Let's Eat October Issue by Tammy Mendoza

LET â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S E AT OCTOBER 2016

hey, handsome

LET'S EAT — October 2016

O CTO B E R 201 6

W H AT ' S IN S IDE

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ISSUE NO. 42

10 12

HEY HANDSOME

BITTERS

BIRDHOUSE

FUNDAMENTAL COFFEE

LET'S EAT — October 2016

L E T ’ S E AT DON JAUCIAN Managing Editor

PATRICK DIOKNO Art Director

SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ Writer

GABBY CANTERO Photographer

BERT SANTOS Photographer’s Assistant

LUCIEN DY TIOCO SVP for Sales & Marketing

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

O N TH E C O VER

Fried Egg Salad from Hey Handsome Photo by GABBY CANTERO

eastern

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

Named after the friendly Singaporean hawker’s call for attention — their own version of our “Psst, pogi!” — Hey Handsome concocts a heady slew of flavors from across the Southeast Asian region

promises PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

LET'S EAT — October 2016

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ust days after Hey Handsome opened, an intense buzz started to build around this restaurant in one of the most attractive locations in Bonifacio Global City, the Net Park building. The building proudly shows off a row of some of the most well reviewed restaurants that have opened in the past year. But the newest, the baby of the bunch, is already being called by many of the most respected critics in the country as the best new restaurant of 2016. Though there are three months left, I’m inclined to agree. There’s always the possibility that another restaurant will open before the end of December that’ll rock our collective culinary world, but as of today, three quarters into the year, Hey Handsome is definitely the hottest.

I’M PARTIAL TO THE LAAP PHET. IT SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH: MINCED DUCK, A DEEP FRIED EGG, HERBS, RICE. BUT WHAT COMES OUT OF THE KITCHEN IS A DRAMATIC, ORGANIC, COLORFUL SCULPTURE.

The restaurant should open for lunch very soon — monitor their social media accounts for updates — but at the time of this writing, it’s only open in the evenings: two seatings, at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. I understand completely. The amount of work that goes into each dish is staggering. Each plate has multiple components and accents, and many of them are composed of many myriad ingredients. I had the opportunity to observe the kitchen team at work, and just watching them prep is impressive. Their work starts at noon, and goes on unabated until the staff meal, an hour or so before service. It’s a human beehive. Everyone’s still in their twenties, and yes, everyone’s good looking. These cooks are in perpetual motion, slicing, dicing, chopping, boiling, blending, sautéing, everything. Overseeing them like a queen bee is the head chef: Queenie Villar, constantly prodding, cajoling, joking, and teaching. And to complete the analogy, guiding them all, checking on everything, coolly and calmly keeping order, is the chef patron, Nicco Santos. Together, they’re producing food that’s impressing even the most jaded connoisseurs. If this were a Filipino restaurant, it might be called “Psssst, Pogi” but “Hey Handsome” works the same way. It’s that friendly call heard in hawker centers all over Singapore, an invitation to try a stall’s specials. The cuisine in this restaurant is one of the most popular in the abovementioned city state: Peranakan, Southeast Asian with distinct Chinese influences.

LET'S EAT — October 2016

1 Laap Phet 2 Fried Egg Salad 3 House Yogurt with Black Sesame Brittle and Beetroot 4 Hey Handsome’s interiors 5 Beetroot Paneer 6 Seabass Otah from the Nasi Lemak 7 Mocktails (clockwise from top): Donkey Punch, Cherry Pop, Magic Milk

There are only eight mains on the menu, but to describe them all in detail would fill up this magazine. Suffice to say, each one is distinct, but every one complements the others. It’s not uncommon to see a large group order all the items on the board, and dine family style. The servings are generous, and everything is absolutely amazing, extremely complicated, and deeply flavorful. Save for the nasi lemak, the names of the dishes may be unfamiliar, but the flavor profiles give a strong sense of déjà vu. We’ve tasted these flavors before, but never together. We may have encountered similar dishes, but never

prepared and plated with technique and artistry this dazzling. I’m partial to the laap phet. It sounds simple enough: minced duck, a deep fried egg, herbs, rice. But what comes out of the kitchen is a dramatic, organic, colorful sculpture. A precisely crafted dish that demands to be savored slowly, as very mouthful elicits a soulful sigh. Chef Nicco first gained fame when “Your Local” opened in 2013. Turns out, that was only his opening act. Hey Handsome is a stunning follow-up, but his story doesn’t end there. As a matter of fact, it’s only just beginning.

