Let's Eat August Issue

L E T’ S E AT

AUGUST

2016

LET'S EAT — August 2016

AU G U ST 201 6

ISSUE NO. 40

W H AT ' S I N S I D E

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PHILIPPINE COOKBOOKS

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PINK'S HOT DOGS

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THE WILD POPPY

BEAN AND YOLK

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FREEZER BURN

LET'S EAT — August 2016

L E T’ S E AT

THIS WAY IN

O N T H E C OV E R DON JAUCIAN Editor

PATRICK DIOKNO Art Director

SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ Writer

GABBY CANTERO Photographer

BERT SANTOS

Photographer’s Assistant

After a string of themed issues, we’re reverting back to our regular programming. The last few months have seen a plethora of restaurants opening left and right, and this issue catches up with some of them. Unique concepts covered in this issue include Freezer Burn, a laboratory of sorts for the most exciting and eccentric ice cream flavors and Bean and Yolk, an egg-centric restaurant concept. Another is The Wild Poppy, a no-fuss take on Southeast Asian flavors. Finally, we have Pink’s Hot Dogs, the famous Hollywood staple which has finally opened its doors in Manila — their very first outside the United States.

Seek out these pleasurable finds and we hope that you’ll enjoy them as much as we did.

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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

Valrhona Chocolate Ice Cream from Freezer Burn Photo by GABBY CANTERO

LET'S EAT — August 2016

notes on WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

philippine A shortlist of some of the essential Philippine cookbooks featuring indispensible stories and recipies written by our best chefs and food writers

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henever I conduct one of my lectures on “Compelling Writing,” there’s one maxim I repeat over and over again: Read. Read a lot. Read constantly. And not just read anything for the sake of complying. To become a good writer, one must read good writing. Here’s my very personal list of highly recommended reading from my favorite Filipino food writers.

1. Let’s Cook With Nora by Nora Daza (1969) Almost half a century after its initial printing, this cookbook is still a valuable resource in thousands of Filipino homes. Dogeared, sauce-stained copies can be found in kitchens all over the archipelago, and it’s a favorite going away present for families moving abroad. Generations of homemakers and amateur cooks consider this their bible of Pinoy cuisine. Chef Nora Daza’s recipes have withstood the test of time, and that is the mark of a genuine classic. It still sells so well, it’s been made available on Amazon.

kitchens

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LET'S EAT — August 2016

1 Food Tour: A Culinary Journal

by Claude Tayag 2 Lasa: A Guide to 100 Restaurants by Doreen Fernandez and Edilberto Allegre 3 Let’s Cook with Nora by Nora Daza 4 Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food

by Doreen Fernandez 5 Philippine Cooking by Tatung Sarthou

2. Sarap by Doreen Fernandez (1988)

4. Food Tour by Claude Tayag (2006)

My dad loved spending time in bookstores, and I inherited his predisposition to browsing for hours and always leaving a bookstore with a brand new book and a satisfied smile. I remember grabbing this book off his shelf, opening it, and not letting it go until I’d read every single essay by the Ateneo professor who became the most influential Filipino food writer ever.

Doreen Fernandez is my Filipino culinary literary hero. Look for her essay her “Why Sinigang?” and you’ll understand why.

I’ve bought and given away at least seven copies of this culinary journal — I know.

I’m counting. And I just bought an 8th. It’s my favorite “pasalubong” to food loving friends and family whenever and wherever I travel. It’s a collection of Claude Tayag’s newspaper columns, complemented by his own paintings and sketches. It’s full of great recipes and humorous tales of derring-do with the love of his life, his wife Mary Ann. It’s a travelogue, a cookbook, a personal diary, and a love letter to his native Pampanga.

3. Lasa by Doreen Fernandez and Edilberto Alegre (1989)

The revieWs in “Lasa” W e r e a b s o L u T e Ly informaTive, fair and objecTive,and brimming WiTh WiT,They sTiLL hoLd up Today as snapshoTs of an era. mosT of Those resTauranTs have Long cLosed, buT The fine WriTing remains.

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The follow-up to Sarap was the precursor to all the food blogs and restaurant apps that have now become so omnipresent. It’s a listing of Metro Manila’s most popular and most beloved restaurants of the late 1980s, and it was an indispensable dining reference in the pre-internet days. The reviews were absolutely informative, fair and objective, and brimming with wit, they still hold up today as snapshots of an era.

Most of those restaurants have long closed, but the fine writing remains.

