There are glimmers of favorites but a new Mrs. Saldo’s character is the prevailing identity in Rhea Rizzo’s latest Makati pop-up

Three years since Rhea Rizzo opened her beautiful restaurant in Silang and it’s still a surprise that she doubts herself. Even after droves of people literally drive two hours from Manila to taste her menu. Even after holding a successful stint at Balmori Suites. And even now at her new pop-up at the Oppein Showroom in Karrivin Studios.

“I’m just grateful to be given this opportunity. Everything happened so fast. There has to be a reason why it happened, right? That’s what I tell myself.”

The latest Mrs. Saldo’s pop-up delivers Rhea Rizzo’s most invigorating version yet as she transmutes feelings of anxiety, excitement, self-doubt, gratitude, and confidence into a body of work that leaves anyone within her orbit elated

What turned out to be a night of simply tasting the evolution of Mrs. Saldo’s (for me at least given that I haven’t been back since that momentous first visit) turned into a warm gathering of industry friends over what Rizzo calls “cross-border comfort food” in a setting reminiscent of Restoration Hardware where food, design, and lifestyle collide.

But perhaps even better.

Because Rizzo has always given you that right feeling. Someone whose time is right—whether it was in Silang in 2021, Balmori in 2023, or her new pop-up in 2024. Over the years, she’s slowly realized her various forms and the latest Mrs. Saldo’s pop-up delivers her most invigorating version yet as she transmutes feelings of anxiety, excitement, self-doubt, gratitude, and confidence into a body of work that leaves anyone within her orbit elated.

“She has everything,” exclaims hospitality and design expert Isabel Lozano across the table when I prodded Rizzo about the idea of finally opening another Mrs. Saldo’s in Manila.

A universal menu

The Karrivin pop-up menu pretty much has everything and it’s easy to lose yourself into Mrs. Saldo’s magic. And while it is not geographically defined owing to Rizzo’s global upbringing, it is filled to the brim with pieces of herself.

“People are more exposed to different kinds of ingredients and techniques,” Rizzo says. “So I thought, ‘Why not bring all those things [classical French training, Californian roots, and Southeast Asian techniques] together?’ And that’s why you’re going to find pasta (two of them actually: a romesco and a tomato, mushroom, chicken) in the menu, you’re going to find something from Thailand, from a French bistro, the barramundi, which you like.”

“People are more exposed to different kinds of ingredients and techniques,” Rhea Rizzo says. “So I thought, ‘Why not bring all those things [classical French training, Californian roots, and Southeast Asian techniques] together?’

Yes, that pan-fried barramundi sitting on toasty brown butter that’s buoyed by crisp sourdough bits and capers and a squeeze of lemon extol all the virtues of Mrs. Saldo’s—deceptively simple but exhilarating and energizing nonetheless. “I had this fantastic sole meunière in Paris, and I wanted to bring that home with me,” she says about what spurred the dish into existence.

Scan the menu and you’ll find an array of inspirations—just don’t call it fusion. There’s an all-day brunch section if you drop by for lunch or just feel like it even for dinner, a couple Silang favorites (crab dip and Thai fish curry), and a slew of new items that deliberately eschew everything from Balmori “because I wanted it to be a different pop-up menu.”

The stories behind her food fuel the menu, too. A potent humba-peanut piaya served with a side of xi’an sauce and a US braised short ribs cooked as a kansi is an ode to the Hiúgyon collaborative dinner she did with Bettina Arguelles, Angelo Comsti, and the Slow Food community in Bacolod.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of examples of Rizzo’s spirit. Like in the comforting khao ka moo (braised pork leg in soy-caramel with rice, grilled bok choy and nahm Jim), which virtually feels like being back in Thailand, the staggering fried rendang donuts thoughtfully infused with a yogurt, mango, and yuzu kosho are staggering, and the Chocnut cheesecake that ends any meal in nostalgia.

Mrs. Saldo’s in the metro?

That Rizzo found a space that matches her gastronomic vision and a mentor and business partner in Ryan Cruz feels more like a plot in a Netflix series rather than stars aligning for her brand’s future is all the more serendipitous. “The more I got to meet with him, I’m like, ‘This guy’s going to be my business partner, but he doesn’t know it yet,’” Rizzo joyfully shares.

“Balmori did very well. Like, too well,” she admits shyly. “So that made me think… maybe there’s a demand. It never entered my brain that I should open one in the city. But after Balmori, I saw the possibilities.”

Rizzo wasn’t fully convinced until another business mentor and coach encouraged her to “try another location and just compare it, get your feet wet, get more data points, choose the right location.”

“So here we are.”

As she stands on the precipice of another breakthrough and “more serious stuff” like on the menu, many will be waiting and eager to welcome her with open arms.

It’s tempting to hope that Rizzo might finally open another permanent location in the city after the rousing success she’s received over the years. Her kind of success is partly attributed to being vulnerable and second-guessing herself but that’s not an absolutely negative thing. In Rizzo’s case as in most creatives, she has learned to use self-doubt to set her up for success.

“If it’s doubt about an idea, it actually encourages divergent thinking, non-linear thought, and may inspire you to extend existing ideas in new and exciting ways,” says Patrick Carroll, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University, in a Quartz interview.

@nolisoli.ph One of our favorite restaurants is back for a pop-up at the beautiful Oppein Showroom in Karrivin Studios. Chef Rhea Rizzo brings her attention-grabbing “cross-border comfort food” in the city for three months and she seems to have found her stride with a new menu decked with all-day brunch takes, sexy starters (don’t miss the fried rendang donuts!), and “more serious” mains that traverse the globe 😋 #foryou #nolisoliph #foodieph #foodtiktokph #mrssaldos ♬ Dance You Outta My Head – Cat Janice

“I usually tell my staff, build on that confidence,” she says. “Obviously we have to hold them accountable, but at the same time, you know, build their confidence. And the only way for them to do that is to look back and think ‘Hey, you’ve done Balmori, you’ve done six months in Silang.’

Who knows, these three months in Karrivin might just be enough time for Rizzo and the rest of the Mrs. Saldo’s team to imbue even more self-confidence to set up camp somewhere in Makati. As she stands on the precipice of another breakthrough and “more serious stuff” like on the menu, many will be waiting and eager to welcome her with open arms.

The Mrs. Saldo’s pop-up will run until Jan. 11, 2025 at the Oppein Showroom, 3/F Karrivin Studios, Karrivin Plaza, Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For reservations, call or message 0954-235-3702