Let's Eat March Issue

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LET'S EAT — March 2016

MARCH 201 6

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W H AT ' S I N S I D E

I S S U E N o . 33

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GARDE MANGER

om indian kitchen

salad stop

juju eats

LET'S EAT — March 2016

L E T’ S E AT

THIS WAY IN

on the c ov er DON JAUCIAN Managing Editor

PATRICK DIOKNO I’m gonna be honest: I’m not the first person you should ask about eating well. My go-to place when I’m hungry is either McDonald’s or Jollibee and my favorite snack when I’m binge watching Friends or Bob’s Burgers on Netflix are french fries and potato chips. Though I have since discarded sodas from my regular diet, I haven’t really exerted much effort on healthy eating.

Hence, my understandable trepidation on having an allhealthy issue of the magazine. I’ve made little steps here and there: Juju Eats was my guilt-free destination on juices and salads (my usual order was the most excellent pesto pasta) when I used to work at an office a few feet away from their Makati branch. A recent trip to Singapore allowed me to redicover my fascination for Indian food and I’m really glad to have found out about Om Indian Kitchen.

The two other restaurants featured, Garde Manger and Salad Stop, offer alternatives on what we’ve known as healthy food and you should try them out just in case you’re sick of the usual fast food fare (like me, sometimes).

And hey, summer’s upon us so we should probably rethink the food that we eat daily.

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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

Sugar Smoked Tapas: Pulpo in Chili Olive Oil Chorizo de Bilbao Smoked Curry Mussels from Garde Manger Photo by GABBY CANTERO

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fresh

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

With oysters and sisig on salads—Garde Manger is set to create a whole new category on healthy dining

produce PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

LET'S EAT — March 2016

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iko Aspiras is one of just two chefs based in the Philippines who have been honored with an invitation to deliver a talk at Madrid Fusion in Manila this April. It’s the sole and exclusive Asian venue for the most prestigious gastronomy congress in the world. Many of the finest, most highly regarded, most awarded international chefs will be present, including Spain’s irrepressible José Andrés and Fil-Am Paul Qui from Texas, Top Chef winner and James Beard awardee. It’s intimidating company, but Miko won’t be standing on the shoulders of giants. He’ll be standing shoulder to shoulder with them. And he hasn’t even turned thirty.

Kristine Lotilla, equally youthful, is Miko’s partner in Scout’s Honor, that bespoke cookie shop at Hole in the Wall, a crowd-drawer ever since it opened at the end of 2014. The Enderun graduate gained valuable experience in the kitchens of the Raffles and Fairmont in Makati.

Noel Mauricio is even younger but his résumé is already as lengthy. He’s worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, and along with Kristine and Miko, they’re the creative culinary team behind Le Petit

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sisig takes on the form a rilette on top of a salad. The light dressing coats the lettuce leaves with flavor and allows the rillette to soak in and take on an unmistakable taste

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1 Fresh Oysters 2 Sisig Salad 3 Mushu Pork Rolls 4 Garde Manger’s salad bar 5 Chimichurri Bacon Oyster

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Soufflé, the charming café in Century City that has a unique Japanese-influenced take on French classics.

I had the chance to meet with the trio a few weeks ago at Garde Manger, their newest collaboration, their version of a “cold kitchen”, a salad bar/food laboratory where they toss healthy eating ideas like… so many salad greens. A “garde manger” is essentially a refrigerated pantry where pâtés and terrines and similar appetizers are prepared. For Miko, Kristine, and Noel, it’s also the playground where they experiment on concepts on preserving and enhancing food, making the ordinary, extraordinary, and the expected, unexpected. The concept’s simple enough: convince people to eat healthier by incorporating more flavor.

For example, sisig: it takes on the form a rilette, and then tops a salad. The light dressing they designed achieves a double purpose; it coats the lettuce leaves with flavor, but at the same time, it allows the rillette to soak in and take on the unmistakable taste of Pampanga’s pride. I won’t tell you the secret ingredients of the dressing, but if you’re a true sisig fan, you’ll know when you take the first bite. All that’s missing, really, is the sizzle. Oysters are on the menu as well, served straight from the sea it seems, but adorned with surprising components: one with pickled green apple slivers; another doused with gin, sprinkled with a squeeze of lime, and finished with basil; a third, brightened with wasabi. It’s all very new, all very brave, and all very good.

