A Wine Dinner Featuring Wines from the Loire Valley

My brother invited me to join him and a good friend for a wine dinner at The Pigpen Restaurant & Bar in Makati last October 18th. The wine dinner was a collaboration event by Pig Pen and Premium Wine Exchange.

The dinner featured selected wines from the Loire Valley region. The Loire Valley which has a long history of wine making dating back to the 1st century is the second largest wine producer of sparkling wine in France after Champagne. Apart from this, it also produces high quality white and red wines which exhibit fruity, fresh and crisp flavours.

We started the relaxing and fun evening with a glass of Domaine Huet Petillant 2012, which was fresh, light and bubbly. We also enjoyed munching on the sinful but yummy and crispy chicken skin with salted egg that was served and passed along the different tables. It was so good that even our friend who is not a big fan of salted egg snacks liked it and even requested for another serving as we exchanged funny stories.

Honestly, we felt that our table composed of six people(four men and 2 women) was the noisiest during the dinner. This was certainly validated when people from nearby tables, including the co-owners of the restaurant, were telling us that they wanted to join our table since it seems it’s so much fun given the series of loud laughs and funny comments coming from our table. Well what do you expect, we did have a lot of stories that are truly entertaining and funny. Our table also had a bunch of people with wit and a wicked sense of humour. Also, we try to burn our calories in between servings of delicious dishes and wine drinking through continuous laughter.

Below are the dishes we had which were all paired with well selected French wines from the Loire Valley region:

The crispy chicken skin with Salted Egg was a favourite as
 guests liked it with the glass of bubbly served at the start of 
the wine dinner.

The first dishes were paired with a glass of Alphonse Mellot La Moussiere Sancerre Blanc 2015

 

Truffle ricotta, aged parmesan ,
sweet pea tartlet

The stuffing inside the tartlet was a good mix of flavours
coming from the cheese, truffle and sweet pea

White asparagus, uni, mushroom
 and grapefruit

Foie gras, chicken liver mousse, apple and sourdougn

Baby corn with a secret healthy sauce

The next dishes were paired with a Vacheron Sancerre Rose 2016.

Salad of 25 vegetables and olive oil

Tuna ceviche, caviar, grilled avocado and sweet potato

Roasted grouper in fermented rice,cabbagem dill and 
cauliflower risotto

For the meat dishes below there were two wines served to us: Alphonse Mellot Petit Moussiere Sancerre Rouge 2015 and a Vacheron Sancerre Rouge 2015.

Spanish pork ribs, miso, plum, piquillo pepper and
fresh herbs

Wagyu beef tartare, bone marrow, egg yolk, 
smoked mayonnaise in filo

Veal cheeks, carrots, roasted in beef and butterscotch
 and pickled rose petals

For the desserts below,  the wine paired was a Didier Dagueneau Les Jardins de Babylone 2009.

White chocolate and coconut panna cotta, mango, basil,
pineapple chili

Crunchy praline finger and Calamansi and orange tart

Each wine glass had a label for
the type of wine served

All the wines paired with the dishes went well with various flavours and textures of the food. My personal favourite is the Rose wine that was served with delicious seafood dishes.

Overall, the dishes served were truly filling and delicious since we felt our waistlines expand as we exchanged stories and shared our opinions on the dishes and nice French wines that were served to us.

To know more about The PIGPEN restaurant and bar, you may visit: The Pigpen Makati website

A Third Wave Coffee Workshop with a Coffee Q-Grader

As a foodie, I have been always curious about food and beverage products that are changing the dining scene in different countries. For the past couple of years, Filipinos, who are mostly coffee drinkers, have become more discriminating in their taste for coffee as more coffee shops now offer specialty coffee and single origin type coffee. Furthermore, independent and local coffee shops have also opened in key cities and have promoted coffee using the slow brewing method.

Since I wanted to learn more about coffee and the coffee business I ended up enrolling myself in a coffee workshop at Enderun school a couple of years ago. The workshop was conducted by a Q-Grader or  Certified Coffee Expert, who happens to be a U.S. based Filipino-American named Kat Mulingtapang.