5. Philippine Cookery by Tatung Sarthou (2016) This brand new cookbook is a gorgeous volume, replete with museum quality photographs of Filipino ingredients and dishes. And a la Alton Brown, there are innumerable nuggets of fascinating trivia and surprising facts about our cuisine.

It’s the kind of book you must savor. Turn the luxurious pages leisurely. Do yourself a favor and read every word, don’t rush.

It took Chef Tatung years to finish this labor of love, and every second he spent is apparent on every single page.

d oW nLoad iss ue s of L eT’ s ea T 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 — August 2016

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

the call

of the wild

PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

The new restaurant in Makati’s burgeoning culinary hotspot offers a breezy take on Southeast Asian street food 8

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LET'S EAT — August 2016

1 The Kim and Reuben 2 Pok Pok Bites 3 Yaki Tomorokoshi 4 Chicken Red Damn

WhaT’s supposed To be spicy in ThaiLand or indonesia or vieTnam is s T i L L u n a p o L o g e T i c a L Ly s p i c y here. iT’s exciTing, paLaTe provoking sTuff.

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he Wild Poppy is located in my favorite food hub in Metro Manila, Makati’s Poblacion, along Don Pedro St., where rehabilitation and reinvention seems to be name of the game.

A very edgy and popular hostel occupies a building that used to house an even more popular “health club.” And the converted residence where Wild Poppy is located has a supposedly equally dodgy reputation.

I’m not certain of the veracity of the stories that surround it, but they do make for excellent happy hour conversations.

It’s best to ask the four BFFs who opened their dream restaurant after often dramatic and eventful two-year prep: Melissa Orozco, Marie Garcia, Kaity Chua, and Nikki Recto have been friends since their

elementary days in Assumption, and in all respects, The Wild Poppy is the fruition of their childhood dreams to own a business together. It’s worth the wait.

Their rooftop restaurant that specializes in interpretations of Southeast Asian street food has a garden feel thanks to a breezy balcony — a completely unpretentious vibe, but with a definite “wow” factor.

There’s an impressive attention to detail, and all of those lovely touches, the accents in the furnishings and on the walls, even the warm hues of the lighting, are likewise reflected in the menu. The food may be familiar to fans of Your Local — The Wild Poppy’s consultant is Chef Nicco Santos after all. It’s very different, but, somehow similar. There’s a lot of wit in the menu, but

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The Wild Poppy is located at 2/F, 5666 Don Pedro St., Poblacion, Makati. Check @thewildpoppy on instagram for details.

nothing needlessly stylish. The focus is on flavor and authenticity. What’s supposed to be spicy in Thailand or Indonesia or Vietnam is still unapologetically spicy here. It’s exciting, palate provoking stuff.

The fact that there’s a lot of fresh cilantro, basil, thyme, and mint on the food, and in the cocktails, only adds to the overall rural vibe.

I consider the Poblacion as the new Malate. The Wild Poppy reinforces that premise. Somehow, it reminds me of a beloved old bar, the Penguin Café. There’s a whiff of the same loose irreverence, and a dash of the same anarchic, artistic attitude.

I spent a lot of time in Penguin, and I see myself doing the same here, it already feels like home.

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LET'S EAT — August 2016

put an egg on it

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

Bean and Yolk hones in on the sublime pleasures of the lowly yet essential egg.

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ggs. We all have a story about them. It’s impossible not to. Scrambled eggs was one of the first things we all learned to cook as children, and have yet to perfect as adults. We all have our favorite kinds too: sunny side up for breakfast and the nighttime “balut.” Gigantic ostrich shells or tiny beads of Beluga. Sarsi mixed with a couple of egg yolks is supposedly tasty, and an excellent energy boost. Eggs are irresistible. Eggs are delightfully bright.

And depending on your disposition, it can be a rich and decadent cooking ingredient or a very healthy and filling diet essential.

Everyone loves eggs, and that’s why a small restaurant on Polaris St. in Makati has gained a growing following, in just a matter of weeks.

Bean and Yolk is a passion project of a young married couple with unique nicknames that, come to think of it, would actually make a pretty cool restaurant name too: Chukoy and Papo. Chukoy is a businessman, and a first cousin to the Jorolans who own Pampanga’s most iconic restaurant, Everybody’s Café. Papo is a former PAL flight attendant, who loved everything about her favorite destination,

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a favoriTe is The 02

Lucy sandWich: buiLT around a

1 Chorizo Mama 2 Eggs Benedict 3 The Molly

5-minuTe egg, one Where The

Sydney — including the all-day great coffee and terrific eggs brunch places in that city by the bay. Those became the inspirations for Bean and Yolk.