Hey Handsome is located at Net Park Building, 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Visit facebook.com/handsomecome for details

PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

chick

LET'S EAT — October 2016

flick WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

Fried chicken is practically a religion in the country. Birdhouse takes a stab at crafting their own signature fried chicken, to surprising results.

LET'S EAT — October 2016

1 Fried Chicken and Chicken Tenders 2 Waffle and Ice Cream with Crispy Chicken Skin 3 Salted Egg Lava Chicken Sandwich 4 Birdhouse’s interiors

The brining process, and the quality of the batter, are essential to avoid blandness. One key is that Birdhouse exclusively uses dark meat. It’s all about the tasty thighs and the delicious drumsticks. However, the Birdhouse treat that’s getting the most traction online is their salted egg lava fried chicken sandwich. It’s a dramatic creation: a crisp and juicy thigh fillet, the bone carefully removed, and stuffed, in its place, a dense, rich, oozing sauce made with this year’s ingredient du jour. Caution: filling is hot. It’s one of the creations of Chef Francis Lim, who’s famous for his own establishments, Nav and Tipple & Slaw. He created the menu for Birdhouse, and he’s responsible for

he first rule of Birdhouse is: There is chicken skin on everything. The second rule of Birdhouse is: Enjoy the chicken skin on everything. Admit it. The best part of fried chicken is its crunchy, fatty, salty skin. Peeling off a blanket-shaped piece from a thigh is, for many of us, the highlight of a meal, the best part, carefully saved, and selfishly guarded, for that last glorious bite. Filipinos are a fried chicken loving people. Global fast food giants must have it on their menus, only in this country and nowhere else, or risk being shunned. But it took a homegrown concept to finally, without fear or favor, serve gorgeous, scrumptious bits of chicharon-like chicken skin, atop every single platter. Welcome to the Birdhouse.

It’s the latest concept from Louie Ngo and Linfred Yap, the entrepreneurs behind the Relish Group, responsible for bringing in Singapore’s Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken and the Kumori Japanese Bakery. They’ve taken great care in importing concepts, and now, have taken even greater care in creating their own. Birdhouse was developed over the course of several years; fried chicken, after all, is not something that’s taken lightly here. It’s practically a religion. Two beloved restaurant empires, Aristocrat and Max’s, turned 80 and 70 years old respectively this past year, and yes, both have signature best-selling fried chicken recipes. Every aspiring fried chicken magnate must have a distinct formula, and Birdhouse complies with this rule. Their recipe is as closely guarded as Col. Sanders’, but this, they can reveal: 04

refining and modernizing the humble fried chicken for this next generation restaurant. Among his innovations, an original lineup of dips: truffle ketchup, peach barbecue sauce, old-fashioned milk gravy, and a creamy herby concoction called the “Green Goddess”. Those ubiquitous bits make one final appearance on the menu: on dessert, of course, for a truly happy ending. Waffles a la mode, crumbled chicken skin sprinkled on scoops of vanilla ice cream. Sweet and salty together in perfect harmony. It’s a joyous exclamation point to this new restaurant’s motto: Cluck You! Consider me all clucked up, and you will be too, because in this Birdhouse, the flavors soar.

Birdhouse is located at 4/F The Food Hall, Uptown Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Visit facebook.com/birdhouseph for details

LET'S EAT — October 2016

L WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

bittersweet symphony PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

Lee Watson’s new bar mixes the swinging vibe of the 70s with the old world charms of apothecaries to get lonely hearts a chance for a cure

ee Watson, the legendary barfly who has conceptualized many of the country’s most beloved bars — ABV, Mandalay, and my favorite, the verdant, breezy Lanai in Antonio’s — recently opened his most unique drinking destination yet. It’s a singles bar, an unabashed throwback to the Swinging ‘70s, with a U-shaped bar designed to maximize eye-contact from all angles. Courage, in the form of a slew of designer drinks, shouldn’t be difficult to muster. The cocktails hark back to an even earlier time, when apothecaries mixed the essential oils, tinctures, and elixirs to cure the ailments of the era. The tonics, liqueurs, and even the gin that’s experiencing a global renaissance, were all originally formulated as newfangled medicines a century and a half ago. These days, the only thing these spirits cure is melancholia due to a lonely heart. This bar’s Dr. Watson prescribes intense and aromatic mixtures that take full advantage of one of the largest collection of gins and bitters in the city. And he confidently guarantees that inside Bitters, the lovelorn shall all be healed, declaring “Walk in bitter, walk out taken!” Everyone will definitely feel better in the morning.