Kat Mulingtapang, a certified Q grader, shared her passion about
coffee and the process involved in finding coffee that suits one's taste.

Meeting Kat Mulingtapang, was a great experience. She shared how her passion for coffee had led her to her job as a coffee expert or a Q-grader. Her work is similar to that of being a wine sommelier but in her case it is being a connoisseur for coffee and it involves doing cupping and tasting various types of coffee from all over the world. Being a Q grader is not a job for everyone since one has to have a great taste palate and needs to be certified in order to have such a job. Part of her talk is informing the participants about Third Wave coffee.

Third Wave coffee refers to a movement to produce high-quality coffee and consider it artisanal foodstuff, like wine, rather than a commodity. This involves improving the stages of production, improving the coffee plant growing, enhancing relationships between coffee growers, traders and roasters and using high quality roasting in order to offer high quality coffee that is world-class.

The term “Third Wave” was coined by Timothy Castle in 1999 and refers to a focus on quality. Third Wave coffee can be seen as part of the specialty coffee movement. This refers to the whole process from farmer to cup using single origin coffee. Specialty coffee includes coffee which have undergone a grading system and only coffee with 80 to 100 point scale is considered specialty coffee.

True coffee drinkers with discriminating palates drink coffee without milk or sugar in it since this would give the drinker the ability to taste the unique flavors and notes of the specialty coffee on its own. Specialty coffee, which is grown in ideal climates, have tastes and notes that are a result of the special characteristics and composition of the soils in which they are produced.

Coffee tools such as grinders and coffee press machines and
some roasted local coffee beans.

During the workshop she presented to us various types of coffee beans. Being a Filipina, she takes pride in sharing with us that the coffee beans that she tasted from Mindanao impressed her and she considers it to be of high quality.

During her talk, she told us that it is important to be mindful when doing coffee cupping and tasting. There is a wide spectrum to consider with regards to the different notes that one can determine with their taste buds. Thus, apart from using spoons to taste a freshly made cup of coffee made using the right water temperature and right amount of freshly ground coffee, one also has to discern the different notes that one tastes as one does the cupping activity.

Green unroasted Arabica coffee beans sourced from different
provinces in the Philippines

Different scents that help coffee Q graders determine the
scent of the coffee that they are cupping or tasting.

The color wheel chart used by Q graders in order to take
note of notes of flavours and acidity  of the coffee
 that they are cupping or tasting.

Similar to wine being paired with food, coffee with different notes can also be paired with different types of food. This is not uncommon today, since even global giants like Starbucks, has also seen the growing demand for Single Origin coffee and has also invested in opening Starbucks Reserve stores which offer Single origin/Third wave type coffee variants for the more discriminating coffee drinkers. 

Usually, the baristas at Starbucks get trained in tasting single origin type coffee and checking which food items they can best pair with the different types of Single origin coffee that they offer so that they are able to suggest coffee and food pairing to customers.

Starbucks reserve store baristas having
coffee tasting and talking about which
food items are best paired for each one.

A Starbucks reserve store  barista preparing coffee using
Siphon brewing method.

Currently, countries known for producing high quality specialty coffee/single origin coffee include Columbia, Ethiopia, Brazil and Indonesia. In terms of coffee species, only Arabica coffee is the one that can be considered as specialty coffee.

In the Philippines, some of the coffee shops offering single origin coffee include brands such as Starbucks Reserve, Toby’s Estate, UCC coffee, Yardstick Coffee, Cartel, EDSA Bev, etc. There are also local cafes that have been set-up by enterprising Filipinos such as Local Edition, which only coffee using locally sourced coffee beans and Tilde coffee shop, which offers handcrafted coffee using pour-over method.

