00pm to 10:00am. 630 San Rafael St., Barangay Plainview, Mandaluyong City. 09177015506

LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

Diniwid Beach

Boracay: A Tale of Three

Summers If you look hard enough, you can still find its pure beaches of yore.

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

Boracay 1980s

Boracay 1991

ONE : PAST PERFECT I had walked on these beaches before they were defiled. Desecrated by millions of cigarette butts and water bottle caps, carelessly, heedlessly, shamelessly left behind by the hundreds of thousands of tourists who enjoyed the island, but did not respect, love, nor care for it.

My first trip to Boracay was in the summer of 1989. The trip was rough. Only PAL flew to Kalibo, and from there, it was an almost three hour jeepney ride to Caticlan, the last thirty or so kilometers, over rudimentary dirt roads. I arrived at the port looking like dust covered desert refugee, but I was giddy with anticipation as I boarded the flimsy banca that would bring our group to the island. As it rounded the turn and we all got our first glimpse of the beaches, all of us, all at once, fell in love.

It was all greens and whites and blues.

Endless palms trees formed an emerald backdrop to the brilliant, blinding sands, and the pristine crystal waters reflected the skies above. Seconds after taking my first steps on the shore, I felt like I never wanted to leave.

Pale Pilsen was the only beer available, and Bob Marley’s “Legend” seemed to be the only cassette playing on repeat in all the beachfront bars. But it was enough. There was no electricity, and every afternoon, giant blocks of ice to chill the night’s drinks had to be ferried to the island. It was all very rustic. The visitors were mostly Europeans, blonde and burnished gold by the sun, and bikini tops were considered optional. It was quite a paradise. The local dialect was Ilonggo, and the locals’ accents and amiability were contagious. I was very much a tourist in my own country, but very much welcomed, and for the first time in my life, I realized how beautiful my Philippines truly was.

For the next fifteen years, I’d go back to Boracay again and again. A weekend, maybe a week; once or twice, sometimes thrice a year if I was lucky. Each and every time, it was the sweetest of homecomings.

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018 TWO : PRESENT TENSE Boracay is closed. Shut off from the rest of the country, and the whole world. For at least 180 days. Ostensibly to cleanse it, to let it breathe. To heal it. It is a painful and controversial process, but ultimately, necessary. Perhaps, it will be a return to Eden. Perhaps.

It’s not just a matter of exorcising the twin demons of over pollution and

overpopulation, it’s also an opportunity to take a step back, and think about the extreme sacrifices that really need to be made. Will the powers-that-be have the courage, the political will, and the longterm determination to bring back what once was? To demolish immense structures of concrete and steel and lay waste to tens of millions of pesos worth of reckless

investments that have wreaked havoc on the island’s ecosystem, and eradicated most of its natural beauty? Or is that the destiny that’s now been charted for Boracay -- unbridled development not unlike what blights Metro Manila. Is my island truly gone forever?

Caticlan New Arrival Terminal

Willy’s Rock

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

Mövenpick Pool

Mövenpick Beach

THREE : FUTURE PROGRESSIVE I will be walking on these powdery beaches again.

Just a couple of weeks before the commencement of the island’s “sabbatical”, I visited it to see its current state, and what could realistically change over the next six months. The beachfront from Stations 1 to 3 will be needing salvation: it’s all commerce with very little charm.

I planned to spend a morning there, but after a hectic, almost toxic hour walking towards D’Mall, horrified by the many fast food outlets by the shore, I tapped out and retreated to a cove that captures the serenity of the Boracay I remember from 1989.

Back then, Club Panoly was synonymous with the island. For a long time, it was the most exclusive enclave on Boracay. It’s long gone, and has now

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018 been replaced by the very new Mövenpick Resort. It’s blessed with a majestic beachfront with an unobstructed view of those legendary sunsets. It’s a balm, with architecture and furnishings that blend in with the trees, the sand, and the water that surrounds the property. A soothing Swiss institution imbued with intrinsic Filipino hospitality. It’s ironic really, that barely four months after it opened, my new discovery,

my new “happy place” on the island, will be inaccessible. But not for good, and I’m hoping, not too long. That is my silver lining, and this is the thought that will keep me smiling.

Next summer, I will be going back home to Boracay.