But they knew that passion alone wouldn’t see their project through. So they consulted two very highly regarded F&B professionals: one of the country’s foremost coffee experts, Jonathan Choi of Magnum Opus, helped them with the beans, and Chef Ed Bugia of Pino and Backyard fame, took care of the yolks. The team’s output exceeded even their most optimistic expectations; the reviews have been so good, that there’s now a clamor from B&Y fans to have the restaurant open on Sundays. After all, that’s the most perfect day for a long, lazy brunch.

But I like dropping in during work week afternoons, when the café catches its breath after the lunch rush and before the dinner crowds. It’s the best time to quietly enjoy my favorite on the menu, the Lucy sandwich, named after the owners’ six year old daughter. It’s built around a 5-minute egg, one where the yolk has set, but still golden and translucent and soft and succulent. It’s mixed up with the egg whites, cut in large chunks, slathered with a sriracha dressing and chives, topped with arugula, and served in a homemade brioche. It’s absolutely the best egg salad I’ve ever had. I pair it with the B&Y

yoLk has seT buT sTiLL goLden and TransLucenT.

Mocha, a brew of Yellow Bourbon beans from Brazil and 65% Malagos chocolate from Davao. I take a bite, take a sip, and just like that, I’m transported to Darling Harbour. My next cup, inevitably, has to be a foamy flat white.

There are seven more egg-centric sandwiches on the menu — fried, poached, scrambled, even devilled.

Each has its own loyalists. I’m slowly working my way through all the beans and yolks on the menu, and more and more, whenever I’m in the restaurant, I see the same faces that have since become familiar and friendly. Sunny and beaming faces, all loving the fact that at this restaurant, eggs just aren’t for breakfast or brunch anymore.

Bean and Yolk is located at Unit G6, Bel Air Soho Suites, Polaris St., Poblacion, Makati. Visit facebook.com/beanandyolkph for more details

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LET'S EAT — March 2016

WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

Sunset Boulevard

PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

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The Hollywood staple, frequented by the likes of Orson Welles, Michael J. Fox, and Brad Pitt, finally brings its authentic hot dogs out of California and into Manila — its first branch outside the U.S.

LET'S EAT — August 2016

p i n k ’ s i s T h e q u i n T e s s e n T i a L h o L Ly W o o d e a T i n g e x p e r i e n c e , m a g i c a L Ly TransporTed here. aLL ThaT’s missing is a fasT-TaLking quenTin TaranTino c h a r a c T e r b e s i d e y o u , m u n c h i n g L o u d Ly on a bacon-Wrapped breakfasT dog.

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t’s still on a blooper reel somewhere. When I was a PBA sportscaster in the 1990s, the two biggest hot dog brands in the country both had very competitive teams in the league. Purefoods had the Tender Juicy team, and Swift’s, the Mighty Meaty lineup. Inevitably, during a live broadcast on a day the two teams were to play each other, I interchanged the nicknames of the hot dog teams: Swift became Tender Juicy, and vice versa. I thought it was a cute little on-cam flub, but no ...

I was chastised very quickly by my director, my producer, and even by my make-up artist.

Apparently it was the worst 04 blunder I could make. That’s when I realized how serious the business of hot dogs in the Philippines is.

We’re a nation of hot dog eaters. We all grew up loving Smokey’s. No respectable streetside ihaw-ihaw is complete without those bright red tubes on the grill, charring beside the isaw and tenga. Of course, for every child raised in

the Philippines, the best kind of spaghetti is still the one served at fiestas, birthday parties, and at Christmas: ketchupy, sugary sweet, and studded with dozens of sliced hot dogs.

Richard Pink, the owner of Pink’s Hot Dogs, realized that from all the Filipinos who would patiently line-up at his family’s original restaurant on La Brea in Los Angeles. They’d ask him to please, please open shop in Manila. Their excited exhortations were not made in vain. When the proper time came to open abroad, Richard would say to himself: “Why not go where we’re wanted?”

Richard’s parents, Paul and Betty, opened Pink’s as a hot dog cart back in 1939 and it has since become as much a part of Hollywood lore as the superstars who frequent the joint. But in its almost 80 years of existence, it has never opened a branch outside the United States. That is, until last month, when Pink’s opened at the Shangri-La at The Fort.