Handcrafted coffee prepared by a barista at
 Tilde cafe in Makati

With the busy lifestyles of consumers today, coffee has become part of their daily lives. People often hold meetings in coffee shops to talk about business as a way of escaping the usual office environment and holding a discussion in a more relaxed environment. Some also do some work in coffee shops in order to remain alert as they do their work since it provides them a busy environment. Apart from this, going to coffee shops to meet up with friends has also become a common phenomenon today since people get a nice and  cozy ambience, good music and good food to pair with their favourite coffee at coffee shops today.

It is certain that coffee shop business will continue to thrive as more consumers today become busy and since coffee shops become a convenient place for people to go to for them to get some work done or simply to catch up with good friends who also enjoy have a good cup of handcrafted or single origin type coffee.

Toby's cafe offers specialty coffee using their own blends
and one of the popular blends is Woolloomooloo blend
which has notes of spice, earth, cocoa and caramel.

Cheers to spending time with friends and family while having a good cup of coffee and to more coffee tasting and learning!

Stories by KISH

Ito Kish, a Filipino furniture designer who has a passion for home interiors and design, has launched STORIES by Ito Kish at the 2nd level of the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell, Makati last June 7, 2018. Since it is a pop-up store they will feature various home accessories and good finds that Kish sourced from his travels abroad until August 2018 only.

The frontage of the store invites curious people
who like home items and design to take a peek inside.

During a recent visit this week to STORIES by Ito Kish, I found the store to be fully maximized  since they were able to put in a lot of items in the rectangular store space yet everything was curated in an interesting manner. 

Curated by Ito Kish, the limited space of the store was fully
maximized and different home items were placed in groups.

The pop-up event is dubbed "Stories" since Kish believes that one of his life's mission is to  help his clients create their own personal stories for their homes. A variety of items sourced from his travels in Europe and Asia can be found in the pop-up store. They also offer some mid-century vintage furniture pieces sourced from Europe at the store.

Below are some of the interesting items at Stories by Ito Kish:

Tea cups in different colours and sizes and home
accessories that can be placed on shelves and console
tables.

Ceramic items and various books that can
be used to spruce up a shelf or coffee table
at home.

Intricately carved items, colourful mugs and other
ceramic items that can be added to one's home.

Decorative and functional bowl, artsy vases
and nice animal ceramic pieces which may be
placed on tables or shelves at one's home.

Light pieces that can add style and illuminate
one's home.

A lovely Fornasetti candle which becomes a decorative
and useful piece in one's home.

The staff in the store are also very helpful and would be able to answer inquiries and can also reserve items that one might want to purchase.

The good thing about STORIES by Ito Kish is that they keep on adding new items in the store every week so one can always come back and you might just be pleasantly surprised to find a lovely item that you can buy and place in your home so that you can also start your personal home stories too.

Park Hyatt Bangkok Hotel: A Cozy Place to Unwind

During a trip to Bangkok with my brother and a friend a couple of months ago, we were able to visit the Park Hyatt Bangkok Hotel, a relatively new hotel since it opened mid-year of 2017. It is conveniently attached to the modern and well-designed Central Embassy mall and an entrance from the mall is provided for easy access for guests.

The hotel has an artsy, modern and sophisticated look. It was designed by New York City based firm Yabu Pushelberg. The hotel is very stylish yet it has an understated luxury vibe which makes guests feel comfortable in a more relaxed yet classy environment.

The overall design and ambience of the place is wonderful and it is simply a good and cozy place to unwind after spending a busy day going around Bangkok.

Since we were booked at The Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bangkok, we opted to just visit and hang out in Park Hyatt Bangkok hotel’s lounge area for some tea and coffee since we got tired going around the different shopping malls. 

The hotel staff showed us the pretty desserts, chocolates and cheese in their secret room which looks like a luxe kitchen that the Million Dollar Decorators would approve of.

The buffet set-up was colourful and each item looked yummy so we ended up trying it. We thought that since it was our last night in Bangkok and the place is really beautiful and conducive for long conversations then it is worthwhile to try it.

The Park Hyatt Bangkok Hotel’s buffet is composed of an array of pastries, chocolates and cheese and it is certainly something that any foodie would truly appreciate since one can get to try a variety of different choices and taste a mixture of sweet and salty treats.

