KABISERA

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My Resto Version of Mr. Right, Right Now

By Margaux Salcedo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:23:00 08/10/2008

MANILA, Philippines – The top three questions asked of this food writer are: (1) What is your favorite restaurant? (2) What is the best restaurant in the country? (3) What is the best Filipino restaurant?

The only one I can consistently answer is the first, because the answer to that is particular to me. There is no one best restaurant or one best Filipino restaurant because, like men, the best change with the times (no offense to SIM’s male readers, of course). Mr. Right, more often than not, is often really nothing more than a Mr. Right Now, Aga Muhlach notwithstanding.

My Mr. Right Now in restaurants is called Kabisera at the Fort. At the end of the day, you still look for the familiar. For us brownies, it’s kare-kare, adobo, bangus. This is what Kabisera offers in a clean, simple setting punctuated only by the banana leaf designs on the walls and the smiles of the restaurant’s servers.

Kabisera is actually owned by the Dencio’s group. The concept is Dencio’s cleaned up and grown up. While Dencio’s would be a beer-drinking, jeans-clad, loud, scruffy Owen Wilson, Kabisera would be a whisky-drinking, suit-wearing, refined Luke. But, like brothers, they are essentially the same: as with Dencio’s, the Filipino comfort food in Kabisera is that which we are accustomed to, offered generously and cooked richly.

The menu is distinctively Pinoy, divided into Pampagana (Starters); Sabaw (Soup); a side dish of vegetables or Ensalada/Gulay; entrees of pork, beef, chicken or fish called Pork Paborito, Baka Banquet, Lutong Lamang Dagat, Manok Especial; rice, of course, or Kanin; and dessert or Panghimagas.

In one Filipino word, the restaurant is sulit (worth it)—at least the items I tried. The Chicken Binakol, described on the menu as “malinamnam na chicken soup gawa sa coconut water broth—sabaw na light at healthy,” delivers on these pronouncements. At first glance, it looks like plain tinola, with the chicken and malunggay leaves obvious to the eye. But at first sip, you taste the sweetness of the coconut broth curiously mixed with a bit of ginger (luya). It is quite refreshing and indeed light; just what you need to calm a hungry stomach before you devour what’s to come.

Rodrigo’s Roast, which I thought at first would be lechon, is chunky pork adobo. Three huge spirals of pork, including the deliciously soft pork fat, were slow roasted then made into adobo. This dish was inspired by the book of culinary expert Enriqueta David-Perez and named after her husband. It is very rich and very tasty. In fact, as it is presented, it reminded me of roses and yes, it could just as easily clog anyone’s heart as much as melt it.

Dessert will not let you down either. Brazo and cheesecake lovers will agree that Editha’s Way is a good way. It has a cheesecake foundation with a slightly toasted crust and a brazo de mercedes upper half. Accessorized with sugar droplets, it’s called Editha’s Way because it was created by Dencio’s very own Edith Singion. It’s a brilliant dessert and hopefully, with Editha, there are more ways than one and more ways to come.

Try not to eat here alone because the entrees are served in proportions meant for sharing. The sizzling bangus belly, for instance, has around five belly squares ready for the taking on that hot sizzling platter. The vegetable kare-kare comes in a bowl good for four, even if it’s minus the meat. The rice is good for four petites or two basketball players.

But the best thing about this place is its Pinoy-friendly prices, with nothing over P500 on the menu. I guess when they decided to name it Kabisera, they also took the wallet of whoever would sit in the kabisera into consideration! So you enjoy High Street without the high prices in these pricey times.

Kabisera. Ground Floor, 3rd Quadrant, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Tel. 856-5543 or 856-5545. Wheelchair accessible. Major credit cards accepted.