Garde Manger is located at Hole in the Wall, 4/F Century City Mall, Century City, Kalayaan Ave, Makati

d ow n l oad issue s of l et’ s eat f or fr ee on bu q o

L E T ' S E AT dow n loa d t he a p p

LET'S EAT — March 2016

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Prism Plaza: A refreshing culinary strip photos by Walter Bollozos

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words by Argie C. Aguja

W

ith all the hustle and bustle of daily life, nothing is more soothing than the cozy comfort of a bountiful, hearty meal that is best enjoyed while viewing the scenic Manila Bay sunset. At the northern edge of Mall of Asia Complex’ business hub, there is The Prism Plaza, a nestled lifestyle strip at the 4th Level of Two E-com Center. With a unique array of entertainment and dining options, the Prism Plaza is truly a sophisticated collection of culinary masterpieces that is not found in this part of the Metro.

Have a wonderful Wagyu dinner at House of Wagyu Stone Grill where premium, marbled beef cuts, imported from Australia and Japan, cooks slowly 04

LET'S EAT — March 2016 05

List of Dishes

House of Wagyu of Stone Grill 09178341248 / (02) 8565604 www.facebook.com/pages/House-Of-Wagyu-StoneGrill-MOA UP Rice (02) 9869372 www.facebook.com/ UPRICEmnl The Burger Lab 832-5838 / 09475034742 www.facebook.com/TheBurgerLabMNL REDD 0917 860-4416 / 0926 6931526 / 775.3982 / 808-7683 www.facebook.com/REDDeatdrinkchill Uncle Cheffy 478-0584 / 0927 6053537 www.facebook.com/twinfusioncorporation Alba Restorante Espanol 808-2326/ 808-8210 www.facebook.com/alba. restaurante.espanol

under the constant heat of hot slabs of volcanic rocks. Carb lovers can enjoy a very filling experience with the sumptuous rice bowl meals, all-day breakfast meals and delightful fried favorites at UP Rice.

Imaginative diners can try The Burger Lab, where customers are encouraged to get their hands dirty, build their own burgers from the wide array of fresh veggies, varied toppings, home-made sauces and thick beef patties to create their very own customized, experimental burg-

1 Paella Valenciana, Solomillo ala Pobre, Bacalao alal Vizcania and Jamon con Mangga Y Arugula by Alba Restorante Espanol 2 Grade 8 Ribeye by Wagyu House of Stone Grill 3 Seabass Baked in Foil by Wagyu House of Stone Grill 4 Grade 10 Tenderloin by Wagyu House of Stone Grill 5 Smoked Gun Burger, Burger Salad, B.Y.O.B and Cardiac Burger by The Burger Lab 6 Pork Binagoongan by REDD 7 Sisig ala Kanto by REDD 8 Memphis BBQ by Uncle Cheffy 9 Homemade Bacon by UP Rice

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ers. Envisioned to be a place to “Eat, Drink and Chill,” REDD is created for foodies where Classic Filipino dishes are bringing a new interpretation to Pinoy home-cooked meals.

For family get-togethers, Uncle Cheffy offers a specially prepared menu, an innovative gastronomic experience that brings together a combination of the taste from the East spices and West deli products, prepared in the traditional slow-cooking process for the exquisite global flavor.

Diners with refined tastes are welcome to enjoy the wonders of Alba Restorante Espanol, offering the enticing flavors of Castilian cuisine, a cherished tradition and an icon in the local dining scene. After a hearty meal, enjoy only the finest and rarest loose-leaf teas and premium coffees – best paired with freshly baked pastries, generously sized muffins, New York Deli-style Bagels, and mouthwatering cheesecake selections – at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

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At the northern edge of Mall of Asia Complex’ business hub, there is The Prism Plaza, a nestled lifestyle strip at the 4th Level of Two E-com Center. With a unique array of entertainment and dining options, the Prism Plaza is t r u ly a s o p h i s t i c a t e d collection of culinary masterpieces that is not found in this part of the Metro.