Below are some of the photos that I took at the Park Hyatt Bangkok's lounge cafe area:

A long staircase leads down to the lounge area
of the Park Hyatt Bangkok hotel

The modern and artsy lounge is
 comfortable and classy.

The tables on the side  of the lounge area
gives guests a relaxing  view
of the garden outside.

The luxe and modern kitchen provides a nice
selection of treats.

Cakes, cake pops and chcolates are included in the buffet spread.

A variety of cheese, bread, grapes and nuts can
be found in the buffet spread.

Marble tables are properly set-up with stylish glasses and
dining elements  and blends with the understated luxe look
of the lounge area's interiors.

Our experience at the Park Hyatt Bangkok was very nice. Their staff are well-trained and provide excellent service. It is the type of place that we would definitely visit again next time we go to Bangkok.

ISSAYA BANGKOK: Modern Thai Dining in a 100-year old Thai Villa

During a recent trip to Bangkok with my brother and a friend I was able to visit Chef Ian Kittichai’s well-known modern Thai restaurant called Issaya Siamese Club. The restaurant is unique as one is transported from the bustling city to a home restaurant reminiscent of a relaxing countryside home. 

Issaya Siamese Club restaurant

A 100-year old Thai villa turned restaurant in
Bangkok by Chef Kittichai

Issaya is a Thai word which means “rainy season”. The name was inspired by the garden of the restaurant which flourishes because of the rainy season. To pay homage to the rainy season that keeps the 100-year old villa’s garden lush and green, the name Issaya was chosen. Apart from being a charming place for bonding with friends and family and a welcome escape from the busy city life in Bangkok, Issaya is also a great culinary experience since it has been consistently included in the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants from 2014 to 2018.

The outdoor dining area at Issaya

Interiors of Issaya restaurant

It features a lovely garden and the ground floor dining outlet is very homey and includes both a dining room and a large outdoor terrace.

The lovely garden area at Issaya

Issaya's garden lounge area

Chef Kittichai, the restaurant owner and Thailand’s first international celebrity chef, came from humble beginnings. As a child, he helped his family earn a living by pushing a food cart and sell curries made by his mother through their neighborhood in Bangkok.  With hard work and perseverance he was able to get a culinary school scholarship.

He had his apprenticeship  at a French fine dining restaurant called Claude’s in Sydney and this pushed him further to learn more and eventually he became the Executive Chef of a 5-star hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok.

Today, Chef Kittichai is truly successful since he is involved with 13 food and beverage outlets offering different cuisines in 4 different countries.

During our visit to Issaya, we were able to try the Issaya Set menu which included the following dishes:

Issaya Siamese Club
Amuse bouche (complimentary appetizer)

Salmon and Pad Thai salad

Banana blossom and heart of palm salad
with crispy shallots and roasted peanuts in a
chili jam dressing

Khao Yai chicken with Issaya spice rub charcoal grillled and
flambeed when served

Issaya spice rubbed pork baby back ribs  with
house blended chili paste

Mussaman Gae

Australian lamb shank simmered in Mssaman curry and
served with picked cucumber salad

Goong Pad Cha

Dry boat caught tiger prawns in a house-blended
pepper and holy basil sauce

Khao Aob

Inspired by a dish from Chef Kittichai's father  - Wok sauteed GI asian multigrains,
 Chiang Mai mushrooms and garlic sprinkled with  mushroom scented oil.

This dish simply reminds me of rice with truffle oil.

Kanom Dok-Mali

Jasmine flower panna cota served with Jasmine rice,
ice cream and Jasmine rice tuile

Among the various dishes we had, the top 3 that we liked were the Mussaman Gae(which was super tender and was very flavorful), Issaya's pork baby back ribs(which was marinated perfectly and was so tender) and the Khao Aob (which is like eating a really healthy truffle flavored rice). The servings were quite generous that we felt so full after our meal.It is the type of restaurant that one can surely recommend to friends.

To know more about Issaya, you can visit their website via this link: Issaya restaurant Bangkok