Mövenpick Bar

Mövenpick Sunset

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

bench

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRQUEZ

café 01

PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

A most (B)enchanting Filpino Comfort Food restaurant.

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

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elcome to one of my favorite new restaurants of the year.

It’s also perhaps one of the most misunderstood new restaurants to open in 2018.

You’re probably thinking: “Bench Café? What does Bench know about the restaurant business? I know they have cool clothes and amazing hair products, but food? Really?” Let me answer your questions: one, it’s really more of a restaurant than a café, and it’s unabashed in its mission to promote regional cuisine and products and produce from the provinces. Two, apparently, Bench, under its corporate parent, Suyen, has been in F&B for a few years now: they’ve brought in Pablo Cheesecakes and Maisen

Tonkatsu, two beloved Japanese brands.

And finally, really. It’s really good.

Yet Bench Café still is somewhat misunderstood. It’s located right smack in the middle of BGC’s Bonifacio High Street, one of the most chi-chi shopping and restaurant districts in all of Metro Manila. A very A-B market if you will. But Bench, the brand, has always positioned itself squarely to the middle class. So there’s a square peg in a round hole situation. The ladies who lunch, the Titas of Manila, have yet to claim the café as their own. They should. There are dishes and desserts here that can’t be found anywhere else in the city. It’s not only one of my favorite new restaurants of the year, it’s also one of the best. Period.

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

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In terms of creativity and technique, I’d rank it, in terms of potential, with the freshman years of Locavore and Manam.

Those are now two of the most popular, best reviewed, and fastest growing Filipino restaurant chains in the country. Bench Café may be somewhat constrained by its name now, but sky’s the limit for this, once the people understand what is really is, and what it offers. Greatness always seeks its own level, and the greats inevitably rise to the top. So understand this: it’s now one of my Top Three choices for balikbayans and tourists. The bar has been set high, and I’m certain that Chef Carlo Miguel, the man behind the menu, can reach, and surpass those rarefied heights.

Carlo is the executive chef of Foodee Global Concepts, Bench’s 50/50 partner in this endeavor. Foodee brought us Tim Ho Wan and Todd English, and closer to home, Mesa. Carlo’s experience is unparalleled, and his talent, unquestionable. You’ve enjoyed his cooking in Mezzaluna, Draft, Opus, and Sala. Carlo’s never composed a whole Filpino menu before; his training is steeped

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LET'S EAT — April-May 2018

in the fine dining tradition, so he’s breaking the rules here. He’s creating spectacular new Filipino cuisine using classical methods along with cutting-edge techniques. The results are fairly amazing, but also very familiar.

The Inasal na Liempo, pork belly slow cooked for 24 hours using the sous vide method, is tender beyond belief. The taste, color, and texture of the meat are genuinely Bacolod, but the method, purely French.

Have it with a Dilis Sinangag, to ramp up the irresistible factor of this dish. Or order that divine garlic rice with a meat-free pairing of grilled kesong puti and roasted “adobong kamatis”. It’s heavenly. These allday breakfasts are perfect with the café’s intense Barako coffees. For dessert, don’t

miss what could possibly be the richest champorado ever, made with tablea from Mindanao, it can be likened to a Nutella porridge. Of course, it’s served with gourmet tuyo. And finally, don’t miss the halo-halo. The ice is as fine and snowy as Korean Bingsu, and that in itself is genius.

But the brilliance lies in the details. There’s pinipig in the mix, but to keep it’s crunch and taste intact to the very last spoonful, it’s been caramelized. The process not only enhances the distinct pinipig flavor, it adds a whole new dimension.

So, how to best describe Bench Café?

Modern Pinoy? Epic Almusal at Merienda?

Barrio Fine Dining? Glamorous TuroTuro? I’d say it’s all of the above. Because really, it’s all so good.

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1 Classic Halo-Halo with Coconut Shaved Ice 2 Interiors 3 Tomato and Kesong Puti Silog 4 Bongalmusal Silog 5 Dilis Fried Rice 6 Inasal na Liempo 7 Mindanao Tablea Champorado 8 Bench/To Tray with Gising-Gising 9 White Halo-Halo

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Bench Cafe is located at 2/F Bench Flagship Store, Bonifacio High Street cor. 9th St., BGC. 09177021133

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