Tatler Dining Philippines Guide 2018

GRACE BARBERS BAJA A wife, a mother of three, a passionate cook and an avid traveller, Grace is in constant search for the best dining experiences here and abroad. She shares her musings and cravings through her blog, The Spoiled Mummy (www.thespoiledmummy.com). GIGI BAUTISTA Despite her hectic schedule helming a full-service international event management company, Gigi continuously explores exotic destinations and delights epicurean discoveries. STEPHANIE ZUBIRI CRESPI TV presenter, food writer, blogger, and wine enthusiast Stephanie recently published her first and very well-received book, Feast With Me. She also completed her WSET level 3 last year and launched her wine blog, wine-lips.com. Crazy about ethnic and world cuisine, she can enjoy a cheap and cheerful pho ga in Ho Chi Minh’s Ben Tanh market just as much as a perfectly cooked baby lamb chop at…

While we certainly enjoyed the months of sheer discovery, indulgence, and gluttony that go hand-in-hand with putting together this wonderful compendium of all things epicurean, we are also ecstatic to give you the best and premium dining experiences that this country has to offer. In this 14th edition of the guide, we tried and tested the best third wave cafès in the metro in Caffeine Fix p. 22; had a good look into the rising trend in local microbreweries (and sampled a craft beer or two) in What’s Brewing? p. 14; then in Gen T. Dining, p. 30, we get up close and personal with some of Philippine Tatler’s culinary Gen T lister influencers. For a quick and easy reference to the overall dining experinece at the 173 restaurants listed in this…

1 ALMAVIVA PUENTE ALTO 2015 A glorious, complex nose of tobacco, blackberry and hints of stone, flowers, and bitter chocolate. Full-bodied, very tight and compact. Linear backbone gives form and tension. It has the same character on the palate, as well as cayenne and other spice. Needs four or five years in bottle but a joy to taste now. • 100 points 2 PETROLO VALDARNO DI SOPRA GALATRONA 2015 Terrific aromas of violet, rose, and raspberry with hints of strawberry and brown sugar. Full body. Phenomenal layers of focused fruit and polished, velvety tannins. The Galatrona that everyone has been waiting for. Shows depth and power yet wonderful finesse and focus. Best ever. Drink from 2023 but already electrifying. • 99 points 3 SEÑA VALLE DE ACONCAGUA 2015 Stunning aromas of blackcurrant, stone, blueberry, and liquorice. Floral.…

Before you answer my question, ask yourself this: Which spirit has as many brands, sub-variants, styles, profiles, and cocktails owing to its existence? While whisky might be the obvious top-of-mind big spirit answer, the gin phenomenon has been a thing for a while. And it looks like it’s here to stay what with the A to Z of gin brands seemingly growing exponentially by the year thanks to boutique entries hailing from all over Europe, stateside, Canada, and even Asia. Let us not forget the explosion of specialised gin bars as well as those well-stocked gin carts across the global F&B scene. Which brings us, then, to the fact that gin is indubitably the most commonly used liquor in cocktails. From traditional London dry styles, to new wave botanicals, to flavoured grape- and…

Besides the familiar social lubricant favourites out there today, particularly in the Philippines, a great many brews of different persuasions have happily emerged for every type of craft drinker. Rather than a run-of-the-mill commoner, anti-mainstream contenders have thankfully hit the marketplace (and your friendly local watering hole). In fact, while beer consumption in the country has declined by over 10 per cent since 1994, that of craft beer has consistently increased. Here are a few of the Philippines’ top chugs. ENGKANTO Beer, craft in particular, possesed that secret ingredient X for Ian Paradies. And so, in 2015, Paradies put up his own brewery, under Napa Gapa Beverages Corporation, with partner Josh Karten and the mindset that he would create flavour profiles and aromas that would appeal to the Filipino palate. “I felt…

The coffee culture in the Philippines has grown exponentially through time. From what started as a breakfast staple consumed straight from mass-produced packets to designer brews from global café chains, the coffee-drinking population has started to have a deeper appreciation of what they drink and the process involved in every cup. In recent years, a movement called the “third wave” (the first wave being when coffee was packed for convenience; the second, the proliferation of international chains) takes the limelight. This new movement focuses on serving speciality coffee, which, as defined by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), means a crafted quality coffee-based beverage with a unique quality, a distinct taste and personality different from, and superior to, the common coffee beverages offered. The beverage is based on beans…