Bulalo Estofado: Daniel and Vanessa Matsunaga’s new resto blends Brazilian, Filipino cuisines | Lifestyle.INQ

OCTOBER 27, 2022

STOCKPILE’S Creamy Crab and Artichoke Dip

Robinsons Land Corporation’s The Sapphire Bloc at Ortigas Center, Pasig, offers more dining options and lifestyle perks.

 

There are the creative bar chow at The Stockpile, the Peruvian fare with a Pinoy twist at Sobremesa, and the specialty coffee at Starbucks Reserve.

 

The Stockpile has the Creamy Crab and Artichoke Dip, the Sardine and Salted Egg Flatbread with Feta, Tomatoes and Onions.

 

Sobremesa has the traditional Peruvian dishes like ceviche, roasted chicken with three dipping sauces and lomo saltado or stir-fried beef and vegetables.

 

For Filipino cuisine and signature cocktails, there’s Moonshine Public Urban Bar. Cable Car has its popular sisig rice and other bar chow.

 

In the next few weeks, opening are the Seven A.M. that will serve breakfast all day; Cazuela, known as Tapeo Tapas Bar that will have appetizers as well as roasts and cocido; and Kko Kko, a Korean restaurant owned by host Grace Lee that will offer new and traditional favorites.

 

“We purposely opened the retail establishments at The Sapphire Bloc even before the residents have moved in to create activity as early as possible,” Mybelle Gobio, senior vice president of Robinsons Land.

 

 

 

Sobremesa has South American and Filipino cuisines created by chef Benjo Tuason, who’s also behind Relik and URBN in Bonifacio Global City.

 

The specialties served during the recent opening included the Peruvian Tanigue or Shrimp Ceviche made from fresh ingredients. Unlike the traditional kilawin, the appetizer is not too sour, just spicy and tangy, with light raw honey. The Sweet Corn Fritters is both savory and sweet, with spicy marinara sauce.

 

For main courses, Tuason is proud of two recipes that have been close to his heart—his recreation of his mother’s Bulalo Estofado, and the meal he accidentally discovered while attempting to cook a coffee crusted tapa viand, the Barako Coffee Crusted Rib Eye.

 

The Bulalo Estofado has tender meat, simmered for hours in a broth that captures the Filipino’s love of flavorful soup, and sweet and salty fusions.

 

“It’s a sweeter version of bulalo with a richer broth. It’s really a dedication to my mother who passed away a few years ago,” he says.

 

The Barako Coffee Crusted Rib Eye is a burst of smoky flavor, with a grainy aftertaste. “A failed kitchen experiment produced this dish,” he recalls.

 

For dessert, the restaurant serves two cheesecakes—the Mango Coconut and Almond, and the Salted Caramel and Banana.

 

Part-owners Daniel and Vanessa Matsunaga, celebrity siblings of Brazilian heritage, have helped curate the dishes. “Brazilians love salty, while Filipinos prefer sweet. We infused these to make authentic dishes that remain faithful to their theme.”

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