We have to give a standing ovation to the folks behind the Wildflour Café and Bakery, and their sterling cred in L.A., for bringing home the hot dogs.

Pink’s Manila is actually an elevated dining experience, compared to the iconic SoCal original, where patrons have to patiently line up al fresco. Our Pink’s may be air-conditioned,

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and in the poshest part of The Fort, but inside, the happy clamor of crowds enjoying their dogs is identical to that in the States. And that’s because the hot dogs are exactly the same. Everything is recreated precisely, all the authentic key ingredients are imported, and the decades old Pink family recipes followed to the letter.

The bread rolls have the same softness; their incomparable world-famous chili is as meaty, the hot dogs in their all-natural casings have the same signature curvature, and most important, they all have that irresistible, irreplaceable “snap!”

Pink’s is the quintessential Hollywood eating experience, magically transported here.

Pink s Hot Dogs is located at Shangri-La at The Fort, 30th St. corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

1 The Breakfast Dog 2 The Hollywood Dog 3 The East L.A. Street Dog 4 The Buffalo Wing Dog

All that’s missing, really, is a fast-talking Quentin Tarantino character beside you, munching loudly on a bacon-wrapped breakfast dog.

Instead, it’s more likely that the table to your right will be occupied by a gaggle of titas of Manila chatting away, and the table to your left, a group of young kids all messily, beautifully, devouring their hot dogs, absolutely loving their unforgettable first time at Pink’s.

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WORDS BY SPANKY HIZON ENRIQUEZ

sunday candy Freezer Burn is a mad yet delicious experiment on the spectrum of ice cream flavors PHOTOS BY GABBY CANTERO

LET'S EAT — August 2016 01

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hen you make it to Uproxx, you’ve got it made. It’s one of the primary sources for news and information of the global digital generation. A few days ago, a brand new Philippine dessert concept, Freezer Burn, made it to the U.S. edition of Uproxx, and instantly sparked viral cronut-like levels of shares and likes on Facebook. In the comments section, there arose a very intense debate about the pros and cons of what’s quickly become the must–try signature item of the tiny ice cream parlor: ketchup mayo fries”.

It’s Heinz tomato ketchup combined with mayonnaise, churned into an ice cream, then served with a side of hand cut fries for dipping. Is it savory or sweet? Is it a main course or a meal ender? It’s either a source of joy or something to dread, depending on how adventurous one’s palate is.

Well, I love it. When Miko Aspiras and Kristine Lotilla casually mentioned this particular dessert a couple of months ago, I already started obsessing and imagining how they would execute the flavor. They described it as the logical progression of the french fries and ice cream combination that’s become a popular snack everywhere.

Obviously, their version couldn’t just be a plain old vanilla item for the two chefs. After all, for the past year, they’ve been reinventing the humble cookie in their other trailblazing dessert concept, Scout’s Honor.

So what’s it like, these sandwich condiments turned into an oxymoron of a dessert? It’s spectacular. The mayonnaise gives the ice cream an extra

1 Cream of the crop 2 Thick mints 3 Junkie

level of creaminess, a silkier texture, and a tiny tang. The ketchup somehow doesn’t come off as savory; instead, the tomatoes’ intrinsic fruitiness comes through. It’s many things at once: quirky but logical and new yet familiar. Each spoonful is a surprise, almost a sensory contradiction. It’ll take a couple of bites to wrap your tastebuds and your mind around the concept, but soon, you’ll be slathering your fries with the ice cream.

Don’t miss The Best Mint Stracciatella ice cream, overloaded with chunks of Andes chocolate mints.

Freezer Burn offers eight unique “composed desserts” daily; ketchup mayo fries is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a deep dark dramatic chocolate ice cream served with churros. What goes best with a rich buttery sticky toffee pudding?

Butter ice cream, of course. What to sprinkle on a corn and cheese ice cream?

Cornik! Everything is a play on textures and temperatures and tastes. There are 48 combinations all in all that will be rotated in Freezer Burn on a regular basis. That’s 48 distinct flavors of ice cream, matched with 48 unique cakes and pastries. One in particular caught my eye. Coming very soon? Burnt coconut husk ice cream paired with home baked ensaymada, topped with a sugary-sour calamansi curd. I’m smacking my lips already.

Freezer Burn is located at G/F, Q3, Bonifacio High Street, 9th Avenue, Taguig Metro Manila Taguig. Visir facebook.com/freezerburnph for more details

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