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LET'S EAT — March 2016

photos by gabby cantero

soul

food

words by spanky hizon enriquez

Om Indian Kitchen transports the beguiling charms of home cooked Indian cuisine into a bustling dining destination 10­

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LET'S EAT — March 2016

1 Palak Paneer (Cheese in Spinach Curry) 2 Butter Chicken 3 Daal Tadka (Lentil Soup) 4 Samosa

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ve made it a point to try each and every Indian restaurant in Metro Manila since falling in love with the cuisine when I was in grade school, from the simple ones by the bridge on U.N. Avenue, to the boisterous Bollywood which used to be in Greenbelt. But the best Indian food for me has always been home cooked. I love the whole ceremonial aspect of the meals, the multiple courses, the complex mix of spices, and especially the beguiling colors and intricate designs on the serving platters, plates, and glassware, all of which serve to complement the glorious food.

And that’s why the Om experience works.

It’s truly authentic home cooking offered in cozy restaurant setting.

Suman Gonja, “Tita Su” to her family and friends, imports tunics, fabrics, trinkets, and artifacts from India. She’s developed a substantial and loyal client base over the years, and whenever they would visit her home, she always made it a point to serve her family’s recipes, passed on from generation to generation.

Eventually, her clients became her guests, great fans of her cooking, and it was through their encouragement that she decided to open Om at its first location in Greenhills three years ago. The recent move to a better location just off C-5, in The Grove by Rockwell allows more diners from Quezon City, Taguig, and Makati to experience an interesting introduction to incredible Indian specialties.

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Om Indian Kitchen is located at G/F The Grove By Rockwell, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City

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There’s a misconception that Indian food is all about spiciness, but Tita Su is always ready to enlighten first timers: Indian food is more about the blend of spices, the balance of flavors, the beauty of textures and colors combined. And it’s an undeniably healthy cuisine. Om is a restaurant that’s embraced by vegans and vegetarians, and beloved by meat lovers too. Grilled pork kheema kebabs, aromatic mutton as it’s cooked in Kashmir.

And then there’s their bestselling Butter Chicken, beautifully paired with the kitchen’s freshly baked roti and naan breads, or even better, with fragrant cumin rice.

Om defines slow cooking in its purest sense.There’s a tremendous amount of prep work, tedious and challenging, but the end result is magical. All the ingredients, all the spices, all the passion comes together mystically, bringing a true taste of India home to the Philippines.

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LET'S EAT — March 2016

words by spanky hizon enriquez

Secret

Garden

Salad Stop presents a range of choices for those who want something guiltfree but still fulfilling

photos by gabby cantero

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LET'S EAT — March 2016

‘ HAIL CAESAR ’ IS A b i g , d e e p b o w l o f c r i s p lettuce, lashings of shaved Parmesan, a shower of chopped up hard boiled eggs, a g e n e r o u s s p r i n k l i n g o f c r o u t o n s , AND bacon bits 02

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he question I needed to answer was this: if I stopped for a salad for dinner, after a hectic ten-hour day, will I be completely satisfied and fully sated? Conventional wisdom and my own experiences dictate otherwise: that my belly will continue to rumble and demand that I make a quick detour and not-so-surreptitiously devour a greasy burger to be really happy. But many friends, whose opinions I trust, advised me that indeed, it could happen.

That I could be perfectly pleased with a salad, and just a salad, after a long and stressful series of shoots, events, and meetings. I needed to find out for myself. So with great trepi03 dation, I headed to the Salad Stop in Glorietta, so beautifully and brightly lit that it must act like a beacon for lost vegetarians wandering around, looking for sustenance in the meat-filled mall landscape. I felt like I was the enemy; the polar opposite of the target market of this healthy food

chain from Singapore.