LET'S EAT — October 2016

Bitters is located at Burgos Parklane, Forbestown Road, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

LET'S EAT — October 2016

Basic PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

Instinct Fundamental takes the art of coffee seriously but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to have fun 01

LET'S EAT — October 2016

t’sI’ve always been partial to Bo’s Coffee. Fifteen years ago, when I used to frequent Cebu for business, I spent whole days in my favorite branch, the one near the Capitol on Osmeña Boulevard. I considered it as my office; I pecked away on my glacial 15-pound laptop and had meeting after meeting and cup after cup there. When Bo’s crossed over to Manila, I began to frequent their MoA flagship. I’ve always had a great degree of affection, and not a small measure of Pinoy Pride, for Bo’s. Its founder, Steve Benitez, has always been a forward thinking entrepreneur, ahead of his time, and his new concept does not lack for ambition. The vision for Fundamental Coffee? It’ll be the future of coffee chains. Andre Chang is Steve’s partner in this passion project. Andre is the young

EVERY MEMBER OF THE FUNDAMENTAL TEAM IS CERTIFIED BY THE SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION OF EUROPE. THEY’RE TRUE PROFESSIONALS, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND CONVERSANT IN EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR CRAFT.

man who has made coffee his life’s work. His company, Yardstick, is a pioneer in sourcing and roasting the most premium coffee beans from all over the world, and it’s the distributor of the most cutting-edge coffee equipment in the Philippines. It was inevitable that when the two met, there would be meeting of the minds. Two years later, they’ve combined their experience, resources, and skill sets for Fundamental

1 Coffee Jelly Milk Pudding 2 Matcha Latte 3 Fundamental Toast with Bukidnon Honey 4 Iced Double Mocha with Mocha Whipped Cream

Fundamental Coffee is lcoated at G/F Retail 3, Park Terraces Tower 1, Palm Drive, Ayala Center, Makati, Visit facebook.com/fundamentalcoffee for details

LET'S EAT — October 2016

Coffee. Steve handles the back-end and logistics, with an eye towards expansion, while Andre, along with Yardstick’s Kevin Tang and Jessica Lee, ensure the fulfillment of this most exquisite specialty coffee experience. What exactly is this experience? First off, the baristas: every member of the Fundamental team is certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. They’re true professionals, knowledgeable and conversant in every aspect of their craft. Second, every machine is world class, with the most advanced volumetric automation that delivers a precise, perfect cup of coffee, every single time. It’s a science, really. The use of technology, maximized for maximum enjoyment. 05

Third, Fundamental Coffee is betting on cold brews as the next big thing in caffeine, the new alternative to icy blended beverages. Just as refreshing, but with an emphasis on the deep undertones of coffee’s intrinsic flavor notes, rather than a reliance on syrups and sweetness. And there’s one more thing, which for me, is most intriguing and interesting: coffee and food pairing. Every dish has been conceptualized to complement the coffees. And vice versa. Upon entering the premises of Fundamental Coffee’s newly opened pilot location at the Park Terraces along Palm Drive in Makati, there’s a giant menu board on the right, taking up one whole wall. There are brioche toasts topped off with Spanish hams and wild mushrooms; poached eggs with prosciutto; a Caesar salad with kale; a tuna avocado sandwich, and even rice and pasta bowls. Nothing is overly oily; all the dishes are freshly made, and everything is just light and right, perfect with any and all of the beverages prepared to order. Pairing need not be limited to alcoholic drinks any longer. Fundamental Coffee is introducing dramatic new perceptions in enjoying coffee; shaking up deeply rooted beliefs and habits, but retaining a deep respect for the essentials. Welcome to the future.

5 Cold Brew Coffee 6 Fundamental’s interiors 7 Muscovado Dusted Old Fashioned Cappuccino

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LET'S EAT — October 2016

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