The counter is a kaleidoscope world, a rainbow of dazzling colors and textures underneath a clear glass top. For the base: Romaine, white and red cabbage, plus rocket leaves and baby spinach. Sixty ingredients and toppings to choose from, including crabsticks, chickpeas, edamame, soba noodles, ripe mangoes, green apples, toasted almonds, smoked salmon, feta cheese, and so much more. A choice of 18 homemade dressings, Asian to Western: from Japanese Miso to Singaporean Chili Crab to Thai Lemongrass, all the way to Italian Basil and Pesto, French Honey Dijon, and All-American Ranch. I was tempted to assemble my own unique creation, but I suspected that the regulars in the queue forming behind me were getting hungry, and I didn’t want them to start hating on an indecisive noob taking too long to order. So I opted for one of the signature salads: the “Hail Caesar”.

It’s a big, deep bowl of crisp lettuce, lashings of shaved Parmesan, a shower of chopped up hard boiled eggs, a generous sprinkling of croutons, and inevitably, bacon bits. Lots of bacon bits. The secret sauce, if you will, lies in the dressing.

It’s extremely tasty, reminiscent

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of my childhood favorite from Mario’s, and this salad’s success lies in the way each component is coated with the classic Caesar dressing. It was seriously good, but I couldn’t finish it. It’s a humongous serving, I kept on digging but the salad seemed bottomless. A seriously excellent deal for only P260. I ended up taking a third of it home, where it promptly disappeared during a midnight raid to the refrigerator four hours later. It still was as scrumptious as it was in the store.

So I found the answer to my question. A salad could, and did satisfy me. I’m a convert, but in the interests of full dis-

Salad Stop has branches at Glorietta, Central Square Bonifacio High Street, Power Plant Mall, and C. Palanca St., Makati

1 Hail Caesar Salad 2 Oh Crab Lah! Salad 3 Go Geisha! Wrap 4 Munch Wide Awake Muesli

closure, my Caesar had a total of 526 kcal. So no, it’s not necessarily diet food, but yes, it is healthier than most of my usual choices. On my next salad stop, I’ll probably settle for the raspberry vinaigrette. But I’m not worried. I’m certain it’ll be just as tasty. And certainly even better for me.

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LET'S EAT — March 2016

cool for the summer

words by spanky hizon enriquez

photos by gabby cantero

Juju Eats, with its cleansing juices and substantial salads, is a respite from the greasy havens of fast food

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salad for lunch? Not as a starter, a palate cleanser, or a way to assuage guilt while bingeing on a buffet? That’s a major mental block right there. This is the Philippines after all, where majority of meals are composed of steamed rice paired with pork cooked in an infinite number of ways. A country where salads are often afterthoughts: sad looking limp leaves drowning in thousand island dressing.

And one more detail should be mentioned: eating healthy is substantially more expensive here.

But that didn’t stop David and Kat Azanza from pioneering a movement to encourage healthier eating via Juju Eats.

It all started with cleansing programs via freshly squeezed juices, hence the name of

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the restaurant, but quickly expanded to a premiere salad bar where fifty plus choices of toppings add up to over five thousand combinations. Here, it’s all about balance, proportion, and calibration. It’s not necessarily about not eating meat, it’s knowing when to stop, and knowing when to start eating something better. Juju’s succeeded in shifting paradigms and convincing even hardcore carnivores like myself to occasionally forego my go-to choices and instead indulge in fresher, greener options. The menu has expanded from their original juices, bowls and wraps, to a full range of rice bowls, paninis, smoothies, superfood desserts, and even a selection of fresh, fruity cocktails.

Find Juju Eats branches in Makati (G/F BCS Building, Chino Roces Ave. Ext.), Mandaluyong (The Podium), Pasig (3/F Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas), and Eastwood (G/F LeGrand 1 Condominium, Eastwood Corporate Cyberpark)

LET'S EAT — March 2016

IN J U J U EATS , i t ’ s a l l a b o u t b a l a n c e ,

proportion, and calibration. It’s not

n e c e s s a r i ly a b o u t n o t e a t i n g m e a t , i t ’ s

knowing when to stop, and knowing

when to start eating something better.

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L E T ' S E AT y our guide to the c i ty’s b es t food s p ot s every la s t s unda y of the M ont h